Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[millymollymandy]

Hi I am a bit concerned about Layla she started losing a few feathers on her chest and I presumed she was going broody.

However she has not been sitting in the nest box so I ruled that one out.

Now she has a completly bald chest which looks sore and is losing feathers under her wings.

I have checked for lice and mites and cannot see any on her and none of the others are losing any feathers.

 

She seems fine and is eating well. I thought when they went into moult they lost the feathers on the neck and back first but basically the top half of Layla looks fine it's just her belly???????

 

I may be worrying but just want to check if this is normal.

(when it stops throwing it down might try to get her to pose for a photo!)

[Macfoy]

Hello Millymollymandy

 

Chickens all moult in different ways, some lose their feathers all at once and look nearly oven ready, some lose them in a very gentle fashion and just replace them so you can hardly tell if they are moulting. When they lose feathers in the moult, the bare skin underneath gets exposed to light and turns red, it's nothing to be worried about. She sounds as though she is moulting to me, when they lose a lot of feathers they act a bit lethargic, I think it must be quite hard work on their bodies. The biggest thing to watch for in the moult if you have one losing a lot of feathers at once, is when the new feathers start to grow, as pins feathers pushing through they are quite attractive for the others to peck at, but generally feather pecking isn't a winter problem.

 

She will be looking much perkier soon.

 

 

Hope this helps

 

Macfoy

[chelsea]

Sounds like a moult or a mini moult to me.

 

All my lot are moulting in some form or another - all from different places.