If feathers are missing near wings of the back of the hen's neck, this is probably caused by the rooster during mating. If you notice that the vent area is missing feathers, there could be numerous reasons - mites, lice, worms, self-pecking, being bullied, or the hen could be egg bound. Random bald spots could be from parasites, bullies within the flock, or the chicken pecking its own feathers. Broody hens will peck at their chest feathers. Feathers missing on the head can be caused by molting, lice or aggression from other chickens. Paying attention to where feathers are missing can sometimes indicate what is wrong. Molting can take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks or more.įeather loss can occur anywhere on a chicken. Because regrowing new feathers places great demands on a chicken, egg production greatly decreases or ceases all together while molting. Chickens will molt once a year, usually in the fall, losing their feathers from their head and down their entire body. Molting occurs once a year in mature birds 16 months and older.
One of the most common causes of missing feathers is due to molting. We have some helpful tips for understanding why your chickens may be losing feathers and solutions you can try to remedy the problem. It can be a bit unsettling when you notice one or more of your chickens are missing feathers.
0 kommentar(er)
