Neck feathers

[stanhol]

One of my cochin girls had lost her neck feathers. Its happened over a few days now her poor neck is nearly bald. No sign of irritation, red/sore etc. There are what looks like new feathers in their shafts coming. Is this normal?
My other cochin female is brooding can you believe with 6 inches of snow on the ground and minus temperatures! Her feathers are all fine and so are the feathers on my other 4 girls?
Any ideas?
many thanks and a happy new year to you all,

Sandra

[Suechooks]

Has she been putting her head through the wire netting? Otherwise she might be having a moult. One of my ex-batts looks quite threadbare around her head and back but my Bluebell lost them from her neck first.

[stanhol]

Nope no putting head through netting or attacks from the other girls. I wondered if she might just be moulting, it just seems a strange time of the year to do it!

Many thanks for the reply,
Sandra

[Flummery]

How old is she? They usualy don't moult in their first year. I have 4 hybrids who are just a year old. One has lost some feathers and looks quite ratty now (although they all seem to be laying again these last few days) but the others haven't lost any. It could be because it's moulting time and if the others are the same age, maybe she's the only one doing it.

[Suechooks]

I think the warm October might have fooled them into thinking that was late summer! The fact that she has new feathers coming through would indicate a moult too.

[MrsC]

Hi, I've got 2 of my hybrid hens moulting at the moment also. Mostly the neck from one, neck and everywhere else from the other.