PLEASE HELP --- Is this possibly Favus?

KYTinpusher said:

I am curious if it might be an allergy. Did you change feeds recently? If not, I would try changing feeds to something with a different formulation.

Another thought is kefir - homemade, not store bought. Kefir is very much like yogurt, but contains beneficial yeasts as well as beneficial bacterias. A good homemade kefir contains something like 40-60 different strains of beneficial strains as opposed to 4 or 5 in most organic yogurts. The beneficial yeasts will compete with the nasty yeasts (fungus, bacteria, etc.) and after feeding the kefir for a while, should overwhelm the bad and restore a natural balance. Kefir is easily made on the countertop at home and once they try it, chickens love it! It is excellent for people and dogs, too.

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Eggcessive said:

I would probably consult a vet with the one who has the worst symptoms. They could probably do a skin scraping for fungus or whatever else it could be. Maybe it is some sort of mite like mange?

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Krazy4Chicks said:

Actually, they have been getting a half and half mixture Nutrena Layer Crumbles and also some of the Nutrena Feather Fixer. When they were going thru molt a couple of months ago, I started giving them the Feather Fixer, which is supposed to be great for them during molt and can be fed all year long. So maybe I should remove the Feather Fixer from the mix and just give the regular layer food.

In any event, I'd love to know how to make this kefir! One of the hens seems to have a messy bottom (wondering if it's some sort of yeast infection), so maybe this kefir would help her with that too! Is there some sort of recipe to make the kefir that you could direct me to?

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KYTinpusher said:

Did you start the feather fixer before or after you noticed the current skin condition? If it showed up after you added that to their diet, that may very well be the culprit. In any case, the kefir can't hurt.

You need to find someone with a starter culture to buy (some will share for free

). I don't have any extra at the moment or I would send you some. If you have any friends that get raw milk, they probably know about it and may be able to help you locate some starter. It is like a little gummy cauliflower head.

You can buy some through Azure Standard or check with any natural food stores in your area. They can probably steer you in the right direction. Amazon also has sellers that offer it, just make sure you check their feedback. I bought my original starter off Ebay. I can send you directions for how to culture it. Oh wait, let me see if I can attach it here!

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