Chickens losing feathers

In the last week I've noticed about 8 out of 32 birds are losing feathers - three different breeds, all hatched last year (therefore have never had a moult) and 2 of them are losing feathers on the side of their face. What could be going on?

My understanding is that birds moult once a year, starting in their second year, between August and October and they don't develop bare patches around their cheeks when they do. The skin underneath looks fine.

I'm starting to develop a complex about my poultry keeping skills. I know I'm new but they're not overcrowded, there is no hen pecking going on, their coops were cleaned out thoroughly at the end of October and I rake their litter every day, the coops have great ventilation, clean water daily, organic grain, etc. I'm feeling discouraged as it seems to always be 'something' and of course the fear is that one day it's going to be contagious.

Anyways, does anyone have thoughts or experience with this?

Hmm. I've heard of birds having partial molts in their first year, especially if the weather is funky. But the missing face feathers sound like a feather picker to me. Which could be happening in the evening while everyone is on the roost. I hope someone has better advice and you can get to the bottom of this...

lice infestation?
Just b/c I found some crawlies today myself, yuck double yuck!

That's interesting you should say that about feather picking Flicker. The bare cheeks is on an Easter Egger. Her tuffs are missing. And I watched a Speckled Sussex feather picking at the crest of a polish hen that got in to their coop briefly this morning. She was really working her crest and tail feathers. That is possible. Perhaps I have two things going on here.

Does anyone know if the moulting appearance on the other birds could be a partial moult? Again, three different breeds, all between10 and 11 months old.

You know Miry I've been incredibly diligent about checking for lice and mites for the last few months and have not found one in the flock. They were also treated with Eprinex in October along with the roosts being treated with Sevin. If it's lice, that'll be the end of me, I'm sure but that's another story. I will check a few of them again tomorrow night.

I would say a parital molt with feather picking going on. What happens is the old feathers are falling out, new feathers are coming in, and that is so appealing for a hen lacking in something. I say protein.

A bit off topic but I have been discussing in great lengths with the feed guy at the mill I get my minerals from for my grain rations. I told him my birds are picking and eating feathers, therefore thought lacking protein and was wondering if the feed mix needs to be mixed up a bit to increase their protein. The ration is set right now for 17% which is adequate for most hens in their laying age. Or course being more of the commerical industry he talks about beak trimming, low lights, not mixing breeds or ages, and more commercial nonsense...Told him I have been raising birds for years like this and never such an issue. The biggest inclination was when I got my ameraucana hen home from the bird show, did her quarantine, and then turned her into the pen of others, she litterally ran around the coop eating every feather she could find.

So my question to you is, if these birds are molting are there feathers everywhere or does it seem a bit clean for that many feathers to be gone on the birds? I know my feather pickers love to pick of the ameraucana/orloff beards, finer feathers, and also at the fluff of the butt...

What I have done to fix my protein issue, that I am certain I had now, is I boil up eggs for the birds, grind them up shell and all and feed it back to them, they LOVE it. I have also increased the lentels (could use peas, or even heavy oats have quite a bit of protein).

Definately check them over for bugs, irritation can cause feather loss as well.

Oh my goodness Hidden, you're on to something. First of all I've had them all on grower up until a week ago for two reasons: one being my youngest of the flock just started laying a month ago and I know of another breeder who feeds grower in their first year until about now (therefore I was experimenting with feed) AND it is my oldest pullets that are 'moulting'! I think the grower is only 15 or 16% protein AND I do keep scanning the coop and yard expecting to see lots of feathers as if they were moulting and I'm not. They must be eating them!

That has to be it along with the feather picking of the tuffs. Thank you so much you guys. I will still check for bugs but I'm pretty sure these are the causes.

I'm sorry I get so down or negative when I ask for advice. I seem to always go to worst case scenarios and beat myself up and THEN ask for help.

That's so great. I feel so much better. Thank you!

I always say you live and learn then pass your knowledge on to others.
I really hope this is your problem and an increase in protein helps your girls.

It all makes sense and I've got a big pot of bantam eggs on the stove.

Hidden River wrote:I always say you live and learn then pass your knowledge on to others.

And this is why I love this forum!

ChicoryFarm, I just want to say that just like in every classroom I've even been in as a student, or from the front of the room, I know that for every brave soul who puts up their hand to ask what they might think of as a "dumb question" (and we all know there is NO SUCH THING!!), there are likely 1/2 a dozen people silently cheering them on because they had exactly the same question and were afraid to pipe up. So thank you for asking your questions. You are far from the only new person here, and even the *ahem* old chicken-keepers on here probably learn a thing or two now and again.

I hope that protein issue is your answer. Are you getting enough excess eggs to boil some up for your girls?

What other (cheap) protein sources could a person use to avoid having this issue as everyone heads into laying season?

Good post.
Farmchiq

I looked through the list I found a while back on higher protein foods hear are a few at the top of the list.
Cottage Cheese (also great to increase calcium)
Soybeans
Yogurt
Salmon, Sardines and Tuna

What I have been feeding my birds lately is the crushed eggs, with old cream, and gravy mixed in. They love it and since we have to have gravy almost every night (either red meat or white meat gravy) we have lots of it to share...

The highest protein foods on the chart were the fish products, so even mixing in some sardines would do them some good.

dry cat food has lots of animal protein, crumble it up a little..they love it but it is kind of pricey.

Thanks Farmchiq. You know, aside from fearing it's some disease when these things happen, the next worse thing is having to admit it on the forum. It's hard on my pride and I'm afraid of being judged as a poor caretaker of animals. I've been given no reason to feel that way but you know what I mean.....we all want to be respected for good animal husbandry and it's true, when someone does reach out, I'm so grateful cause if it hasn't happened to me yet, it could very well.

I do manage to sell all my extra large fowl eggs but not my bantam eggs so we're always trying to use them up ourselves. I've put all 30 in the pot and will serve them up crushed with yogurt and sardines. Yet another great lesson I've learned with chicken keeping. I didn't realize how important that protein was and how it would affect them even short term if they weren't getting enough.

That's awesome you have some eggs to spare.

So, for the more experienced on here, re. nutrition, is it okay to "spike" the protein level for these birds, or should that be introduced slowly and more long-term? Does anyone know?

Thanks for the list of higher-protein items.

farmchiq wrote:That's awesome you have some eggs to spare.

So, for the more experienced on here, re. nutrition, is it okay to "spike" the protein level for these birds, or should that be introduced slowly and more long-term? Does anyone know?

Thanks for the list of higher-protein items.

That is a good question and I am not sure myself. I know that my birds did ok on it and since they are all sharing the treats I take out there I am sure none of them are getting that much of a spike. But I am hoping they all take their fair share and nothing more. LOL

The Buff Orp pullet I showed in Red Deer in December lost piles of feathers after the show. She got over-heated in the building and started looking miserable. Jonny A suggested I take her outside to the vehicle to help her cool off, and that is what I did and she seemed much more content after that. But it seemed to trigger a moult, and she is finally growing back new feathers now, but still lacking most of a tail!
So a sudden change in weather might be a cause of losing feathers too. btw, she has not laid an egg since the show...putting all her energy into feather replacement, I guess.

I think you have figured it out. I have used both canned and dry cat food to boost protein. I feed eggs back as well. I just boilem up whole and crushem with a potato masher, shells and all. They seem to really enjoy them.

I have a silkie molting right now. I went in to feed them this morning and noticed her neck was quite bare with a whole lot of little pin feathers growing in. I thought it strange to be molting this time of year (winter) and this girl is less than a year old but I see that my bird is not the only one that decided that this would be a fine time to molt. Silly birds!

Thanks for your responses everyone. Coopslave, are you concerned about what ingredients are in the catfood since it will, on some level, go into the egg that you will eat? Do you give them human grade dry cat food (if there's such a thing). I like the idea given it's easy and could see myself doing it occasionally but hesitant given the ingredients is not for humans.

So far the eggs/yogurt/sardine/alfalfa is happily received but given I have a number of birds, I can only feed them that for so long.

Also, can anyone tell me how many days/weeks I should be supplementing with extra protein now that they are all on layer? I want to make sure they get enough but don't want to let them get fat.

Chiroy I don't consider my layer pellets human grade, so I don't worry about that. I pick a cat food with not to much sodium in it. Also kitten food has more protein in it and is smaller kibble than cat food. I don't soak the hard stuff, just feed it straight. I usually pick up the tinned stuff when it is on sale, but I stay away from the fish ones as I don't want a fishy taint to my eggs.
A friend of mine in Australia used to give me a hard time and say if I really wanted wild coloured yolks to feed the girls shrimp shells. You know, the stuff that makes flamingos pink. I never did try it, but I have always been tempted.

That's great to know and what's funny is I just gave one flock our prawn shells (heads and tails off) from dinner the other night! I always do when we have prawns and so far......no pink yolks and they've yet to taste fishy, however, I think I'll stop feeding the sardines, which I've been doing only since the feather losses. I don't want fishy eggs and I might lose some customers!

Thanks!

I worked as a commercial salmon and trout farmer as a young adult, and the pelleted feed we used had prawn/shrimp byproducts (shells) in it to help their flesh turn pink. That's natural in salmon, and is partly why natural wild stock is pink fleshed. Shrimp is a major part of their natural diet.

Kinda thinkin' too that this is a lack of protein. But honestly, ever watched chickens, like a whole lotta time, I am sure most of us do. Chickens pick at each other, not hard, but enough to know that they are pulling out a feather now and then. Not to an extent that I would call it picking. But if a feather is sticking out, out of place, surely a chicken is gonna get that feather and munch it down. Same as outside, watch the feathers that are smallish and are floating around in a breeze, fair game for any bird that sees it. They like to munch on feathers.

There is always so much worry about when to feed grower crumbles to what age, when to begin laying pellets, for example. Many people do not even have that option of separating young from adults to get those youngsters on grow crumbles. They all get the same feed. Sometimes I can have that separation in place, sometimes not. In my laying pens when I have youngsters that should be on a growing pellets and not laying pellets, I have two feeders, one that has the grower and one that has the layer. Any of the birds has the choice of either or...I do not feed crumbles, there is far too much waste as far as I am concerned. Like LOTS of wasted food (I would say probably triple the amount of food used when I had fed crumbles, don't do it anymore, EVER). But then again, I have only large fowl, bantams may be different. The laying hens can eat the grower pellets and the laying pellets and the younger ones can eat the grower pelets and the laying pellets. Works both ways. I also have grown out chicks to laying hens that only had the option of eating laying pellets (I feed 18%, nothing lower, think it is just good for a good protein level). I never noticed any ill effects of feeding laying pellets to growing chicks, after they got off starter. I know that they indicate that growing chicks should not have laying pellets because of the extra calcium, but again, never noticed any ill effects. I think there should be a discussion on that topic, by the way. Wondering if others have fed laying pellets to growing chicks and had ill effects, I for one, sure would like to hear. Also heard that growing chicks should not have oyster shell because of the high calcium content. But how do you grow chicks out in an adult pen without access to oyster shell, don't get it. Anyways, hope the feather loss in the face clears up, I am sure it will. Good topic by the way, have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Another high protein food source that won't taint the eggs is raw meat. During hunting season you can get all the bones you want from any butcher for free! I usually get a couple hundred pounds and keep them in a plastic bag and freeze them. The birds will pick all the little bits clean off the bones. When I de-bone my own deer, I will put the whole carcass in their out side run and let them go at it. If you can't find a butcher still cutting up wild game this time of year, you can probably get beef trim or bones fairly cheap from a local packer! I would be careful of raw pork though, as it might have parasites. However, you could probably boil it first.

Thanks DWD. I have done that actually and it's a great option. You just don't want to leave the bones out overnight and attract predators.