No feathers on back

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jnetster

jnetster

Hatching
11 Years
Jul 5, 2008
5
0
7
BC, Canada
OK, I have tried everything... half of my flock have no feathers on their backs. Thinking they might have lice, I've dusted & sprayed the coop with melathione. Yes, the rooster is fairly vigorous...but not really that bad. I've got 18 hens to one rooster, so it's not overkill. Is there something I'm missing?? It's kindof embarrasing. It's not like they're mouling, unless they've Permanently moulted? I have never seen the like. Feedback would be great.
 
Here's a site that discusses feather loss. You might see clues here that we would not know about.

I think Ddawn is onto something asking about the rooster. Sometimes a rooster will pick favorites. Combine a large rooster, long spurs, a young and vigorous rooster, a rough technique, and favorites and you can develop problems even with a good hen rooster ratio.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2308.pdf
 
It sounds like he's only breeding half the flock to me. Which means 1 roo and 9 hens, so to speak. Might want to get some chicken saddles for the naked hens.

Did you mean Malathion is what you used? Malathion is a toxic cholinesterase inhibitor and can cause severe damage to the nervous system in animals.
 
Yes, saddles would be a good idea. Several people on here sell them, or you can make one with a scrap of fabric and a pair of scissors. Here is how (scroll way down:)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=167

I read very recently a recommendation from, I think, dlhunicorn, not to put creams and ointments on bare backs to treat or prevent sunburn. When I worked in the Keys, we would see some nasty dermatitis at times, on people who had gotten sunburned, then had a bad reaction from the medicine they had put on the sunburn, so I was not surprised.
 

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