Q- I have a lovely trio of Brahmas and one of the hens has started to lose a lot of feathers on her back. She is almost bare, and I am worried that she has a disease or mites. Carl Hendy, Kent
A- Terry Beebe says: This is due to mating. The cockerel mounts the female and stands on her back, gripping her with his claws and holding onto the back of her neck with his beak. Every time this happens, he removes some feathers. It is quite natural, and the only thing you can do is to protect her by either separating her from the male or fitting a poultry saddle on her back, protecting this area. These can be bought from your poultry equipment supplier and are very easy to fit. They give the protection needed at this time.
Send your poultry questions to editorial.csh@archant.co.uk and put Q&A on the subject line
