CAMPYLOBACTER: Anyone else had it?

[emchook]

I have just noticed that my favourite chicken is completely bald on the top of both legs and around the sides of her bottom. The back of her and the vent area is still covered quite fully so she looks fully feathered when I am standing up. [ I have hurt my back and so have not been bending down for a while ]

 

I thought this may be a moult as both sides are even.. but whilst I was watching both of my other two hens pulled some of the downy white feathers out.

Please can you tell me if it is a moult .. or have the other two done this to her . I am assuming that chickens dont normally help ?

I have a large run for them, but due to the increase in foxes I have not been able to let them out for quite a while. Is it boredom doing this?

[percy049]

it could be boredom. have you checked to see if they have mites? i know they will pull their feathers out if they have mites as it itches.

[emchook]

I have not checked for mites .. but if it was mites then wouldnt they all be losing feathers ?

[emchook]

can anyone help ?

[Redwing]

It sounds like its probably the moult but I'd treat them all and the coop for mites just in case

 

Its not a classic area for feather pulling, the others may just be pecking at the stray feathers against the bald area as they stand out more

[emchook]

Thanks redwing . I have red mite powder..and I always add louse powder to their nest box when I change the sawdust. I also have some diatomaceous earth lurking somewhere in the shed

When you say treat them for mites , will any of these powders work ?

[knackered]

All 4 of mine lost their belly feathers but only 2 feathered up again quickly. DH told me he'd seen one chicken pull at the new feathers of the bald one so stopping them from growing back. So i've put gentian violet on the bald bits in the hope it wont look so tempting.

I've checked mine for mites and they don't seem to have any so i think it's just the temptation is too much for some chickens and they want to bully a bit to establish the pecking order.

[emchook]

did they lose feathers on the top of their legs as well ?

[knackered]

yeah, they lost it on their bums/belly, then on the tops of their legs - looks really patchy. I was confused because i read that they were supposed to moult in a certain order (neck first) or something. But 2 out of the 4 have refeathered on their bum but lost feathers in a different place now.. They are healthy looking and are laying so I wasn't really worried until i realised that maybe there was some bullying too.

[Lavenders_Blue]

I'm not sure that some chooks read the rule book when it comes to moulting, mine seem to start from the tail and work forwards from there!

[sage]

My little Mavis is moulting at the moment. Yesterday morning the cube looked like they have had a pillow fight over night.

 

Sage

[JulesL]

I've got the same problem with my head hen. She has been bald underneath now for months and months. It turned out that she had mites which have now been treated. I've checked her again this week and is completley mite free (am still putting powder in the Eglu and bedding as a precaution) but her feathers are hardly growing back. She has a few new ones but not many at all. She has now lost feathers on the top of her legs and there is a bald patch under her tail so I'm assuming she has now started moulting (this is my first chook to moult and she is 2 years old). She started losing the feathers a good few weeks ago. You can't really see the bald patches when she is just pottering around the garden. I'm surprised at how slow the growth is. What can I do to help her along? I'm sure the other 2 chooks aren't peaking at her as she is the "boss".

 

Help!