Chicken bald back

[GEB]

Hello. I've been reading this forum daily for months now whilst waiting to move house so i can get some chooks of my own. (It feels like it's been forever!) Finally, it looks like it will only be a few more weeks. So unable to contain my excitement i decided to go to the place i will be buying them from for a preview. I know people on here have brought chickens from there with no problem, but i was shocked today to see how many chickens there were badly pecked. Quite a lot of them had sore looking red bald patches where feathers had been plucked, and some were bleeding. Is this something to worry about, or is it to be expected when large numbers of chickens are kept in a small area? Also, if the chickens have already displayed or witnessed pecking behaviour, is this more likely to be a problem when i take them home?

[Martin B]

I suppose it happens where lots of chooks are kept in the same area. I'm sure they will be ok once you bring them home!

[Helen&Lee]

We went to see the Wernlas Collection on Thursday and the chooks there all looked like that - but I got the impression that they were moulting - I could be wrong I'm new to this but I'm sure thats what one of the signs suggested.

 

Helen

[GEB]

I think it was definatly due to pecking. The wounds looked too raw to be moulting, and were very localised. Also the birds were meant to be point of lay. Doesn't that mean they are too young to be moulting?

I'll just have to hope that it's just because of the numbers kept in a small space and that when they come home they will be better.

[UkButton]

Like Martin said with lots of chooks together it seems it can happen. One of mine had a few bald patches but within weeks it had all grown back as they have more space in the garden.

[arowland17]

Where we got ours from the lady said that a couple had been pecked but she'd removed the one doing the pecking as soon as it had started and she'd identified it - I guess it depends on the breeder - one of ours had a small bald patch near her tail but the feathers have grown back in the month we've had her and neither of our 2 have pecked each other so they don't seem to be copying the behaviour although it may be a different story if we were to add more chickens but we aren't planning to.