Unsecure chicken perches

[Bunnyish]

I let my girls out to free range today while i was out in the garden, when it came to putting them back i picked them up to have a little look, to see how they were and ive notice something...

 

My 3 ex batts are coming on lovely have moulted and got new feathers and are getting on really well, however the 2 other girls that live with them have moulted and seem not to have grown back their feathers properally, poppy has a bald neck on 1 side and both of them have completely bald belly's, when they are walking around they look fine, but when i picked them up and turned them slightly to look them over, they both have tesco finest smooth bellies and no signs of any feather growing back....

[tara]

Ive got one the same no sign of feathers at all underneath so this will be a helpful bit of info for my cheeky me hen

[Egluntyne]

Sounds as if your are having a partial moult Bunnyish.

 

I reckon balld tums are not really anything to worry about unless the skin is sore or damaged. If you grab one of your fully feathered girls, you will ptrobably find that their feathers are sp"Ooops, word censored!" at best in that area. It comes on for a lot of hammer, what with dust bathing, sitting around etc.

 

Always a good idea to check for external parasites though, if you have concerns.

[Porkypie]

Can I jump in here as I have a hen with bald underneath and up to her vent. I can't see any sign of parasites but she has been going through a mini moult. A few new feathers are appearing but I am concerned it could be feather pulling/eating? (The other two are fine and haven't been moulting).