Some skin irratation/feather loss PLEASE READ

[mhoward92]

Well i have been noticing that my hens are starting to have bald patches on their back. (in the center right before their tailfeathers begin and were their wing feathers "V-off" It does not look really irratated but very dry and almost scaley looking. the feathers are obviously gone too in that area. at first i thought it was a but in the coop but its only happening on my Araucanas... I don't see them picking at it when im watching but it proceeds to get worse daily. I know its not major (at least at this point) but i know if not treated it can get nasty. What would you treat it with??? Its too late to go take pictures...ill take some tomorrow and post them im sure you all will know what it is exactly then. but any ideas/comments would help me out.

Thanks in advance

Mitch

 

[mangled]

Do you have a roo? Sometimes, I'll have one of my hens get a bad area from the roo, especially on my smaller girls, my EE, and my smaller mutt hens.

Em

 

[mhoward92]

Do you have a roo? Sometimes, I'll have one of my hens get a bad area from the roo, especially on my smaller girls, my EE, and my smaller mutt hens.

I do not have a roo​

 

[mangled]

Well, it could be a lot of things.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Good luck-
Em

 

[silkiechicken]

Lice maybe since you don't have a roo? Moulting if there are pin feathers? Try chicken saddles?

 

[mhoward92]

Hmm. i wouldent say moulting they are only 2.5 months old. I think pictures would help alot. I thought maybe it was lice at first but its only happening on the Araucanas.

 

[silkiechicken]

My guess would be picking then. Are they at the bottom of the order by any chance? Maybe upping protein and a handful of black oil sunflower seeds may help?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

If you want to try chicken saddles follow the link in my sig for patterns of sew and no sew types. Usually they are used for feather loss due to a roo but, they may help stop the picking or they may end up picking them off elsewhere.

Good luck!

 

[barjd6]

Quote:
We just really started with our chickens, but today, when we gave them some black sunflower seeds that we keep for the cardinals, they were just crazy about them. I don't know what the seeds will do for the bald chicken, but they are like cats with catnip over sunflower seeds. A good way to make friends, clearly.

 

[silkiechicken]

The black oil sunflower seeds contain methionine which is one of they key components in feather growth. So upping protein and methionine = an attempt to get them to stop picking out feathers and eating them.