Bald belly advice

[Tweetypie]

A couple of months ago I noticed that Mabel had lost feathers under her belly and thought it was due to her sticking her head through the fence to get to the grass (thus rubbing them off). I tacked mesh to the fence, so she could not harm herself again. Today, I was shocked to see her belly looked red and bald and I am unsure if it is a moult and if so, why is she still bald 2 months on.

Last September, I watched Barbie and Sindy go though a moult, losing feathers all over, starting from the head, so have only experienced the "normal" moult.

Miss Muffet, whom I bought at the same time this year as Mabel, looks like she has changed colour feathers, but I have not noticed the same moult as with the hybrids. I have not seen her lose feathers.

2 weeks or so ago they finished their flubonvet weeks' feed as a precaution to worms.

They all have red combs, happy and always go to bed together at night.

Egg production from ex batts have dropped off as expected. Mabel lays almost daily. Miss Muffet's have dropped to 4 a week at the moment.

I have attached a photo of Mabel. I am just looking for reassurance really.

 

[Sandrine]

I'm no expert so all I can offer is a tale of my own experience... Some of my girl have been known to get bald bellies after a period of broodiness - whether it was a long 3 to 4 weeks plus period or a short period. But they have grown back eventually once normal duties, normal eating had resumed as well as the brooding had stopped. Never noticed a bald belly in other circonstances. ,

 

[Tweetypie]

Thank you, Sandrine. It really is odd. I wasn't sure if it was moulting, but she lays every day and I havn't seen her other feathers fall out.
She doesn't sit on the nest during the day, unless she sits in there all night, rather than the perch? It does look rather red in certain areas, although she didn't mind me touching her skin. I'll have to wait and see. At least she is her usual bossy self ;-)

 

[bigyetiman]

We have a hen identical in looks to yours, and she gets a bald belly, around summertime, then the feathers just grow back, it seems to be her default setting for summer. She is 3 years old now, and perfectly happy. If she is perfectly healthy I would just see what happens

 

[Tweetypie]

Aww than you for letting me know, that's made me feel better. I do worry about these hens, not having much experience. If she had been moping about I would have mentioned it sooner, but she's as bossy as always, hee hee.

 

[LadyA]

I had a hybrid years ago that used to go bald on her tummy & bum every Summer. Couldn't find anything wrong with her. The first time it happened, I did try all sorts of things, thinking, like you, that something must be wrong. But she was fine, other than the feather loss. I came to the conclusion that it was her way of cooling herself down in hot weather, maybe. Because she always had a full quota of feathers by Winter.