[Prod]

Hi I posted a few days ago about my cockerel who had a sore neck whick looked like he had been rubbing through something, not sure what.  Now Margo , a gannet cleverly disguised as a columbian black tail, is losing feathers from her neck and throat but this time there is no cut to the skin or inflamation.  She is the cockerel's shadow and never stops eating.  They free range in a small field which is enclosed by hedging and then pig wire and at night the go into an electrically fenced off  area of about 40sqm  I cant see anywhere that they might be pushing through to find food.. I have sprayed her with purple spray just in case. Any suggestions from you more knowlegable peeps???  TVM

[compostqueen]

Neck moult possibly. Sometimes birds just moult around the neck.  I had this with one of my hens and it looked most alarming.  She was fine in every other respect and I did check her carefully to make sure she had no lodgers or soreness etc.  I phoned the breeder and he told me that neck moult was the likeliest explanation

[Prod]

Thanks   I guess they will just grow back naturally then???

[compostqueen]

Yes, they should.  You can give your bird poultry spice to help the moult and improve feather condition. The spice is a completely natural mix of Asian spices and is used by breeders and showers and also pigeon fanciers    You only use a tiny bit (as instructed on the tin)

When your birds feather begin to grow back they look fabulous, if you get in close and have a look. It looks like weaving 

Have you checked her neck to make sure there's no critters there?

[rosie14]

really interesting post for me as around the time my GL Orpie went broody she lost her neck feathers. I checked her for creepy crawlies etc and all was clear. Because she was hogging the nest box we assumed it was her Blubell friend giving her grief for hogging!although they were never seen to be agitated by eachother and usually fine and friendly. Her chicks are now 5 weeks old and they have not grown back how long does it take for them to return? She was 10 months old when she went broody is that a typical time for them to moult?