Mites or molting?

[Amfrolia]

CK! I hope not! Just looked them up and depluming mites sound nasty and hard to get rid of. Their skin doesn't look irritated, but did see a small scab yesterday. Gonna inspect again today for depluming mite symptoms.

 

[Amfrolia]

How long after her feathers fall out do the pin feathers emerge?

 

[eleaserek]

I'm very curious about this issue, as I've been dealing with the same. Mine are a little younger, just over a year. Two of my five have bare bellies and I can't figure out why!! Someone suggested they may be going broody, but that was a month ago and nothing has changed. One of the chickens, my barred rock, is laying like normal. The other, a Dixie rainbow, has shown a decrease in egg production however. I've looked them over and I don't think there are and bugs. But these are my first chickens so I'm just not 100% what I'm looking for! Here's my barred rock and her bare belly-

 

[Amfrolia]

Huh! Mine look about the same! Right now my two Austrolorps have it - one more than the other. The two Rhode Island Reds show a little feather loss but not their whole bellies. Then the Arucana nothing really. I have noticed more feathers in the coop - mostly black and red. At first I thought it was from the crazy wind ( it's the season here in the SW mountains of NM) but I don't see enough feathers that they are missing I think. So frustrating since there are so many "possible" causes. Since I am a new chicken owner too I don't have the experience and am baffled. If it's molting - I am not seeing pin feathers yet. Not sure how long they take to emerge.

The whole mite thing freaked me out and I spent 5-6 hours on Friday, 8 hours yesterday and another 7 hours today giving the whole run and coop a thorough cleaning, spraying, DE, and new bedding.

Sooo tired!! Lol

 

[Amfrolia]

I thought broody too at first - but they are not spending more time in the nesting box, not hissing at you when in there- and what is the chance of two going broody at the same time?

 

[Amfrolia]

Also didn't see any evidence of mites. If they have depluming mites that are too small to see the skin doesn't look too irritated which I think it would be (from my research) same as yours!

 

[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.

 

[Amfrolia]

Funny that one tried to aim at you! Hopefully their aim will continue to miss! Lol
I can't see anything as far as mites or lice and really no irritated skin. But also no pin feathers yet.
One of my Austrolorps also has a little ragged patch of feathers in that same area at base of tail. Same as yours - not too bad when she is standing. She has had that for months though - and I did see her sister peck her there several times. Maybe she has a tasty oil gland? Eee - that is where it is located...
I've heard that mint is not harmful to them but doesn't really have the same beneficial things it does for humans

 

[Amfrolia]

So weird we have such similar symptoms. My girls are getting tired of getting turned on their backs and given thorough inspections also! Same here on the depluming mites - no irritated skin.

It does seem like they are starting to miss feathers in some other areas but not like the bellies. No new feathers and what looks like a bunch of weak/broken feathers.

I've thought about baths but that sounds daunting. Two I can pick up fairly easily but Three of my five will stay close to me or even rub up against me while I'm doing chicken chores but if I reach out - it's like "oh no it's the hand!"