Feathers loss and no growing back

[Evoa14]

Hello, i would like your advice on feather loss.

I have 2 hens, no rooster, and there is no pecking between them.

One of my hens (she is 23 months) has been missing feathers on her belly, near her keel bone for 6 months. Her skin is a bit red and it looks like a brood patch.

She has been broody before but she is not now and her feather are not growing back.


It might be that she is molting but it’s weird that her feathers are not growing back. She has never molted before.

These past few weeks she has been losing feathers on her thighs and neck so I am a bit concerned.

She doesn’t look sick at all, she eats well, hasn’t lost weight, and is very dynamic.

I see no reasons why she would stressed : there has been no change in her food or in the litter in their coop, they have a lot of space (400 m2).

My other hen is fine so I don’t think it’s parasites but i’m not sure. I put diatomaceous earth several times in their coop to be sure.

I’d like to go to the vet but none knows about hens where I live.

Do you have advice ? Thank you so much!

(attached : photos of her bald spots, the red ones are near her keel bone)

 

[azygous]

What do your roosting perches look like? Please describe them size, material, etc. Are they close together in rows?

Have you checked your chickens over for external parasites? Do you see any redness and irritation of the skin in the areas of baldness? (Sorry, your photos blur out when magnified, so that detail doesn't come though.)

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I think it's very likely that she's going into molt, a whole lot LATE, but better late than never, I suppose. To me, she does look a tiny bit disheveled and looks like maybe a thin area at the base of her neck (back) - where molt usually shows itself first. Tail feathers are tattered - in the absence of other hens picking on her, that's a sure sign that they are old feathers and need to be replaced.

I don't know about the red patch on her belly. I wonder if something's irritated her skin there, and she's rubbing or preening her belly a lot to relieve itching perhaps??? Maybe try some ointment or coconut oil on that patch. Just a guess.

A treatment for lice or mites needs to contain Permethrin. I use DE earth dust too as a backup, but I'm not convinced it's as effective as permethrin.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Her brood patch will not grow back until she molts which it sounds like now she might be starting her first molt.

 

[Evoa14]

What do your roosting perches look like? Please describe them size, material, etc. Are they close together in rows?

Have you checked your chickens over for external parasites? Do you see any redness and irritation of the skin in the areas of baldness? (Sorry, your photos blur out when magnified, so that detail doesn't come though.)

She does not perch which I don’t understand. So she sleeps on hay/straw, it seems soft but maybe with her bald skin it irritates her.

I have checked several times and I don’t see anything, I checked the coop too. Her skin is red on her belly and seems dry, but it is not on her other bald spots (on her thighs). I think I will put some coconut oil on it.

 

[Evoa14]

Her brood patch will not grow back until she molts which it sounds like now she might be starting her first molt.

This is relieving thank you.

 

[Evoa14]

I think it's very likely that she's going into molt, a whole lot LATE, but better late than never, I suppose. To me, she does look a tiny bit disheveled and looks like maybe a thin area at the base of her neck (back) - where molt usually shows itself first. Tail feathers are tattered - in the absence of other hens picking on her, that's a sure sign that they are old feathers and need to be replaced.

I don't know about the red patch on her belly. I wonder if something's irritated her skin there, and she's rubbing or preening her belly a lot to relieve itching perhaps??? Maybe try some ointment or coconut oil on that patch. Just a guess.

A treatment for lice or mites needs to contain Permethrin. I use DE earth dust too as a backup, but I'm not convinced it's as effective as permethrin.

She is at the age when she should molt you’re right.

I haven’t seen her rubbing her belly, but might the straw/hay she sleeps on might irritates her skin even if it is soft. I will put coconut oil on it.

Ok thank you I didn’t know!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My other hen is fine so I don’t think it’s parasites but i’m not sure. I put diatomaceous earth several times in their coop to be sure.

Welcome to BYC!

Her skin looks fine (not angry) except the patch.. in other words.. I don't think it's parasites either.

The DE is an irritant that dries out the skin and is how it's alleged to kill parasites (not effective at all in humid environments like mine).. by creating micro cuts that desicate them.. cut the DE, is my personal suggestion.

If she has not molted yet.. it's definitely time and a good reason to be looking rough. As noted by another poster some plucked, missing, or broken feathers may not regrow until molt does happen. The newly dropping thigh feathers is a good indicator it may be starting.

I do think rubbing in the hay may be part of the cause.

When was her last egg? Are you seeing any pin feathers coming in yet?

My understanding is that the regrowth rate is relative to the loss rate.. some may long, slow, soft molt while others may rapid hard molt, rapid soft molt, etc..

Your meter sq suggest you're not in the US.. adding your general location to your profile may help folks make their best suggestion possible at a glance regarding which resources may be available to you, weather patterns, predator pressure, and such.

Hope she get back gorgeous (and comfortable) again soon!

 

[Evoa14]

Welcome to BYC!

Her skin looks fine (not angry) except the patch.. in other words.. I don't think it's parasites either.

The DE is an irritant that dries out the skin and is how it's alleged to kill parasites (not effective at all in humid environments like mine).. by creating micro cuts that desicate them.. cut the DE, is my personal suggestion.

If she has not molted yet.. it's definitely time and a good reason to be looking rough. As noted by another poster some plucked, missing, or broken feathers may not regrow until molt does happen. The newly dropping thigh feathers is a good indicator it may be starting.

I do think rubbing in the hay may be part of the cause.

When was her last egg? Are you seeing any pin feathers coming in yet?

My understanding is that the regrowth rate is relative to the loss rate.. some may long, slow, soft molt while others may rapid hard molt, rapid soft molt, etc..

Your meter sq suggest you're not in the US.. adding your general location to your profile may help folks make their best suggestion possible at a glance regarding which resources may be available to you, weather patterns, predator pressure, and such.

Hope she get back gorgeous (and comfortable) again soon!

You may be right about her feathers growing back only after she has molted. Thank you.

The red patch maybe is not getting better because of the bedding in her coop.

Her last egg was this morning. And I don’t see any pin feathers, but I will check in a couple of days.

Yes I live in France.

Thank you so much.

 

[ShariR]

She does not perch which I don’t understand. So she sleeps on hay/straw, it seems soft but maybe with her bald skin it irritates her.

I have checked several times and I don’t see anything, I checked the coop too. Her skin is red on her belly and seems dry, but it is not on her other bald spots (on her thighs). I think I will put some coconut oil on it.

She really should roost and not sleep on the ground as she will be sleeping in her own poop. After dark pick her up and place her on the roost and she still stay there. You might have to do this several nights until she does it herself. This will help with the rough spots from the straw. Also straw/hay can harbor parasites so if it were mine I wouldn't want them using it for that reason as well.