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

Question

There are mice that live in our chicken house is that ok? Will the mouse droppings hurt them? Another thing is one of the chickens has like no feathers is this normal? Pet's info: Bird | Chicken | Female | unspayed

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

It would be best to discourage mice being in the coop as much as possible, either by setting traps or making sure the grain fed to the chickens is hung out of reach and all grain-bins are closed. While they may not transmit much or anything to your hens, the droppings can transmit diseases to the humans cleaning the coop if not properly handled. Chickens should have feathers. It is possible your hen is molting (losing feathers while new ones grow in) which is normal and happens yearly for most chickens, and you will see pin (or short pin-like) feathers signaling new feathers regrowing. If your chicken is not regrowing the feathers or is being picked on, it may indicate an issue such as being bullied, parasites, illness, etc and should be checked out by a vet.

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

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