# Plucking or molting problem?



## AMurray (May 12, 2021)

Hiya everyone, I thought my girl Ani was just molting slowly around her neck area but worried it might be a plucking issue… there are no other patches on her body and she doesn’t appear to be having any issues with others in the flock.. the area is very inflamed… could she be plucking them out herself? I’m a relatively new chook mum so don’t have a lot of experience with diagnosing chook problems… any advice is welcome…


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's not a typical spot for others to be plucking feathers but something is doing it. 

I can't tell what the flag is for your country so I throw out some of what we have her in the states. There is an anti pick ointment that can be bought her to prevent plucking. Or diaper rash cream that isolates the skin can be a deterrent and help calm the reddened skin. 

Have you checked closely for mites or lice?


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## AMurray (May 12, 2021)

robin416 said:


> That's not a typical spot for others to be plucking feathers but something is doing it.
> 
> I can't tell what the flag is for your country so I throw out some of what we have her in the states. There is an anti pick ointment that can be bought her to prevent plucking. Or diaper rash cream that isolates the skin can be a deterrent and help calm the reddened skin.
> 
> Have you checked closely for mites or lice





robin416 said:


> That's not a typical spot for others to be plucking feathers but something is doing it.
> 
> I can't tell what the flag is for your country so I throw out some of what we have her in the states. There is an anti pick ointment that can be bought her to prevent plucking. Or diaper rash cream that isolates the skin can be a deterrent and help calm the reddened skin.
> 
> Have you checked closely for mites or lice?


I’m in Australia 👍… I’ll check her again for mites or lice… diaper rash cream is a great idea, the skin definitely needs soothing… I’m just at a bit of a loss as to what’s happening… I’ll look up anti pick ointment cream as well… thanks heaps for advice…


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's why we're here and to swap chickens stories. You know, like men swap fish stories? 

Or we talk about anything that pops in our heads.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

The missing feathering is not self-multilation as it extends high on the neck where the hen could not pluck herself; I think. New feathers are already growing in so this happened a while ago; likely not plucking at all but caused by something else; lice or mites being likely, This could have happened by the hen poking her head through chicken wire and getting a bit stuck when she pulled her head free.

Could the redness and inflammation be the results of sun burn? Seems unlikely because of where it is, but does sunlight hit that area directly? I have a cochin hen who had her head badly plucked and now is bright red from burn. I'm keeping her out of the sun for now.


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## AMurray (May 12, 2021)

danathome said:


> The missing feathering is not self-multilation as it extends high on the neck where the hen could not pluck herself; I think. New feathers are already growing in so this happened a while ago; likely not plucking at all but caused by something else; lice or mites being likely, This could have happened by the hen poking her head through chicken wire and getting a bit stuck when she pulled her head free.
> 
> Could the redness and inflammation be the results of sun burn? Seems unlikely because of where it is, but does sunlight hit that area directly? I have a cochin hen who had her head badly plucked and now is bright red from burn. I'm keeping her out of the sun for now.


Hiya, its winter here so shouldn’t be sunburn… I did think it was a bit high on the neck to be self plucking, just wasn’t sure… if she was self plucking or if one of her sisters was pecking at the area, would there be more actual damage to the skin? Because it is just inflamed, no scratches or blood.. We had checked our girls nort long ago for mites etc but will examine them all again… def a possibility she may have got herself stuck somewhere, we had some wire fencing up in areas of garden and have seen them squeezing through spots occasionally 🙄….
Ok, so my plan is to check everyone for mites/lice, put sone nappy rash cream on area to soothe it and in a week or so, if area continues to look inflamed, I’ll investigate anti peck spray …. Thanks everyone


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