Feather loss

[Jwgredeux]

We have ten chickens in a pretty large coop. Recently we have most of them showing feather loss along their backs near the base of their tail feathers and around their butt/vent. Any ideas on what’s going on? Other behavior and egg laying is normal.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Do you have a rooster?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh - around their vents, too, you said. I'd che I fir mites/lice. And watch for pecking. I have seen this behavior when birds are overcrowded or stressed.

 

[Bobthechicken123]

We have ten chickens in a pretty large coop. Recently we have most of them showing feather loss along their backs near the base of their tail feathers and around their butt/vent. Any ideas on what’s going on? Other behavior and egg laying is normal.

Do you have a rooster, if so it's likely he's mating them too often or too aggressively, if not they may be getting picked on my other hens, if you know that's not the case either, check for mites, if they have no mites, they could be moulting but I find that unlikely as moulting usually starts at the neck.

 

[Jwgredeux]

No rosters. Definitely not overcrowding. Egg laying is good so don’t think they’re stressed. We have had a long stretch of rain, hot, humid weather, but nothing really unusual .

 

[Bobthechicken123]

No rosters. Definitely not overcrowding. Egg laying is good so don’t think they’re stressed. We have had a long stretch of rain, hot, humid weather, but nothing really unusual .

It's most likely mites in that case, check them over, sometimes they are hard to see so have a good look, if they have mites or lice treat them immediately to stop your problem.

 

[Aunt Angus]

No rosters. Definitely not overcrowding. Egg laying is good so don’t think they’re stressed. We have had a long stretch of rain, hot, humid weather, but nothing really unusual .

Then look for mites or lice. I tried looking at the pics to see any evidence of either, but my phone can't enlarge the images enough. It doesn't look like pecking now that I look closely. Not enough broken feathers.

Regardless, the feathers won't likely regrow until they molt.

 

[Jwgredeux]

If it’s mites, what’s the best treatment?

 

[Aunt Angus]

You'll have to treat the birds with a product like permethrin or similar. You can get it as a liquid concentrate or a powder and apply it to them directly. Then you'll have to completely clean out the coop and treat it, too, with the same stuff, paying special attention to roosts, nest boxes, nook, crannies, any possible mite hidey holes. All bedding you remove should be bagged (to suffocate/starve the pests) or burned. After a week, you need to treat everything again to catch any newly hatched mites. Mites are awful.

 

[Kiki]

If it’s mites, what’s the best treatment?

This.
This is a premixed permethrin product.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/martins-horse-stable-permethrin-spray.11854/