Bald Hen

[Merryski]

One of my girls has gone bald on her breast right down to her bottom, initially thought it was just her bottom but having picked her up just now and had a good look she is completely bald underneath, she seems happy enough eating and running round the reason for picking her up she had flown out of the enclosure,
Dont know what to do
Is this a disease/infection she is a copper black who was beautiful but now looks a bit scruffy with a bare bum
Please help

 

[BabyBantam]

Not the expert in any respect, but best guesses would be that she's either moulting (are there loads of feathers strewn around the pen or house), she's broody and pulled them out to better get skin contact with eggs (sounds doubtful if she's running about), or one of the other hens has pulled them out (faor more than a few reasons). How long has it taken to lose the feathers and have you checked for lice/red mite etc?

 

[chrismahon]

I echo BB. Our Leghorns pulled their feathers out when they went slightly broody, but not enough to sit. Flying out of the enclosure sounds as though she is being attacked and it could be because the others can see lice moving in the feathers around her and are pecking at them and pulling feathers out accidentally. So I would dust her with louse powder anyway and watch closely when she is back in with the others.

 

[Merryski]

Thanks for your responses, is red mite still around with the temps we have been having assumed it was more of a summer infestation, The girls have slowed down in laying I have 6 hens and getting between 3 and 4 eggs per day but put this down to not laying so much in the winter I have only had the girls since last july so very new to everything, I use white horse bedding and mix red mite powder into the bedding I recently introduced two new girls into the run and they seem to have settled in apart from one does recieve a little bullying but this is getting better daily the bald hen is one of the bullys but not really aggresive, she did go through a broody spell a while ago but this was for a couple of days then back to normal her bum has been bare for a while but only noticed the rest of her chest today, as for flying out of the run they are forever doing that its like a game to them will have agood look at all the girls tomorrow and check for lice and red mite, there are no feathers around the run or coup have seen the girls peck the odd feather out of each other and eat it, is this significant ?

 

[Chuck]

You are unlikely to see red mite on the birds as they are so tiny and they live in the coop in the crevices. Lice can be seen on the birds around the vent area but you have to look very carefully as they too are small.
The most likely cause is feather pecking. Feathers are pulled out over a period and the effect is not noticed until ther's been a fair bit of feather loss.
It's mainly caused by boredom and becomes a habit hard to break. It's not a dietary problem therefore no amount of additives to the diet will cure it.

 

[chrismahon]

Think Chuck is right about boredom being the primary cause. How big is your run for these 6 hens Merryski?

 

[Merryski]

Think Chuck is right about boredom being the primary cause. How big is your run for these 6 hens Merryski?

Fully enclosed run with roof 5m x 1.8m they then have a 1m high fenced run of 10m x 5m which they are allowed in when we are at home, having lost one of the girls when they were ranging have become much more protective of them

I don't understand as it is just one of the girls and she is not one of the meeker ones

I let them out of the coup this morning all gone to their food water and grit, Ive got some brocolli to hang which I have not tried before, they do have finely chopped cabbage tried hanging this but they were frightened of it perhaps did not give it long enough

As I have said previously seems very happy and appears to be eating normally

 

[Marigold]

she did go through a broody spell a while ago but this was for a couple of days then back to normal

When my Sussex went broody for a brief spell, aged 8 months, I discouraged her from sitting and she recovered quite fast, but then started a tremendous neck moult - lost all her feathers for a while, looked like a Transylvanian Naked Neck (though not nearly as nice as Chris's birds of course.) As the onset of broodiness is hormonal it can have all sorts of funny effects and it may be that the feather loss in your bird has something to do with this, especially as her moult, (if it is moult) is sort of in the right place for a bird that has gone broody. As she appears happy and normally active etc, and isn't being bullied, you could just watch for the first signs of '5 o'clock shadow' ie little prickles of new feathers emerging in pin under her tummy.

 

[foxy]

It is generally accepted that poultry need 1m sq per medium sized hen. If hens have been used to free-ranging over a larger area, then are confined to a smaller area this potentially can lead to behavioural problems, and typically feather pecking.

It may be worth considering a few electric strands and a small energiser around you larger run, or to consider a more secure fencing arrangement. I expect this will eventually resolve the problem.

To break the feather pecking habit in the meantime beak bits/bumpers are effective.