Help, Chicken has bald uderside - pics posted

[kingme]

Hi everyone. I have a Barred Rock chicken who has a bald underside. Not around the flute but between her legs. She seems healthy other then this. I got here and one other BR when they were about four months old. As soon as I brought them home they went into molt. Now they have been laying very consistantly for about one month. She is still laying so I don't think it's molt again. I have 6 other chickens and none of them have any signs of this problem. Well I am guessing it's a problem, but maybe it's normal. This is my first experience with chickens. They look like they have been plucked. But I have not seen the other chickens pecking at her. Here are a few pictures. Any feedback is appreciated.

You can see in the pics that there are some big feathers that look like they are emerging. Any ideas???

 

[roostercruiser]

looks like she has molted and is regrowing her feather to me. Those little feathers on her belly are new feathers growing in.

 

[grasjm36]

A friend of mine had a few RIR have this happen on their necks. They were still laying so it wasn't molting. Turns out her feeder was hung a tad bit too high and every time the girls reached their heads into it, their necks would rub on the rim causing all the feathers to fall out. This was maybe in September and their feathers have not fully grown back yet.

 

[kingme]

Thanks for the responses. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[Imp]

Could she be plucking herself?

Or maybe lice or mites?

Imp

 

[Dar]

i was thinking maybe plucking as well....

how do they roost? is this chicken roosting on a higher rung then some others and getting her tummy plucked as a result?

 

[chickiebaby]

I have a buff orp who looks just like that and has a for a couple months, almost. She is a sweetie and has been broody for about ninetyyearsit seems. I hae sondered whether others are annoyed at er for sitting on their eggs forever, and pulling her feathers for that reason, though I never catch anybody at it. Hmnn...

 

[kingme]

All seven of my chickens roost on the same poll, although there are two in the coop, they all get on the same one, I guess it's follow the leader. She is one two chickens I have that are slightly older then the others. I don't see any signs of mites of lice. I have not treated her in any way. I guess I will just wait and see if it gets better. I have never seen any other chickens plucking at her, but that does not mean it doesn't happen.

 

[Attack Chicken]

Look just like my broody (now a mama) when she was regrowing her feathers. I also have another girl that tried to go broody and she looked like this and still does!

 

[suebee]

Broody, broody, broody!

They start plucking their underside feathers. Even if their only broody for a day, they still do it.