Please help...hen losing feathers

[chic hens]

Hi everyone,

Found a bunch of feathers in the coup this morning under my americauna. She is about 8 months old. She has not laid an egg in a week. I picked her up to look her over and feathers were falling out as I checked her over...legs, belly and back. I noticed the wind blowing some feathers off of her this morning as she walked around as well. It has been raining here for about 4 days...not sure if that may have caused this..???

I give them layer pellets and mash at night (rice, oatmeal, greens, fruit, olive oil or buttermilk).

I do have a maran who is looking kinda scruffy around her wings and also noticed my sex link's tail feathers are a bit ratty.

What should I be looking for?

Thank you for any help you can offer!!

 

[lindsay297]

New to this but I would run down the list I have heard and read about.... Lice/mites - check around the vent.
Molting?? - large loss of feathers and possible decrease in laying.
Other signs of illness or sickness?
Hopefully someone with more experience can help but, that might start you off.

 

[chic hens]

Thank you!! I also am new to this. Will check her vent asap.
Thanks again

 

[lindsay297]

If there are mites/lice I have heard that DE (diatometious earth) food grade is what you use. You powder them with it.
If there are no mites lice then I would assume that they are going through a moult. I hope this helps again, I am just passing on information that I have read on this site. Hope this helps.

 

[chic hens]

Took a better look at her and found lots of missing feathers on her neck and lots of little spikes that look like new feathers coming in. I also saw one of my friends americaunas that looked a little more bare and she said she was molting so I am breathing better now.

With all the rain we were having here with that crazy tropical storm I wasn't able to put out DE but now that we are drying out I will dust everything to be extra safe.

Thank you agian!! Have a happy weekend!