Why is my chicken losing feathers? Are mice in the coop a problem?

Penni may be molting, have mites or, if you have a rooster as well, the rooster may be rubbing the feathers off as he fertilizes Penni's eggs. If she is molting , it will look very ugly and she will lose and replace all feathers and look fairly naked during molt. Mites can cause feather loss, but you would see her scratching and picking at herself. If you have a rooster and it is caused by him, you can get a little chicken apron to put on her proteting her back feathers. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

It's possible the chick is getting picked on or has parasites that are causing the feather loss and runny stool. A medicated feed, deworming, and treating for any external parasites is a good idea. If the other chicks are pecking at it, removing it to a hospital cage for a few days and then reintroducing it to the flock is best to allow for time to recover and heal. I would also make sure there is a heat lamp provided until the feathers have come in.

Molting time is different for each individual bird, so yes, molting is possible if it is that time for Sheephony. You may see new feathers, called pin feathers, growing in to replace the old if this is the case (they look like little pins sticking out of the skin, hence the name). Other potential causes of feather loss can include nutritional issues, parasites on the skin, infections, illness, etc, so if she seems otherwise unhealthy or ill, or you aren't seeing new feathers growing in, scheduling an exam with your vet is best. In some cases, birds will also pluck feathers if bored or stressed, so adding some enrichment and making sure Sheephony is kept in an area with low stress may help as well.

The pictures are really blurry so it's hard to see, but if you're seeing round cylinder-like feathers protruding from the skin that is likely a pin feather. This is a normal feather that is growing back in after the old one is lost. If your bird recently lost a lot of feathers and is now growing them back, they likely were molting, which is normal! This is just the normal replacement of old feathers with new ones. If Sheephony seems cold, moving them to a warmer location until their feathers have regrown can help.

Some breeds of chickens (notably Brahmas, Cochins, Cornish, Rocks, and Orpingtons) are known to feather in slower than other breeds. Crosses with these breeds can also be slow to feather in. Monitor for picking by other chicks and check him over for redness, scabbing or other signs of injury or infection. Be sure to feed a quality chick diet and make sure he is eating his fair share. Weigh him periodically to confirm gains. As long as he appears normal/healthy and is behaving normally, there is likely no cause for concern. An exam with a veterinarian experienced in treating domestic fowl would be recommended if other symptoms (lethargy, decreased appetite, redness, etc) develop.

Poor Mrs. Star! Loss of feathers can be due to a number of things, including mites or parasites, skin issues, or even learned behaviors/stress. Checking for any signs of mites (stuff attached to the feathers, crawling bugs on the body, excessive itching, etc) can alert you to this. If you are seeing any wounds, making sure to treat them and keep Mrs. Star separate until the wound is healed is best (as other chickens are likely to peck at the exposed area.) If the feather plucking has become a learned behavior, using a chicken apron to protect the area, or an Elizabethan (cone) collar to break the habit for a few days may help the area to start to heal. Making sure all of the hens have enough space, plenty of enrichment, etc is also a good idea to help decrease stress.

If Bobo is otherwise happy and healthy, he could just be molting. This is a normal thing that happens when your bird sheds their old feathers and replaces them with new ones. You will likely see "pin" feathers, or feathers that look like little pins sticking out of the skin in the places where old feathers were lost if this is the case. If, however, Bobo is itching, there is redness, new feathers aren't growing in, or he seems ill or upset, it could indicate something else such as parasites, skin issues, etc, that should be checked out by a vet.