What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[mole]

one of my chickens (i have 6 in a 3m run and cube) looks like she hasnt put her pants on the last couple of mornings.

 

there is no blood from pecking and the feathers directly around her vent are still there but she has a bald patch between her legs and its heading towards her vent.

 

anyone know what this is? is she moulting? only i thought it began with their heads and neck. the area doesnt look sore just bald

[jomeena]

Oh dear

When this happened with one of mine it took me a while to work out her sister had been having a crafty pluck. I suppose a moult can happen in any spot. Fingers crossed.

[chicken bark]

She could be moulting, someone is pecking her feathers, maybe she has lice or maybe she is feeling broody?

 

I seem to also remember reading somewhere on here (Mollie I think) that they can get bald patches from how they sleep.

[chickencam]

I have had a few girls that this has happened too. It usually starts with someone pulling the feathers out, they can be very crafty. A bumper bit might be a good idea if you can catch the culprit.

 

I have found that if they go bald in their first year, they don't regrow their feathers until they have their first mount. one of my original Omlet girls looked terrible for most of her first year, but by the following spring she was a real beauty.

 

It is always worth checking for lice and mites though.

[mole]

 

It is always worth checking for lice and mites though.

 

 

how do you do this?

[chicken bark]

You'll need to look at the base of her feathers near the vent is a good place.