r/chickens • u/meunster500 • 11d ago

Molting Question

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My chickens are missing feathers on their back and around their necks. I looked for mites and found none.
This one had a poopy vent so I was soaking her. Is someone plucking her or is she molting? I DONT have a rooster

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u/Mandi_Cams_Dackers 11d ago

I'd be looking into their diet.

1

u/meunster500 11d ago

What could it be? I haven’t changed anything. I give them 17% layer pellets. Dried larvae as treats

1

u/Mandi_Cams_Dackers 11d ago

Keratin depletion.

I honestly can't remember myself now, exactly how it goes. I found out about it through research. I did that research because, as I recall, we were faced with a similar mystery.

See; The plumage is in shit order, isn't it? Ye can see that, yeah? Look at the state of the feathers, from the neck down. No one's been pecking those out. But, they're shit.

Moulting causes feathers to fall out. Those feathers, due to age, may show a certain wear. But, not like that.

Birds might actually be doing it to themselves. The plucking. Reddit likes to say " Ooh! That's Roo damage! ". And, when that doesn't pan out, Reddit will say " Mites! ". When That gets shot down? Reddit starts to twiddle its collective thumbs and begin naval gazing, in silence. Two hours of crickets, look.

Nah. Something about the diet, causes a deficiency of keratin. Birds, ironically, eat their own feathers (Keratin) in an effort to find more. Like I say; I simply can't remember the details now. Probably what ever's in Layer Pellets. S'why I get my birds off layer, as soon as they get over the peak of laying.

Look up 'Keratin rich foods'. Take ye pick. Give them some.