Julianna Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 hi - can anyone help with an explanation for this feather loss please? She’s about 2 years old, top of the pecking order, laying, eating, drinking, good diet, plenty of space, no stress, normal behaviour but she’s losing feathers on either shoulder. Not a proper moult but her feathers definitely look poor. I can’t see any mites and she’s not scratching, not being bullied, not been attacked, no cockerel. I’ve no idea how to help! Any ideas please? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted March 30, 2022 Share Posted March 30, 2022 I don’t know whether this is the case for your hen, but I have one who is also top hen who was pulling her own feathers out (I know this because I’ve watched her do it) and that was one of the places she did it. When she started she did have scaly leg so it could have been related to that at first, but I successfully treated the scaly leg and she carried on so I think it just escalated into a bad habit. I eventually stopped her doing it by putting a bumpa bit on her and her feathers are now almost completely grown back. It was horrid though and she had to wear it for a long time - about 2 months I think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 I agree that her feathers are not in particularly good condition, but some hens are like that. Problem is over-enthusiastic preening can lead to them breaking at the base and that's what I can see in the photograph. I doubt her next moult will be better, because feathering gets worse with age. But it's not something I'd bother about. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
