[valr]

Hi guys
I am worried about one of my chocolate orpington/silkie crosses. I have 2 of them - one is fine, and the other has lost so many feathers she has huge bald patches on her chest and wings. The feathers she has left are hanging by a thread.
This is my first year keeping chickens so I don't really know what to expect. If she is just moulting, why have none of the others done the same? Is this not a funny time of year to be moulting? What if she actually goes BALD  
Will I have to bring her indoors?
Any advice gratefully accepted!
Val

[crosser]

one of mine is just the same...  shes just moulting,wrong time of year but i dont think they can control it..  she should start to get some spikes through soon... 

[Sandy]

Most likely just malting, one of my chickens last week had red raw bleeding skin, I nearly dispatched her but dare not and thought to mysel that she would be dead in the morning, next day she looked better and now she has nearly all her feathers back and is perky, a few of them look a bit disheveled but the feathers are comming back and they look much fluffier, getting themselves ready for the cold winter ahead!!!

[valr]

Thanks for the replies - good to know it seems normal. Will it be able to cope with the cold with hardly any feathers?

[Rosemary]

Try and increase the quality of the diet to help the new feathers come in more quickly. I give mine sardines mixed with wholemeal bread to soak up the oil. Some of mine are still moulting, some are long finished, some lose very few feathers, some are almost bald. I have read that one that moults a lot of feathers is a good layer.

[Sandy]

Wow...mine have loads of treats, I give them sardines and the left overs of breakfasts as they are not laying, they LOVE a bit of bacon!!!!!! otherwise pasta and rice as well and I pick weeds for them so they are feathering up nice now but Charlie Drake keeps bonking the chickens so soem some have the parting down thier backs.......I realy need some more female ducks!!!!!!!

[HappyHippy]

You can get chicken coats too - if you're really concerned about her. Plumseverywhere got one for one of her chooks (think it was off a lady on ebay) have a search through the chicken section for the thread.
Hope she's okay 

[plumseverywhere]

it does sound like a moult doesn't it. my little maude who went almost bald a week or so ago is a prolific layer so maybe there is some truth in that?!
I asked at the domestic fowl trust about the moults and should we worry when they go oven ready and was told that if the feathers fall out quick they usually grow back quick and this was the case with our maude. I did buy a coat but maud refused to walk in it and the others all seemed a bit taken aback by the 'stranger' so I took it off. DFT also told me to avoid coats because the feathers won't know to grow back if they are warm!
have been giving mine poultry spice, aboiut 5 of them are a bit tufty at the moment.

[northfifeduckling]

I wonder why it happens for so many of them at this time of the year, nature is acting strange there...the poor things must be so cold. We have one who is not coming out of the house much but I spotted new growth, so I hope she's feeling better soon.

[plumseverywhere]

I suppose its so they don't get sunburnt if they moulted in the heat?
I've noticed that all of mine are huddling in one shed, normally 3 go into the old little coop and the others in the big new one but now they are all in one? maybe because its cold (and they are bald!)

[bigchicken]

I moulted my hair 20 years ago and it never has grown back  I have alway found that you must up there protein intake to help with feather regrowth.

[chickenfeeder]

Ours went bald for a while it never happened to us before ether other than malting season but there fine now.  I thick poultry spice helps
 What are you feeding them?? 

[moorlander]

Just as a bit of an aside - I once used to visit an elderly couple regularly and the thing that made these visits most memorable was that they had a completely - yes completely bald parrot. It was absolutely 'over-ready' and it seemed as happy as a lark in its birthday suit. Quite a character. It always made me smile.

[valr]

Thanks guys. I did knit her a wee jacket and hauled her out of the house at 11pm to put it on her - but it was too big and tripping her up! She was disgusted  ::)The pattern was from a battery hen rescue website so obviously aimed at bigger hens!

New growth is coming in pretty well so I think it will be fine. I am however knitting a pink jacket in a smaller size - to be prepared for the future!

Thanks for the tips re food - am giving more and perhaps that will help.

They seem ok - bored and stinking as I havent cleaned the poo since the snow started  must make an effort