Feather loss and missing feathers happens within every flock at one point or another. Suddenly, one day you happen to notice that one or more of your chickens are missing some feathers. Missing feathers should always cause you to do a bit of detective work. There are reasons for missing feathers. Some reasons are obvious, while others require you search a little deeper into the underlying cause of the missing feathers.
Feathers can go missing anywhere on a chicken’s body. However, sometimes the location as to where they are missing can provide you with clues. Sometimes missing feathers occur during the normal process of molting. Molting can take up to several months to complete and typically occurs in flocks at least one year of age. It can also be triggered by stress. During their annual molt, typically in the fall, chickens systematically lose their feathers, starting at the head and moving down the body from neck, then chest, back, wings, and finally their backsides and their tails. Some chickens have heavier molts than others and their degree of molting can vary from year to year. The Silkies in our flock rarely show any evidence of molting other than a few feathers here and there strewn throughout the run and coop. On the other hand, Oyster Cracker is one of those chickens that seems to drop all of her feathers overnight- leaving her bald and mangy looking for months.
Location of missing feathers and possible causes
Head– others chickens pecking, other hens asserting dominance, molting, lice
Chest-broody hen, molting
Butt- can appear beefy red-molting, vent gleet, mites, lice, feather pecking by self or others
Area immediately around vent-worms, mites, lice, egg bound, pecking by self or others
Random bald spots-feather pecking by self or others, mites, lice, bullies
Back near wings and back of neck-rooster’s damage from mating/over-mating
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| Pecked because she was broody, in their favorite nesting box, and would not leave. |
Reasons for picking at feathers
Protein deficiency– Feathers and eggs are predominantly protein. Adult chickens require diets between 15-17% protein depending on which chicken resource you rely upon. They should all be on layer feed after approximately 20 weeks of age. Sometimes, in our good intentions of sharing kitchen scraps, fruits and vegetables, chickens can become deficient in protein. Therefore, they will seek another source to make up for this deficiency, even if this includes eating feathers.
Boredom/Lack of Adequate Space-Chickens can become bored, especially in the winter. It is very important to provide your chickens with the proper amount of spacing per bird. In flocks that are not allowed to free-range, it is suggested that each standard size chicken has approximately 10 square feet of space. Bantams of course require less. It is also important to provide them with distractions to keep them happy and occupied during these times when the grass outside is not always greener.
Mites/Fleas-Sometimes missing feathers are the only signs of mites. Mites are incredibly elusive. They like to hide in the nooks and crannies of the coop and come out and feed on the chickens under the cover of darkness. They suck the chicken’s blood and in the morning, return to their hiding place. It is not uncommon for chicken keepers only to find them on their hens after they investigate with a flashlight in the evening. Mites that crawl and move across the chicken’s skin are not only irritating, but also cause itching and pain after a while. This annoyance can lead to chickens pecking at these sensitive spots.
Lice- Like mites, lice can be just as annoying for the same reasons; however, they love to congregate at the base of the feathers where the feathers meet the skin. They can cause itching and a burning sensations. Lice love to hang out best near the vent, under the wings and on the head. They will not leave their host. Instead they rapidly multiply leaving your chicken defenseless, except for feather pecking.
Bully hen/pecking order– Yes, even in the world of chickens there are bullies. Our Dottie Speckles was one such bully. Despite our best efforts, she was insistent upon hurting Tilly. By the light of the moon, she took great pleasure at plucking feathers from Tilly as she slept. Poor Tilly, she became so miserable that we had to eventually re-home Dottie Speckles. In the meanwhile, Dottie Speckles had taught her bad habit to a few of the good hens. Taking Dottie Speckles away, allowed the girls to forget about pecking at one another and how much better it is to keep a harmonious existence. It took me months to figure out that this is what was happening to Tilly.
Chickens Instinctively Peck-Chickens most always peck first at things that catch their eye. They peck at shiny things such as buttons, earrings and painted toenails. They peck at bugs, slugs and small moving flies. Their curiosity is expressed via pecking. There are a few things that you must remember. Chickens love the color red. Chickens love to peck at red things including blood. Chickens can become cannibals if left to their own devices.
Vent Gleet-Vent gleet is also known as a fungal infection of the gastrointestinal tract. It can lead to feather loss around the vent and the entire backside of your chickens. It is most commonly seen in hens. You can read more about it here.
Worms-If the worm infestation is serious enough in your flock the chickens will find the worms irritating to the vent area. Thus, your chickens will peck at their vents to try and address the irritation and also perhaps at other affected chickens’ vents too, especially if they notice the worms. Read more about the types of worms that affect chickens here and how to treat for them. Any veterinarian can check your chickens’ poop for evidence of worms even if they don’t treat chickens.
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| Oyster Cracker’s new pin feathers are seen on her wing and neck following her molt. |
Why are feathers not returning?
Quills in the Skin– Feathers begin to emerge from the skin as pin feathers. They are pointy shafts of protein. As they grow longer, the chicken takes off the sheath and the feather unfurls. In the center of the feather is the quill where blood supply exists. Thus sometimes, broken feathers will bleed. Also, sometimes when feathers are broken or pecked the tip of the feather remains in the skin. To our eyes, we do not see any feathers, only bare spots. However, since that tip is still in the skin the chicken’s body still believes that there is a feather present. It is not until the chicken molts, that you will see a new feathers grow into the existing bare spot.
Repetitive Pecking-As the new feathers grow in, they too are irresistible to the chickens’ pecking. Pin feathers are especially tempting. Also, the color red of the irritated skin, especially on their bottoms, lends to pecking. Sometimes, chickens lower in the pecking order bear the brunt of the pecking.
Helping Feathers Return
Protein snacks/Supplements-Snacks and treats should always be shared in moderation. Too many treats can lead to health problems such as fatty liver. Meal worms and sunflower seeds are good choices. There are also supplements that can be temporarily added to your chickens’ food such as Poultry Conditioner and Calf Manna that help too.
Access to dust bathing/ dry run-Dust bathing naturally helps chickens to clean their feathers and helps to eradicate poultry lice and mites. It is important that your chickens always have a place in their run outside to dust bathe that stays dry from the elements.
Layer pellets-Verify that you are feeding your adult flock layer pellets. Even full time free-ranging birds should always have access to layer pellets if they so desire. A proper diet leads to proper functioning of their bodies.
Sea Kelp/Kelp Meal– Try adding this vitamin, protein, and mineral rich supplement to the feed. It corrected feather picking in my flock.
Hygiene-Clean coop/roost/nesting boxes-This is probably the number one reason for issues that arise in backyard chicken keeping. I can never stress enough how important it is to keep your chickens’ living space clean. Here is how we keep our coop clean.
Blu-Kote/Vetericyn- Both of these products are great to have in your chicken first aid kit. Blu-Kote is great for spraying on closed wounds only. (It can sting.) It tints everything a bluish purple color. Changing the color alone sometimes helps to deter chickens away from those tempting areas. Be sure to wear gloves when applying. It stains everything. Vetericyn is wonderful for applying to open wounds. It is effective against bacteria, viruses and fungus and helps to promote wound healing.
Separate living area near flock– Sometimes the chicken that is missing their feathers and continually pecked upon needs to be removed from the flock until the feathers return. Do not be tempted to return this chicken to the flock until the feathers have completely grown in and appear normal. Here is how we have created a separate safe place for an injured chicken that would work nicely in this case as well.
Hen saddle/apron- Aprons that can be applied to the back of a chicken are an easy way to keep chickens within their flock while covering their bare backs and allowing the feathers to return. These are great for over-mated hens and broody hens. Just be sure to check regularly under the apron for lice and mites. If left un-checked they can take advantage of the apron too.
Boredom busters-Keep your cooped up chickens busy. Distraction is the key sometimes. Try supervised free-ranging, a cabbage pinata, treat ball, chicken ball, or a flock block.
Rooster and over-mating– A flock should have at least 7 hens to one rooster. This helps to keep certain hens from being over-mated by him and allows them to escape his constant attention. If you have more roosters, they each will need a group of hens to keep everyone happy.
In most cases, there are identifiable reasons why chickens are missing their feathers. Sometimes it is straight forward and other times, it may not be as obvious. In fact, like with Dottie Speckles, it took me months to finally find the culprit and figure out the solution, even though I spend a great deal of time with the flock each day. Hens sometimes behave differently when we are around. Keep that in mind, when you set off on your detective work and most of all do not get discouraged. It might just be a situation where you have to wait until the next year’s molt.
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| Checking for mites and lice near the vent |
This post is linked up to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop.
Photo Credits: Tilly’s Nest
118 thoughts on “Reasons for Missing Feathers on Backyard Chickens”
Thanks so much for all the terrific information! -Mary
You are very welcome. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Hi there, this is such useful information thank you so much. My hen has lost all the feathers on the back of her neck, after reading your page I am wondering if this could be due to an over active Roo that has taken her as his favourite?
It most certainly could be. They will "hold" their hens by their neck feathers during mating.
Good to know. Always so much good info here. I have not had a problem other than a molt. Right now no one is laying. No eggs for the last week. I miss them.
Hi Elaine, egg production is down here too. So glad your flock is doing well and hoping the eggs return soon for you and your family. Happy Holidays.
After the fall molt, my silver-laced Wyandotte's feathers came in fuzzy instead of smooth, and her wing feathers look ragged and incomplete. All the other hens molted without a hitch, and their feathers look beautiful. I can't seem to find information about what may have caused this. She doesn't appear to have any parasites or problems with the other hens, her feathers just grew in ugly. Has anyone else experienced this?
How old is she squirrelgrrrl?
She's in her third year. This is her second molt.
Yes, I have three hen all about a year and a half in age. Around March one had her beautiful feathers turn to this fuzzy stuff on her back and around her legs the wings feathers are smooth. I have not seen any pecking from her or the other hens. What could this be?
Great info. Thank you.
Awesome info ! I remember being on the farm as a kid we had some hens with feather loss , I don't quite remember why though or what caused it ! Some where because of other chickens pecking at them I do know that lol ! We also had some hens eating their own eggs my dad had an old farmer remedy to stop that . Have a good day !
Oh wow, I bet you have some really neat memories of growing up. Yes, those chickens are so naughty when they eat the eggs. I did a post on that but would love to hear what your farmer remedy was! Thanks for the lovely comment.
my mom & dads remedy roast chicken for Sunday dinner
Yes, that is a remedy that lots of folks take. But it’s nice to have options that don’t involve dinner.
Great info! The only thing I would add is a rooster being a bit aggressive in mating, if you have a rooster! I would love to have you share this on Wildcrafting Wednesday next week! Please stop by and vote for you favorite post on our People's Choice Awards at:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2012/12/peoples-choice-award-for-wildcrafting-wednesday.html
Yes, I did mention that in the part about the aprons, but I will add that now to the upper part of the post. Thank you for the suggestion. I so appreciate it. I will be stopping by your place for a visit.
i don't really want to start with aprons…they seem to have their own problems.i have a very aggressive young rooster when it comes to mating.he has plenty of hens but of course a few favorites.on these few feathers are missing from their back and sometimes wings.would it be better for all to get a new roo or wait him out or what?the girls look so awful?
I have had great success with the aprons. I'm curious what the issues you have had with them. Roos will have their favorite hens for sure and it sounds like overmating. Like you say, you have options to get a new roo, rehome the roos from your flock, or separate them out until the feathers return.
I just (maybe two weeks ago) got 10 chickens from the daughters mother in law, mostly RIRs. When my husband went to pick them up he expressed to me that she had alot of chickens ducks and geese in her smallish pen. Do you think that could be one of the reasons they might be loosing feathers? The very first picture at the top of your blog is EXACTLY what the look like. I am hoping they will start getting their feathers back shortly, Im sure they are stressed from moving and a change in environment. Since these girls are new to me its been quite difficult to catch them, but there is one who seems to be warming up to me. And then a few days ago I got a rooster from a different friend, Im hoping he wont be to mean to the ladies. Thank you so much for your blog!
I think with time, enough space and good nutrition they should be on their way to feeling better, laying beautiful eggs and regrowing their feathers. The feathers may not return until after they molt. Thank you for your comment!
One of my silkie roosters has what looks like rotten feather shafts under his wings & on his feet, as well as around the beak & eyes. The skin is sluffing off easily under his wings as well. I used food grade DE to kill what might be bacteria or mites. Today I removed the infected feathers as well as the shaft, treated with a spray I made out of hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alchohol & tea tree oil. Dried the infected areas with sterile clean towels, exposed the feet, wings, & face areas to a few minutes of full sun & then applied a thin coat of antibiotic salve. Also hand fed him Emergen-C, & let him drink it on his own. The pen has fresh pine shavings laced with food grade DE (diatomatious earth). Water is fresh, also leaving Emergen-C if he wants to drink more of it. Chicken feed boosted with a little protein, DE, & the Harrisons Bird food crumbs left behind from the parrots, plus grit. Also providing pen with 6500K lumens of floresent light, some finely chopped califlower, broccoli, orange & apple. All fresh items remover before they go south. Have been concerned that my silkies were not getting enough light, gut feeling, as we stay indoors due to the high temps & humidity. So yesterday we did a DE dusting & romp in the shaded areas in the backyard. I noticed the white silkie trying to roll onto his side. After close inspection found the mess! The blue silkie is just fine, very healthy.They have been inside & together since they were chicks & this is the first time I have seen anything wrong with them since they arived 6 months or so ago.
Any recommendations or cautions would be appretiated.
Wow! Sounds like you did a great job. Now I think you just need to give it a little time to see if all of your efforts paid off. See how he is in a few days. Do keep me posted and thank you so much for sharing. The only advice I might suggest is to avoid the citrus. You could also take a peek at Nutri Drench for poultry. Many fans have had great success with that. Best of Luck!
My chicken Crooked Beak has always had missing feathers ….well i think she has but in the winter they come back its not from the mating because all the rast grow their feathers back and she doesnt what is its not any bug i already checked
I really appreciate your blog – especially because you give detailed and specific recommendations rather than simplified generalizations – thanks for being so practical!
Now my question – I clicked on the picture of the chicken missing some feathers and found it was a link that led to about 5 pics – the 4th picture – with two birds eating some cantaloupe scraps – what is the cause of the feather loss in the one on the right? We have a couple of hens that look like that Do you think it is lice or worms? Or something else?
Robin – rchap113@highspeedlink.net
You are very welcome. I would say that photo depicts vent gleet and probably some feather picking from others or that chicken herself from the irritation. I have a link to what you can do above where I mention vent gleet.
Hi Melissa,
HELP! I am trying to find out an answer for a chicken vent problem. Have you ever run into, or heard of a purple reddish sack under a hen's vent? Apparently the vent itself isn't the problem. Unfortunately, there are no pictures to share. What is it? What causes it? If it's bad, how is it cured? This is for someone on the Back Yard Chicken forum, I don't yet have my own chickens, I'm just researching on how to care for them before I get any, and I ran into this problem. Any information would be a great help.
Thanks,
Heather Z.
Hi Heather, Oh boy! Poor chicken 🙁
Without having photos or more information to go on, I think this chicken is best to see a vet. It sounds like it might be combination of things. First, if it is coming out of the vent, I think vent prolapse. If it is under the vent, I am thinking an infected abscess, growth, or tumor. (Was the vent poopy or dirty?) This chicken will most likely benefit from a vet for proper diagnosis, if it is an abscess determining if it needs to be drained. She will also most likely benefit from antibiotics as well. Best of Luck!
Hi im in 4h and my blue andelusions feathers are looking horrible Its not that shes molting its just that its not together and organized is there anything I can do to get them looking better thx
If you can, do share a photo to our Facebook page. Pictures tell so much.
Hi, great info,
We have a small chantecler that is just over a year now. We got 16 more hens and a rooster as day olds in the spring ( they are now 20 weeks old) when we introduced them together they seemed to get along fine ( she bullied them a little but just to let them know who ran the show, not hurt them) eventually the rooster reached maturity and singled her out and over mated and one day she came back blood on her neck and a peice of flesh ripped off from the back of her neck. I thought it was from a predator but then i saw the rooster on top of her pulling at the flesh! So now we have separated her, she seemed fine for a week, healing nicely but now she is loosing lots of feathers (including all her tail feathers) and has stop laying. Otherwise she is eating and drinking fine. I would like to know if you have any advise. Thanks
Poor thing! I would assume this is most likely a stress molt from the situation. Once she is done molting the eggs should resume. (Check out my blog post on molting.) I would keep her separated until all of her feathers return. You might consider getting her a hen saddle as it is likely that this could reoccur. You might even have to consider removing the roo from the flock. As painful and upsetting as that might be to you, sometimes a flock is more peaceful that way. Good Luck and do keep me posted.
hi,
i have gotten 5 hens this last february and they have been laying eggs for a couple months now and theres this one hen that keeps pecking on the others from their buts to the stomachs and i have kept the bully out of the cage for a while now and i still dont see recovery from the feathers , ived checked all of them for lice and mites but it doesnt seem to be the problem that the feathers arnt coming back, they areeating and drinking just fine but every so often one is slow at laying as well , is it normal to be slow on eggs and not have feathers on their butt? can you give me advice please!! 🙂
Sometimes if there are small pieces of feathers still intact in the skin then the feathers will not return until a complete molt. Slow eggs, how old are the chickens? Also, if they are molting now, feathers will be missing and eggs will slow down or even stop. Also, vent gleet comes to mind and you might also have a case where other birds have learned to peck at the feathers. Sometimes even at night when they roost. Feathers do take approximately 3 weeks to form.
I have a Rooster and a Hen. We had 2 other hens, but both died. One became egg-bound (I think) My hen has started losing feathers across her back. I noticed my rooster pecking on her back after they went in for the night. I plan to remove her from the coop and put her into another nice little coop we built for my last hen that passed. This little hen has gotten very mean, she has jumped up and pecked me on my face, she acts like my very mean rooster. If I separate them, will she settle down, or continue to be mean? Is it safe to separate, or will they not survive without each other? I know he is over-mating (after reading your comments) I can't put her with any new chickens, she was party to attacking the comb on my last hen. That's the reason we built a second coop. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi nikki! I am so sorry to hear of these things. Yes, I do believe you are right, she is being over mated. As chickens prefer to be in a flock, you might consider adding about six new hens to your flock. This will help with the overmating problem. It might even adjust this henny girl's attitude. No guarantees of course, but this is probably what I would do myself. Best of luck!
If my chickens are loosing their feathers, are the eggs still edible?
Why do you think the eggs would be bad?
one of my chickens lost a bunch of feathers on her chest and ive been noticing that she isnt leaving her nest. is she broody or just cold because of the missing feathers? and also why do broody chickens lose feathers?
She is definitely broody! They pull the feathers from their chest. It is self- inflicted. This is called a broody patch. They put this patch directly on the eggs to help maintain the proper humidity 🙂 Smart girls!
I think my RIRs are moulting, as they've lost a lot of feathers. I think I'm seeing the shafts of the new feathers around their heads and neks, so I'm not too worried about the feather loss. I am worried about the temperature, though. Do I need to do something for my birds on these cold nights, if they're currently low on feathers?
The feathers should return soon. Chickens will slept very closely on the roosts at night to keep warm. As long as they are tucked in a well ventilated draft free coop at night and have it available as well during the day to go in and out of as they please, they should do just fine.
Thanks!
Thanks for the info. Had me really worried when they started losing their feathers. The only thing that worries me is that they've become a little stand-offish since they started losing the feathers. Is that normal? They seem to spend a lot of time inside the coop and don't want to come out unless I open the gate for them to free range around the yard. It's kind of been like this for about a month now and they both practically stopped laying eggs.
You are welcome! Without seeing your flock it is always difficult to know, but my hens do not like to be handled when their new pin feathers are coming back in. As handling them can cause them pain during this time.
https://www.tillysnest.com/2011/11/love-hurts.html
Egg laying will also decrease or stop due to the high protein demands.
https://www.tillysnest.com/2012/09/got-eggs-top-ten-reasons-for-decline-in.html
These links might help.
Hi, Thank you for this very informative blog. I'm very worried about my Charlotte, a 1-1/2 yr old RIR. She started losing feathers on her neck, and now it's gotten so bad she has NO neck feathers and it's spreading to her chest. Her skin looks clear, her sister hen is fine as is the 9 year old rooster. I rarely see him mate them, I don't SEE any pecking or self-mutilation. And her egg production is continuing wonderfully, even though it's winter. Her diet is exceptional–a soy/corn-free organic layer mash with grit and oystershell, supplemented daily with mealworms. Since the other 2 chickens are fine, I'm ruling out pests since they'd have it too, right? She does seem less confident than her sister–could she be being bullied inside the coop? They seem to just sleep and be fine. Since we're not early risers, they're usually cooped until late morning, so maybe this is causing a problem? I'm out of ideas here, so any input you could provide will be much appreciated. I do replace their nesting hay every couple of days, their coop is dry and secure, but their run does have a lot of wet hay due to the weather. Hmmm… Thanks for reading!
It sounds like she might be molting. It starts at the head, goes down the neck, chest body and lastly the tail. chicken do molt annually or molt during stressful situations. Here is a post that might help: https://www.tillysnest.com/2011/09/tis-season-to-molt.html
Well, thanks for the photos–Charlotte wasn't red and bumply to begin with but she sure is now. She stopped laying and has that red rash all over her bottom and chest, and has lost her wing tip feathers. Mites!! I thought it would spread to the other 2 chickens and sure enough, a friend who is more experienced came and checked Emily, who is now missing feathers under her wings. Aha!
Tomorrow we will disinfect the coop as best we can and plan to do a lyme dip on everyone, per our vet. I hope poor Charlotte can recover her feathers. The good news is that her neck feathers are sprouting again–I think that was originally a molt. Will keep yo posted! Thanks!
Oh no! Good luck with the mites. Their feathers should all return nicely once they are treated. If there are pins left in the skin, then the feathers will not return until the next molt. Keep me posted. Happy to help!
What if the mites get on you as you are cleaning the coop and chickens??
Chicken mites do not cross over to people.
I have eight hens we received in June as peeps. My one hen is showing feather loss at the base of her back, where her tail starts, and now directly under her tail. Can't identify the cause, and it seems to have worsened this past week. Any solutions? Upon reading the above posts, I am more confused than ever. Thanks for any feedback.
I'm thinking feather picking is occurring.
Meaning she is picking it herself? And for what reason, as they are kept in a very roomy coop and pen and free range for an hour every other day.
She is the only black Australourp (sp) I have.
Yes, she could be pecking at herself or others could be too or a combo of both. I would check for all parasites, consider protein deficiencies or boredom in the winter. Be sure they have plenty of things to climb on and roost on in the run. Add a swing and toss in a head of cabbage or try a flock block to keep them entertained. If she is at the bottom of the pecking order, this behavior is not uncommon. See if you can watch them for a bit to see who is pecking whom. That might clue you in. Also, chickens will peck at new emerging feathers (pin feathers), so you might need to separate her until her feathers return to normal.
Thanks for your help. Hopefully we can solve the issue soon. First time chicken owners, and I think I'm more nervous than when I raised my children! Lucy is a beautiful chicken, and a docile personality.
How are things now? Any better?
Has anyone had a rooster pin a hen by her neck with his foot and then peck at her head? My rooster seems to be very aggressive to my Barred Rock & Cuckoo Maran, but is fine with his sisters (1 older & 1 hatch mate) and his surrogate mamma (who is not keen on catching his attention).
It might be time to rehome your rooster. I refuse to tolerate any aggressive ones.
I have 4 hens and they just turned 1year old this month. A few weeks ago we noticed that they all where developing bald spots, most noticeable under their necks and backside under their tail feathers. Yesterday we also noticed that the back feathers just above their tails are also sparse. They have decreased their egg production as well. I thought they were molting but everything I have read says they do that in the fall and it is not even spring yet. Is there something else that could be wrong with them for which I should be looking?
Help!
It sounds like your flock is certainly stressed if they have stopped laying. Chickens can also molt from stress too, such as predators, dogs etc.. I would look for pests (mites,lice), consider feather picking (protein deficiency, boredom), and also be sure they are on a good layer feed at least 17% protein.
Thanks for your detailed and well illustrated entries, much appreciated.
Julie
This is great, thank you, it set my mind at rest re moulting
We have a large aviary with 3 hens and a duck and drake. The white hen is pecking the female duck's breast feathers and pulling them out as she sits on her eggs in her straw nest. It seems aggressive, the other hens don't bother the duck. Any suggestions?
I'd love to help but I can't. I don't know the first thing about ducks. Sorry.
Hi, we have a two week old chick that seems to have a swollen rectal end with no feathers around it. she's not getting pecked at and she's pooping, so I don't know what it is. It looks exactly like this pic I found on the web: (http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/579257/something-wrong-with-my-chickens-butt-photos) please help!
Without being there it is hard to tell. If she is eating, drinking, pooping and acting normally, I would just let it be for now. Watch out for pecking like you are already doing and if it gets worse, you might consider an avian vet visit.
Thanks for providing so much info. I have 9 hens and the last month or two have been a disaster. Wild birds are bringing in pests and the poor girls have red mite, scaly leg mite and lice! The coop has been 'smited', I've sprinkled diatomaceous earth everywhere, and dusted coop and nest boxes with louse powder. They've had vaseline on their legs for the leg mites. Today I discovered the little RIR bantam has no feathers on her breast under her wings and is sitting in the nest box all day. Is she just struggling to deal with the lice or should I give her another direct louse dust, or may it be more drastic? They also have access to a pit of dry children's play sand mixed with DE and louse powder that they dust themselves in… not sure what else I can do!
My goodness, you have been through a lot! I wonder if your little RIR is broody? What you are describing might be a broody patch.
I wondered about that but didn't think they were the type! She doesn't try to attack when I remove eggs from under her, but makes a funny noise and splays her wings out and leaves them there. Broodiness would be the nicest hen 'problem' I've had to deal with so far, so fingers crossed for that diagnosis 🙂 Thanks.
Sounds like a broody girl to me!
I appreciate the information you shared on molting and vent gleet. About 10 of my 24 girls have bare butts and a few have bare saddles as well. I have treated with DE in the yard, nest boxes and the hen house. My girls look like photos I have seen of molting bare butts on BYC. But apparently vent gleet looks the same. Do I wait for them to feather out again, or take more steps to fix a VG problem? How do I know the difference when the photos look the same. Thanks for any help.
I would see if the feathers begin to return after a few weeks. (It takes 21 days to make a feather.) If the feathers do not return, then I might suspect the vent gleet but there is usually a discharge from the vent. However, bare saddles makes me think of over mating by a roo (not sure if you have a roo).
We have about 30 chickens. This is our second year at this. Most of our chickens have lost most of their feathers. I mean they almost look like what you buy at the store!. What would you suggest
I would suggest taking a peek at all the possibilities that I have mentioned above in this article. You will need to play detective in your own flock as each flock is different. I would start by making sure your flock is on a good quality feed and that they have enough space (You should have at least 300 square feet for that many birds). I would then systematically take a peek at all of the other reasons I mention above. Good Luck!
i have 5 peeps that are a couple days old, i still have them inside as to the cool nights. ive been checking their vents to make sure everyone is doing #2 just fine and i noticed one of them has lost feather around her vent is this normal??? is she getting other feathers in? or are the others pecking her?
Oh my, poor little one! I would still have them inside in the brooder for the first 6 weeks under a heat source. (For the first week they should be at 95 degrees.) Sometimes, feathers do fall out when they are growing in. Could also be from stress, so I would move them inside until they are fully feathered out at 6 weeks. This way you can keep an eye on them and keep them safe.
My girls have discovered that their eggs are delicious.
Any advice to stop them before it becomes a problem would be appreciated.
I've heard that you can blow an egg and fill it with mustard and if they try to eat that one it tends to put them off. Never tried it though. Good luck.
Here is a post that might be helpful for the egg eating. Yes, Jenny you are right about the mustard filled egg 🙂
https://www.tillysnest.com/2012/02/egg-eating-prevention-and-treatment.html
Hi hoping you can help? One of my chickens has started loosing feathers, cant see any vent issues not sure if she is egg bound, appears to be pecking at her rear plumage as if its a pest, but this is my first time owning chooks, so might need some advice on this one? Any tips if it is mites or lice, what action should I take?
I rang the vet they said a consolation would cost $71, thats more than a new chicken. Help please?
Jase
jasongoodall1@hotmail.com
Photos speak volumes. Please feel free to post some photos to my Facebook page of the issues and we can see if we can figure out what is going on. I also encourage you to check out the Chicken tab at the top of this page. LOTS of info can be found there on chicken health.
It helped me at least a little bit because my chickens have feathers missing and I think that it is malting. I am Katlyn Sharon Ray and I am 10 years old and sent at 4:38 p.m. Thank you
I am a chicken lover they are so cute. I love them because there face is just so cute and they sound so cute. :)I am also in 5 grade with my teachers is Mrs. Markley. And she is a awesome teacher by far.
You are very welcome. So happy you are part of the blog. Say hello to Mrs. Markley and your class from the feathered ladies of Tilly's Nest!
I love your blog, it has helped me in my first few moths of chicken-keeping! Although my chickens look far less glamorous then your pictures!! My Buff Orpington, Belina, has missing feathers on her neck – worrying, as it is just beginning to get frosty at night, and she already has a sniffle. Do you think this could be caused by a stressful incident (I accidentally shut them out of their house at dusk yesterday after I cleaned them out – I felt absolutely awful – they were back in after enduring the cold and dark for around half an hour), or is it more likely to be mites/lice? She is usually queen of the coop, so it's not likely to be the others pecking at her. It may be my imagination, but her comb and wattle also seem to be less red than normal – could this be related? I've only had these guys (there are three of them) since August, so it is my first Winter with them and now it is dark so early I don't feel like I see enough of them to make sure they are happy all the time! Any advice and insight much appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks Vanessa you are so sweet! Feathers on the back of a neck could be from an amorous roo or pecking from sorting out the pecking order. I think they probably are okay after being out in the cold for such a short period of time. The pale wattles and comb do tell me she is not feeling perfect, but that can also be just from winter too. I would keep an eye on her, if she shows signs of illness, it is always best to separate her from the flock until you know what is going on. A vet that sees chickens is also one of the best resources us chicken keepers have, so you might want to seek one out just in case you need them in the future. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much! We will keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't get worse. She loves tomatoes, so I will make sure she is treated with one to make up for all the prodding and staring at her!!
I'm pluking my chicken and as I do the wing feathers I have small worm like things coming out of the feather hole, so it appears that is where it's coming from. These things look clear with a yellowish tint to them they are small and they crawl like maggots. Does anybody know what this is and if the chicken is still edible?
I am not sure, as I have not heard this. I definitely would not eat these chickens and it sounds like there is a possible infestation going on. I would definitely seek out the help of a local vet to get this issue addressed. Good Luck and let me know what you discover. Always love to learn.
I have just seem a hen with missing feather around her vent area, I have checked for mite on the hen & in the coop ,nothing at all, she is laying and eating well. I got the hens 12 of them in August POL they have lots & lots of room and are free range in a large fenced off area. Any ideas please?
If you are positive that she does not have poultry mites or lice then my next thought is feather picking by the chicken herself or by others. I suggest watching the flock to see if you can catch it happening in person. I had to do this myself a couple of months ago.
I have hatched 19 chicks in my incubator and there is ont that does not appear to be growing feather on its back why is it just the one chick ? Thanks keith
very helpful info. I was so afraid that something was wrong, even to kill my chickens. This is their first yr. to do this they are 1 yr old.
Hello- My question is- my hen is bald on her back from over mating rooster (who is now gone) it has been 4 months now and still no feathers grow back. My vet believes that the feather quills are broken off and in her skin and wants to remove them. She would be sedated. Do you think this is a good idea? I was hoping she would molt and solve the problem but she has not and winter is coming. Thank you
Hi there! Great question. Yes, your vet is correct that her body does believe feathers are still there because the tips are still under her skin. A molt should solve this problem and they will regrow. I would contact Louise's Country Closet and purchase her a hen apron there to keep the area protected. Her aprons are awesome!
I would not sedate your chicken and remove them. Chickens do not handle sedation or being put to sleep very well and sometimes do not make it through that process. Hope this helps.
You mentioned some products for chickens made by Manna Pro, Poultry Conditioner and Calf Manna. I can't find anywhere on the packaging that it is organic. I know the Manna Pro we use now for our baby chicks is organic but also know they make non-organic products. Do you know if this is organic? Since it has corn and soy it makes me wander.
Hi Carol, some of the products I did mention are non-organic. Unless the bag/bottle is stamped with an organic seal than it is non-organic. I would encourage you to check out Manna Pro's website where you can read more about these products and check out their ingredient lists as well.
I have a polish hen that lost her head and all her back feathers 6 months ago. She still hasn’t been able to grow them back after this long. her diet is good, there’s no blood or any signs of mites or lice. I’m concerned about her. I have 12 other hens and some of them have small bald spots on their backs, but nothing like the polish Hen Peanut. And my other polish hen Butter looks perfect. No missing feathers at all. Btw, Peanut looks ridiculous! I’m sure the others are laughing at her. Lol
So what are ur thoughts? I’ve sprayed her with some spray my wife got for chickens, tried 7 dust too.
Any help would be appreciated
Hi Kenny, Great question. Sometimes, you have to wait until the chickens molt until the feathers return. You see, the tip of the feather is often left behind in the skin. This fakes the body into thinking a feather is attached. During the molt, those tips fall out and you will see new feathers emerge. I would stay away from the Sevin dust as it is a carcinogen. I think time is going to be your answer. Let me know how things go after their next molt. I have a feeling the feathers will return.
I too had a polish hen that lost all her feathers on her head, neck and chest to the point she was almost naked. She looked neglected yet we look after them so well. (Just over this last year)
We regularly dusted her even though she had her dust baths daily on her own in the garden.
1 year later she still looked like it. It was so embarrassing when people seen her. We called her Cruella.She still layed eggs and never showed any sign of sickness and/or mites. We put it down to her having a major molt. She then recently started laying shell-less eggs so we realised she was using all off her protein to keep laying eggs instead of using it to grow feathers.
I also noticed other chickens were pecking her new feathers if any were growing back so I also think she was a bit stressed which also could have caused her she’ll less eggs.
Anyway, I would give her scrambled eggs, watched when all chickens were eating and made sure she wasn’t getting pushed aside from the food dish, separated her from the others at night time to roost. She also stopped laying eggs for a bit which helped her recovery.
Just this week all of her feathers have grown back and she looks beautiful. It was a long molt tho- about 1 year. But now another one has started jolting but nowhere near as bad as Cruella.
Thank you for sharing this. Yes, you are right and what a terrific help for our readers!
I too have a bald hen… I live in an area that has very cold winters, what should I do for her if they don’t grow in before winter.
Hi,
I just got chicks about four weeks ago, and one of them has started to develop bald spots around the neck and under one of her wings. I’ve noticed her pecking at herself from time to time and standing away from the group, and her eyes don’t seem to be opening all the way (although that could just be my imagination). Seeing as these are my first chicks, I’m not sure how to approach this.
Help!
Sometimes as they grow they can look a bit scrawny during their “teenage” weeks. She could also be getting pecked at too. Is she lighter in coloring? Sometimes they get their eyes pecked at. Hoping this helps.
Help, I have noticed one of our girls is losing feathers around her neck, we have 6 girls and she is the only one like this, our rooster does chase her around and she is hiding a lot more, so I think it is him, any suggestions as to how we can do? She still pecks the other girls and was one of the feisty ones before we got the rooster.
I would guess that someone is pecking her feathers, probably the rooster. Roosters will have their favorites, perhaps you might consider adding a few more hens to keep him busy. Typically we recommend at least 8 hens for one rooster. There is not much you can do other than separate her out until the feathers grow back.I would spend some time with the flock to see if you can determine exactly who is doing what. Then you can determine what to do.
One of my four RIRs has feather loss on her upper chest down to her abdomen, really bare, but covered over by her exterior feathers. She is not broody, has nutritious commercial food and protein treats, fresh water daily. Healthy appetite and great interest in what is going on, comes when called. Since she laid the first egg of the flock, she has become my favorite and I worry about her. Have checked for mites. I wonder if she is picking her own feathers but never see her doing it. Sure could use some advice. Thank you.
Boy that sure does sound like she plucked a broody patch to me. She could also be having a stress molt or someone could be picking. I would just ry and watch her closely and the actions of other flock members. Sounds like it’s time to do a little detective work to me. Also be sure she is getting proper nutrition and they have enough space too. Keep me posted.
Hello,
I have a one year old Silkie who just started to molt. I am finding feathers everywhere. Is this common for a sweet silkie at one year?
I have 3 rhode island reds, all the age. Only one is losing its feathers. I did take them off crumble and tried pellets but dont think they like them as it takes them longer to disappear from the feeder. Why would only one be moulting?
All chickens do not start molting at the same time nor do they molt to the same degree as others. Every one’s body is different. Just like our bodies. We all do not begin to go through puberty at the same time nor menopause. Everyone’s body goes at a different time. Late summer to late fall is the normal range when the annual molt happens. Does this make sense? I sure hope it does!
Hello I am Lisa I wrote about one of my chickens u seem to know a lot about them do u think u could read my message and see if you happen to know wats wrong with her please..
Hello I have a chicken who is missing his feathers on butt chest and in front of tail on back. In these bald area s is very red blisters looks like was bleeding. The chicken is shaking like cold but none of the others are .some have a little missing feathers but no red red Ness or sores looks normal this does not. Please help any information is helpful. Thank you
Hello I have a chicken with missing all hair on butt on back in front of tail and on chest. In these spots is very red sores look like been bleeding. She is shaking but the only one. Some others lost a little feathers but no sores or deep red blisters or colors . This does not look normal. She will not let me get to her with out yelling bitting me a jumping at me. So can’t get to see and lice or mites but does not look like that the issue I am a l p n nurse so have some idea but I do work on people not chickens. Please help , any information would be appreciated. Our kids love our chickens they part of family I know it sounds funny but hey…. thanks
HI Lisa– sorry your hen is having some issues. I think you might have to catch her to figure out what is going on. She could also be getting picked on by the others. The best time to catch a chicken is sometimes at night when they go to roost for the night. She might also need to see the vet if her sores are bad to evaluate for things like flystrike and such. Keep me posted on things. I have lots of posts about mites and lice and feel free to upload some photos to the Facebook page as well. We have lots of helpful and caring folks on there.
I have a hen that misses some head feathers. I guess she is being pecked by other chickens. I created this boredom buster called The super chicken feed milkshake. Thank you for the blog!!PS, you first get a empty flower pot and fill it with chicken feed or pellets. And then you just hang it up in the run.
Hi Melissa!
I am a 13 year old girl also from Massachusetts. About a year ago, we got 16 hens. They have been doing really well until now. For the past month or so I saw that their butts that are supposed to be fluffy, have big spots where you can see their skin. And their belly’s are also missing feathers. We just assumed it would go away. When it didn’t, I researched online and figured out that the most likely reason that all of our chickens are missing feathers is because of mites. I found a concoction online that was supposed to help with mites. It was a mix of dish soap, vegetable oil, and water. I sprayed it inside the coop just like the instructions said. We also bought Diatomaceous Earth. I have sprinkled it in their dust bath area. And sometimes I rub it into their missing feathers. I have only started these 3 days ago. I don’t know yet if it will work. I’ll probably just have to give it time. I am hoping that you see this comment and give me advice. Because I love my chickens and care a lot about them.
Hello Julie, I do have some posts on the mites. I probably would not use the concoction on line. There are much better products. I would talk to your parents and explore some products that you can use on chickens safely. Mites can be an issue. If you haven’t seen this post already, check it out with your parents and I would make a plan to treat all of your chickens and your coop and run area. Good luck!https://www.tillysnest.com/2011/06/you-might-have-mites-html/