Whats happening? My hens are bald on the rear end? Their housed in a large area and they free range a lot on our property. They also have stopped laying eggs..Their potty color hasnt changed. What do I do and what does this mean?? They get scratch for food! Plus Free Range! Id appreciate any help..Thanks

Have you checked them for lice?

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If they are losing feathers and not laying, they are probably just moulting. Check them for parasites (lice and scaley leg mite on the hen, red mite in the coop), and if they are feeding fine and scratching around quite happily then I wouldn't worry overly. You can give them a little poultry spice as a tonic to help them through the moult, and an extra handful of corn as extra protein, as they do lose condition a bit at this time of the year. Some hens lose almost all their feathers at once and look almost oven ready! It's really nothing to worry about

Have they been wormed and treated for lice and mites in the last few months ?? The hen house and nest boxes should also be thoroughly cleaned and sprayed with a good pesticide like Poultry shield every few weeks as there could well be red mites attacking when they roost.

Mine are molting at the moment and have stopped laying - half of them do look oven ready, but the new feathers are coming through!
Could also be an over enthusiastic cockerel, if you have too many cockerels and not enough hens, their spurs can rip out feathers.

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