Rapid Feather Loss

[shadegrow]

Well as I'm sure your aware by now In January this year we got 6 ex-batts. Well over the last week or so Marigold has been losing feathers, her underneath and round her vent she's getting bald and red as seen in the attached photo. We're just wondering what it could be.

They won't roost and all sleep in a pile on top of each other and the floor on straw. None of the other seem to be losing feather and when she's looked at closely there's no sign of parasites so we're stuck.

The wet feathers are from having a paddle in some water from when we flooded today.

[frias]

Is it possible she's going broody? One of my ex-batts did this before she starting sitting. I believe it's to keep the eggs warmer.
My older ex-batts sleep cuddled up together on the floor of the coop but the newest ones all roost above them.

[Bramble-Poultry]

litter burn? if she is sleeping on wet litter, mixed with poo makes a caustic bed that can literally burn the feathers off. Very common in broilers where they have no choice and cant move.

We have had a lot of water recently and she may well have brought poo in on her feet and started it off. I had to teach my ex-batts to perch by lifting them onto it every night for nearly a fortnight until the message got through into their tiny brains!!

[Suechooks]

If they don't roost you could try a used car tyre in the coop. I did this with my ex-batts when they had no feathers, confidence or balance. It is still there 18 months later as the girls at the lower end of the pecking order still use it. I use them in the runs too.

[walldanzig]

I'm no expert but the definatlay looks like some kind of burning. When mine went broody they shed loads of feathers but never looked like that.

[frias]

I'm obviously barking up the wrong tree then! I've never seen litter burn but always use deep sawdust and poo pick every day. My older ex-batts will use the perches and tyres in the run but not the coop. I tried lifting them on at night for weeks. It's funny that they are at the top of the pecking order but it's the newbies who sleep above them at night. (They have learned to avoid being directly below though.)

[vicky]

There is some thought that if you have red mites they won't roost on the perch as they don't want to be attacked in the night - have you checked all around the nooks and crannies near the perch? Can you remove the perch and have a look where it joins the wall?
And they peck feathers from that area when they go broody so that's a possibility too

[Bramble-Poultry]

poo picking is a great help, however, with this wet weather we have had recently, you might find that the litter is actually slightly damp, which activates the ammonia in the litter.

just a thought. might be worth chucking some more litter over the top to give a dry surface, or replace the whole lot over and over again!!

[RichmondHens]

I would clear the whole lot out and let the floor dry out as much as is possible in these showery days. Then just put a thin layer of litter over (shavings would be preferable to straw) before they go to bed. If it's possible to move the affected bird, later in the evening when she has settled, into a dry box next to her pals then do that too, but if not practical (eg if you keep them at an allotment rather than in your garden) then don't worry. If they are all sitting on the floor at night then a daily cleaning out is essential.

[shadegrow]

We remove poo everyday. Since we noticed the feather loss we have started putting shredded paper in everyday. She looks less red today but we will have to see of course.
Thanks for the advice.

[vicky]

I discovered my ex batt Geri today with the exact same problem. She appears to have gone broody and was sitting in the nestbox on top of the eggs only there was a soft shelled one which had broken and the contents had slimed over the other eggs, her feathers and the straw. I check every day so the eggs were not as much as 24hrs old but blimey, what a STINK! The hot weather had made the slime really disgusting...
I don't know if she removed her own feathers for brooding purposes or if the rotting egg caused it?
Anyhow, she was shut out the coop and the coop disinfected and straw renewed to get rid of any germs and dry it out. I will shut her out again tomorrow and I would imagine she will be fine.
Though I would post this as it might provide a clue to Marigold's problem?