[Dizzycow]

One of my hens is severely bald on her back - it started with her 'shoulder blades', and is now down to her tail too. Some of my other birds also have started to lose feathers on their shoulder blades. Today I noticed one with a nasty, angry looking bald patch on her breast. Is this self inflicted, and is it mites? The boys are all perfect, as are some of the girls. Help! Thanks!

[plumseverywhere]

are the cockerels a little over zealous with the ones who are going a bit bald on the back? a couple of my rocks are where the cockerel clambers about and on their heads where he grabs them.

[CameronS]

It could be an early molt as last year so many birds were caught out in the early winter with summer plumage(or mine were), and they don't want it to happen again

a few of mine look seriously scabby to the point someone reported me to the SSPCA  for cruelty and mistreatment of the birds.

(which i assure you they are not, they are regularly mite treated and wormed and have had codliver through meals to keep up condition)

 

[Dizzycow]

I don't think it's lurve! I also don't think it's a moult, but I'm not really sure. Poor Buttercup's back is almost completely bald. (Do feathers grow back?)
Cameron, I wouldn't be surprised if someone reported me. (That's terrible, though, what happened?) The worst affected bird looks really bad. I need to Diatom them, perhaps mites are the problem after all. I just don't know. I think it's self inflicted rather than love or bullying. I wish I knew what to do. 

[Mel]

As Plumseverywhere asked if your Roosters are over zealous? I have identical feather loss on some of my birds,I have taken them out and they are in another area to re-coup-taken them off lay and feeding them corn.I do have a Rooster-Big Bertie the Buff orp,he is huge and has spurs to match so as far as I am concerned,he is the culprit!

[Sandy]

I had a few that looked horrid during their molt last year, and it was during the start of the cold spell, one looked like an oven ready bird with blood where her tail feathers were, I kept checking on here expecting her to be found dead, BUT, all her feathers returned and she was fine again.
 My Drake used to part the feathers on their backs (any port in a storm) some chickens pluck themselves too, They may be a bit of bullying going on too!!!!! Fingers crossed and they will feather up again nicely!!

[jaykay]

I've got one or two looking like this, with me it's definitely the cockerels. I've bought one lady a saddle hers was so bad, and the feathers ar growing back now underneath  

[Dizzycow]

Ok, thanks a million everyone. I didn't think it was the boys, it sounds as though it may be. As the chooks are very free range it would be difficult to separate the poor baldies, although it sounds as though it would be the best solution.
I have too many cockerels, if anyone wants any of the following they're going spare....
1 light sussex
1 (very handsome) RIR
2 cream legbars.

Oh, another thing, would it be ok to smear the poor badly bald girl with stockholm tar? It would be a lot, very messy.

Thanks again!