Mites or molting?

[Amfrolia]

I have five hens and yesterday I noticed that two of my girls have lost big patches of feathers - mostly on their bellies. I can't tell if it is a mite problem or molting. The skin where the feathers are missing doesn't look red or irritated.

I checked under the roost bars last night and didn't see anything crawling.

The weird thing is that the feather loss is so much on their bellies and not nearly as noticeable if at all on their necks where I've heard the molting usually starts. They are about 17-18 months old - so at the age their first molt could occur.

I haven't seen any pin feathers yet.

They seem to be acting normally, and all are taking their usual dust baths.

I did change their layer feed recently, but it is still an 18% protein feed and they all seem to be eating it.

Please help with any advice or suggestions! These girl's are my first chickens and I have never had a molting or mites yet - so very confused and worried!

 

[teach1rusl]

Most likely they're just molting. A strong indication of molting is finding a lot more than normal feathers laying beneath the roost in the mornings, so check for that. If so, then you should see new pin feathers emerging within the next week or so...

But also check the bird, just to make sure its not a mite issue. If they're squirrely birds, get them from the roost late this evening - take them into the house/garage - have someone hold the bird while you part the feathers and really inspect the feather shafts and skin around the vent area (a favorite spot for mites). If there a lot of dirty debris looking stuff accumulated around the base of the feathers, that's a strong indicator of mites. Plus, if it's a heavy infestation, you'll probably see a few TEENY TINY specks slowly moving around on your hand - almost looks like moving dirt particles. If your birds are tame/lap chickens, then you can probably football hold them and inspect them by yourself.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yeah...I'm not a fan of straw. I've only used it 2x here, both times over rough winters. And both times I ended up with mite issues that following spring. The mites hide inside the hollow shafts, which they can't do in regular bedding or hay. If you're not seeing mites on your girl, and ARE seeing feathers in the bedding, then its probably a molt. I would suggest avoiding the use of straw. Yeah, it makes a good insulator, but the payoff isn't worth it to me - I won't use again for my chickens.

There is a type of mite that likes to stay hidden in cracks of the roosts/under roosts (can't remember what it's called) and only come out at night to suck blood. But the mites I've dealt with here (fowl mites) pretty much stay on the birds (or any warm body/surface). I would also spray the roosts with the product you use (here I use Frontline spray - but I know many like the more natural products).

 

[aart]

I use straw all the time in the nests...no mites here...I do sprinkle some DE on the bottom of the nests as a 'feel good and maybe preventative'.
I also throw some straw out in the run in winter to ameliorate icy patches and snowmelt.
If you already have mites on your birds or in the coop structure, they may shelter in the hollows of the straw...but just using straw doesn't automatically mean mites.

If I don't see bugs, I don't treat for them. Taking bird off the roost well after dark at night and parting the feathers down to the skin around vent, head, neck and under wings should show you weather they have bugs or not. Wiping the bottom of the roosts with a white paper towel should show the mites that only feed at night as res smears on towels. Googling images of mites and lice and their eggs before inspecting birds will help you ID anything you might see.

IME birds can have bare patches around butt and belly without a pest infestation being present and without a full or partial molt in progress.

 

[minpins99]

I'm not sure, maybe a week or two. I checked vents (one of them shot at me and missed!) and there is nothing moving there, no red little jerks that resemble pictures of them. No one is losing feathers on the belly. I DO know it's not molting. Fortunately, when she is standing erect, the feathers of the rump covers the sore looking spot. I'm sure if she was being pecked she'd be a hot mess for sure.

 

[eleaserek]

Yeah I just don't know!! They are getting really tired of me messing with them though, lol! I've looked them over thoroughly multiple times and have never seen a bug. I just don't think its depluming mites either since her skin is not irritated or red. It's dry and a little flaky though. Which I've read can be a sign of molting...but no new feathers are coming in...and she doesn't seem to be losing them anywhere else.

I'm putting thought into giving them a bath with a neem oil shampoo and seeing what happens. I figure it won't hurt and maybe the neem will kill any crawlies I just can't see or am missing and maybe help with the dry skin too.

 

[aart]

For you guys who just aren't sure whether it's mites or not... there's nothing lost in treating for mites just in case. I would strongly recommend two drops of Frontline Plus (dog flea/tick treatment) place on the SKIN - not just dropped on the feathers...or you can dab a Qtip in the vial and paint it on. A single dog vial will treat a lot of birds. No matter what type of mite (IF it is mites), this should address them. A liberal dousing of Frontline spray works well too. However, bedding does need to be changed out if it is mites - the Frontline will keep them at bay for a few weeks, but if the coop is infested then they will just get back on the birds after the repellent wears off...

For skittish birds, take them off the roost of the late evening if you're wanting to bathe someone - baby warm water in a sink works well - even my wildest bird seems to enjoy a warm bath if done firmly but calmly...

Do you know that Fipronil (Frontline) has a lifetime withdrawal in poultry per FARAD?

 

[Amfrolia]

Thanks for your advice teach1rusl! Two of my girl's I can pick up pretty easily - luckily one of them is the one with lots of missing feathers. I did grab her in the football hold and looked closely at the feather shafts and didn't see anything - but that was during the day - so maybe if it is mites they were not on her at that time?

I did find a bunch of feathers at the bottom of the coop.

Thinking I will do a deep spring cleaning also just in case. Spray the cracks with a natural mite spray I got from Tractor Supply.

I'm guessing mites could also be in the run? I have a mix of wood chips and straw as bedding in the run that I have been gradually taking out (it was deep for the winter but now that the weather is warming up I want just a thin layer of wood chips only for the summer).

 

[Amfrolia]

I've inspected the one that has the most feathers missing during the day and didn't see anything. Did the paper towel trick last night and nothing. But maybe should inspect her after dark also. The crazy thing is that her belly is almost bare! I do see a bunch of broken ragged feathers and she is looking kinda rough overall. I spent 8 hours today cleaning all bedding I could from the run and spraying with a natural pest and odor spray (healthy pen I think it's called - you attach it to your hose and it smells like lemongrass and herbs after). Tomorrow I'll do inside the coop and spray in there with a natural mite spray - just in case. It was time for a good spring cleaning anyway. I am seeing a larger number of feathers around but wasn't sure if that was molt or them pulling feathers to get to the mites. Really appreciate your input! I'm a nervous momma here! Four eggs from the five hens today - so laying not too affected yet. I think the only one that didn't lay was the one missing the most feathers - but she did lay yesterday.

 

[toomuch]

Do you let them free range?