I've noticed some of the hens are missing feathers. A couple of weeks ago I saw that one hen had a bare spot on her back. Rouse and I joked that she'd be the first one in the stew pot. But now, several of the girls have bare spots on their backs.
I went to the Kansas State Agricultural Experiment Station / Cooperative Extension Service website to read up on feather problems in the small flock. It could be one of several things:
- Molting... but this usually occurs in the fall as days are getting shorter.
- Inadequate diet... unlikely in chickens fed balanced, commercially produced feeds.
- Pecking... a common problem, usually brought on by overcrowding, boredom, high light intensity, mites or other external parasites. Doesn't seem to fit our situation. Plus, I haven't noticed any pecking behavior.
What I think is the most likely explanation:
- In a natural setting with mature roosters present, some of the females may exhibit "barebacks" which are a result of the mating process.
Elvis -- Leave those girls alone!
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