[Totty]

Hi all,

 my mother was asked if she had room to take on three chooks from somebody who was moving house, which she did. The problem is, that they all look like they have come from a battery farm. There is one maran, a bluebelle and a black rock. They are all missing most feathers on there backs, and some on there throats bums etc. surely this is not down to a simple case of moulting?

Totty

[Lindeggs]

It would be really helpful to see some photos of the feather-loss to try to help work out what the problem is.  It might just be moulting.  Sometimes stress can bring on a moult so it could be the stress of the move, or it could be that they were kept in less-than-ideal conditions while the former owners were trying to work out what to do with them.

Have they been kept with a rooster?  An over-enthusiastic rooster could also be one cause of feather loss.

Another thing to consider is some kind of external parasite like lice or mites, or some other skin condition that could cause feather loss.

In any case, it would be strongly advisable for your mother to keep them quarantined for at least a couple of weeks to make sure they are in tip-top health before introducing them to her flock.  If they do have some kind of parasite or illness it will be important to treat it before it spreads to the other chickens.

[freckledbeck]

Hi Dale,
Having seen them earlier I'd say its a bad case of feather pecking. (which is why you correctly compared them to battery hens, as they are prone to the same severe feather loss)
I'm guessing that whoever had them before was keeping them in very cramped conditions with little or no stimulation......?
Their feathers will grow back but sometimes feather loss on a bird can encourage more pecking in other hens, so I'd keep my eye on them and watch out for your other hens picking up the bad habit. 
You could always put them in your garden until their feathers have grown back, then put them back in with your other hens?  This would also quarrantine them incase they are carrying any pests/diseases.
Good luck! 

[Sassy]

The feathers will grow back but not until the birds start to moult - usually autumn but not always

[Lindeggs]

Someone on here (Hillfooter?) pointed out that feathers that have fallen out will grow back after moulting, but feathers that have broken off and left the shaft in the skin will stay there until the shaft itself falls out.

Hopefully as freckledbeck says, with their new life at their new home they will have more space and there will be no more feather-pecking.

Do take photos now so you can compare them in a few weeks' time and se what progress your girls are making!

[joyfull]

I find that mine that have become thread bare through over amorous cockerels grow their feathers back without a moult (once the cockerels are out of the equation  ).

[OpiumEater]

I had the same issue with Alice  pecking Bernadette's back bare, so made her a jacket. This worked really well and Bernadette's feathers have grown back. As soon as I took off the jacket Alice was back pecking poor Bernadette.

I'm thinking of getting one of those anti-peck braces but not keen as they look painful. But as Bernadette has only just come back into lay, I don't fancy her loosing all her back feathers again.

But jacket is back on for the meantime. Anyone else use the anti-pecking thingys?

Christine

[freckledbeck]

Hi Christine,
I've used the bits in the past and while they don't look at all comfortable, I'm sure they aren't painful. But they are only a short term solution, as they can't be left on a bird for very long. (I think they recommend less than 2 weeks, but it's several years since I've used them so I'm probably wrong!)
Are your girls kept in a small space? It's fairly unusual for hens to peck each other to a great extent when they have lots of space and stimulation.
(Sorry Christine, I'm not being at all critical but it would be good for you to find the cause of the pecking so you could hopefully find a long term solution. In my case the pecking was caused by being confined in a fairly small covered run for a couple of weeks when we had an Avian Flu scare a few years ago. I was living by the sea and totally paranoid about my hens!)
Your jacket idea sounds great, (a bit like a poultry saddle?!) and if it's not causing Bernadette too much discomfort I'd stick with that.
Good luck! 

[Lindeggs]

Freckledbeck, I think that is very sensible advice - try to discover the cause of the problem at the same time as treating the symptoms.

It has been well documented that there are two main causes of feather pecking/feather eating.  The first is confined and/or unstimulating living conditions.  The obvious solution to that is to give the chickens more space, but it can also be helped by things as simple as scattering their food on the ground so they have to forage for it, or feeding a more finely ground mash so they have to spend longer and work harder to fill themselves up.

The other major cause of feather eating is a nutritional deficiency - usually protein but other trace elements may also cause the problem.  So making sure the chickens are getting a good, balanced diet suitable for their stage in life would help with that one.

Unfortunately once feather pecking becomes a habit, it can sometimes be difficult to break.  That's where the beak clips and other solutions come into it.  If the chicken is trying to pluck someone else's fethers but not succeeding, hopefully she will eventually give up and break the habit.  (Like trying to bite your finger-nails while wearing gloves I suppose!)