As a chicken owner, you may notice your chickens missing feathers at some point. Feather loss in backyard chickens is quite common and can occur for a variety of reasons. While it may look concerning at first, in most cases it’s nothing to be alarmed about. Understanding the potential causes can help you address feather loss properly and get your chickens re-feathered as soon as possible.
Common Causes of Feather Loss in Chickens
Here are some of the most frequent reasons chickens lose their feathers
Molting
Molting is the natural, annual process where chickens shed old feathers and grow new ones. It typically happens in late summer or early fall as daylight hours shorten. Molting lasts around 6-12 weeks as chickens replace their entire plumage. You’ll find feathers all over the coop and run during a molt. It’s completely normal, albeit messy. Make sure to provide extra protein during molts to help new feathers grow in quickly.
Broodiness
Broody hens wanting to hatch eggs will pluck their own breast feathers to expose skin for direct contact with eggs. This behavior helps keep eggs warm for hatching. If you notice a hen missing chest feathers while sitting on a nest for extended periods, broodiness could be the reason. Discourage broody behavior by removing nesting material if you don’t want chickens going broody.
Parasites
Mites, lice, and depluming mites, which live on the chicken’s skin and irritate the base of the feathers, can make it lose feathers. Look around the vent, under the wings, and at the base of the feathers for bugs or their eggs. Use poultry dusts or sprays to eliminate parasites. Keep coops clean and dry to deter future infestations.
Pecking Order
When flocks have birds of different ages or new birds, the more dominant birds may pull feathers from the less dominant birds. It establishes order and shows who’s boss. If a chicken has been bullied, look for signs like dried blood, damaged feather shafts, and withdrawal. Separate victims immediately since blood invites further pecking. Add more space to the coop, some toys, and get rid of any chickens that are being mean.
Over-mating
Overly zealous roosters can damage a hen’s back feathers through rough mating. The constant tread of rooster claws can rub feathers raw. Limit roosters to 10-12 hens each to prevent over-mating injuries. Hen saddles also protect feathers during mating. Cull aggressive roosters targeting only certain hens.
Protein Deficiency
Lack of protein can lead to poor feather quality and loss. Chickens pluck feathers of others or themselves when deficient. Ensure they have feed with adequate protein for their age and access to high protein treats like mealworms. Free-range access to insects and vegetation also provides protein.
Illness and Stress
Sickness from diseases like fowl pox, parasites, infections or malnutrition can cause feathers to fall out. Similarly, environmental stressors like overcrowding, heat, predators, malnutrition or poor water access lead to feather plucking. Isolate sick birds immediately and remedy sources of stress to resolve feather loss.
Vent Issues
Feathers that are wet and tangled around the vent because of diarrhea or vent gleet can break, irritate, and need to be pluck. Apple cider vinegar is good for your gut and keeps the coop clean. Separate chickens that are having vent problems from other chickens until their feathers grow back.
Pests and Predators
Rodents may chew on feathers for protein or nesting material. You’ll see jagged edges on feathers. Deter mice with mint and seal any openings into the coop. Hawks pluck feathers when catching chickens, though most attacks are fatal. Minimize risk by keeping flocks in secure covered runs.
Genetics
Some breeds naturally have less dense feathering, like the Transylvanian Naked Neck chicken. Breeds bred for high productivity tend to put energy towards egg laying rather than feather production. Know the characteristics of your breed to understand normal feathering behavior.
What to Do if Your Chicken is Losing Feathers
If your backyard chickens are losing feathers, take these steps:
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Check for parasites, wounds or signs of illness to identify the cause
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Increase protein in their diet to support quick feather regrowth
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Clean the coop thoroughly and use diatomaceous earth to eliminate mites
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Separate victims of bullying and expand coop space
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Discourage broody hens by removing nesting material
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Apply hen saddles to protect mating hens’ feathers
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Isolate sick birds and consult a vet if concerned
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Make sure feed has adequate protein levels for the chicken’s age
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Deter rodents and predators to reduce feather damage
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Provide enrichment toys and activities to reduce stress
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Get the right chicken breed for your climate to prevent temperature issues
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Improve ventilation, provide shade/heat, and ensure adequate access to clean water
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Cull aggressive roosters targeting particular hens
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Gradually introduce new chickens to avoid pecking order issues
After you find and fix the root cause, your chickens should get their feathers back with some detective work and love. If a chicken is otherwise healthy, feather loss rarely kills it on its own. Allow them some time to feather up again while you keep an eye out for any other signs of illness. Most of the time, their fluffy feathers should grow back in 4 to 8 weeks. To keep your chickens happy and healthy, you need to pay attention to changes in their condition and behavior. So keep a close eye on your flock, and soon they’ll be fully feathered again!
Treating Feather Loss In Chickens
It can be a bit unsettling when you notice one or more of your chickens are missing feathers. There can be many reasons for it. Here are some helpful hints to help you figure out why your chickens might be losing their feathers and ways to fix the issue.
Causes of Feather Loss
One of the most common causes of missing feathers is due to molting. Molting occurs once a year in mature birds 16 months and older. Every year, usually in the fall, chickens molt, which means they lose all of their feathers from their head to the rest of their bodies. Because regrowing new feathers places great demands on a chicken, egg production greatly decreases or ceases all together while molting. Molting can take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks or more.
Feather loss can occur anywhere on a chicken. Paying attention to where feathers are missing can sometimes indicate what is wrong. Feathers missing on the head can be caused by molting, lice or aggression from other chickens. Broody hens will peck at their chest feathers. Random bald spots could be from parasites, bullies within the flock, or the chicken pecking its own feathers. If you notice that the vent area is missing feathers, there could be numerous reasons – mites, lice, worms, self-pecking, being bullied, or the hen could be egg bound. It’s likely that the rooster caused the feather loss near the hen’s wings or on the back of her neck when they were mating.
In order to minimize feather loss, you need to understand why chickens lose feathers. In some cases, chickens may actually be pecking at their own feathers or they may be pecked by other chickens in the flock. Pecking is actually instinctive to chickens. They are curious creatures and explore by means of pecking. Chickens usually peck at items that catch their attention such as shiny objects or moving bugs. Chickens who live in too close quarters may become bored and start pecking each other. This occurs more often in the winter when they find themselves spending a lot of time in the hen house. To avoid overcrowding, plan for each chicken to have approximately 10 square feet of space.
There is a pecking order in every hen house. Hens determine their order within the flock by pecking one another. There are some bullies who will continuously peck at other chickens even after the hierarchy has been established. Chickens are attracted to the color red. If a chicken becomes injured and is bleeding, it can be seriously injured by other birds in the flock who will peck at the red blood. Injured chickens need to be moved away immediately from the flock for their safety. Over-mating can also lead to hen pecking. To eliminate this problem, a flock should have eight or more hens to one rooster. You can also purchase a poultry block, which allows the pecking to occur elsewhere.
If your chickens seem to be pecking at their own feathers, this may be a symptom of external parasites. Mites and fleas, common parasites, live in the cracks and crevices of the chicken coop near roosts and inside nesting boxes. At night, they suck the chickens blood and irritate their skin which leads to pecking at these sensitive spots. Lice can also be a nuisance. Lice eat dead skin and other debris such as feather quill casings where the feathers meet the skin which causes itching and a burning sensation. Chickens try to combat the discomfort by feather pecking. Monthly inspections of each chicken within the flock can help identify parasites. Another cause for pecking is worms. If you suspect worms, see your veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment.
Is there anything that can help chickens grow their feathers back? While you cant speed up the natural process, there are some things that you can do to create the best environment for your flock:
- Keep your chickens’ living space in good shape by cleaning the coop, roost, and nesting boxes often.
- Give them protein—Make sure your chickens eat a lot of protein foods. Give treats high in protein, like meal worms and sunflower seeds, but not too much.
- Don’t let your chickens get bored. Keep them happy and busy so they don’t start to peck at each other. Free-ranging while being watched and a cabbage piñata can keep them from focusing on each other.
- Give them a dust bath—In their run area, give your chickens a place to dust bathe. Dust bathing is a natural way for chickens to clean their feathers and get rid of annoying parasites.
- Take out a chicken that has been pecked. If a chicken is missing feathers and being pecked by other chickens in the flock, it needs to be taken out to a different living area until its feathers grow back.
In most cases, you should be able to determine the reason for feather loss in your flock. If you have further questions , call or come into your local Southern States store for advice & products.
Chickens Molting Or Something Else? 9 REASONS Chickens LOSE Feathers And What To Do About It!
FAQ
What would cause a chicken to lose its feathers?
… missing feathers?” There are a number of reasons for feather loss that can include dietary deficiencies, molting, feather picking, pests and parasitesNov 5, 2024.
Why does my chicken have bald spots?
Bald patches are usually the result of one of two things; moulting or feather pecking.
How to treat chicken losing feathers?
Up Their Protein Intake: New feathers, also known as pin feathers, are made mostly of protein, so your chickens will need extra protein in their diet. You can get high-protein chicken feed at a farm supply store near you. For treats, you can give them sunflower seeds, mealworms, or scrambled eggs.