Mites or molting?

[Amfrolia]

No - too many neighbors dogs roaming. But we do get wild birds sneaking into their run

 

[chickengeorgeto]

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!

Depluming mites is my guess. They are too small to see with the naked eye and they live inside the feather follicles.

 

[minpins99]

I've been keeping hens for a few years now and never had these symptoms: between the base of the tail and the rump, there is a spot where she is loosing feathers, however pin feathers emerge. The cycle repeats itself. I took her inside (she loved it - NOT!) to the bathroom, aka the treatment room, and put some Neosporin over it. One area is especially raw. I don't think she's being pecked as when she stands tall, the other feathers cover the spot, plus I think it would look much worse. Checked feathers, nothing moving. Checked vent - she tried to shoot poop at me but missed! Nothing moving. I am so below the poverty level, it defies explanation.
Would adding mint from the baking section of the super market do the trick and how to use it to systemically treat the bird? Would addition to the water work? I'm going out to check them again, maybe with a magnifying glass; maybe not or I may get wing-slapped. Ow!

Thank you,

Mimi
Nashua, NH

 

[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!

 

[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