10 week-old d'Uccle with itchy neck; pests or pin feathers?

[thecatumbrella]

She's always been an itchier chick, even in the brooder. The girls have only been in the run full-time for 3 weeks. They have a brand new coop AND brand new mulch that's dusted with First Saturday Lime. No exposure to wild birds, though there are plenty around our wooded lot. She scratches almost where a dog would scratch at its collar. Both sides. I've looked her over (including the vent), and all I can see are HUGE quills coming into those areas. Given their age and the amount of feathers in the run, I'm guessing they're going through their final juvenile molt? Can that cause some excessive scratching? Anything else I should be considering? The other girls are pekin bantams and don't seem to have any issues.

I'm also asking because we plan to bring them in the house for about 36 hours to get through a heat wave. I would prefer not to infest my house with bird mites/lice if I can help it. They're still learning to use their roost and will start the night in a cuddle pile. Last night, they were panting with the run at 63F (FOR THE LOVE OF CHICKEN, PLEASE SPREAD OUT!). I don't think they can weather 85F at 8PM.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos of your chicks?

Molting can be itchy for them and you'll see them preen quite a lot.

Do they have access to loose dirt so they can dust bath?

How hot is it going to be? At 10weeks chicks should be fairly acclimated to temperature swings. Do they have deep shade to get out direct sun?

 

[thecatumbrella]

Do you have photos of your chicks?

Molting can be itchy for them and you'll see them preen quite a lot.

Do they have access to loose dirt so they can dust bath?

How hot is it going to be? At 10weeks chicks should be fairly acclimated to temperature swings. Do they have deep shade to get out direct sun?

They have a dust bath with a fluffy mixture of sand, peat moss, and First Saturday Lime, but prefer to use the mulch in their run (which is pretty dusty). They dust bathe daily, sometimes even twice!

It's going to hit low to mid 90's today and be pretty muggy. There's not a drop of shade on my property, but their run is roofed with shade cloth on all the sunny sides. I have an industrial greenhouse fan that keeps the air moving. When all is said and done, the inside of the coop and run stay at ambient temp. We hit 87 yesterday with minimal panting, but the coop is its own story. A few will start to pant, even at reasonable temps (like 65-70), because they still pile together for comfort.

I'll attach a few photos. You can see how tightly they compact in the first one (which results in overheating) vs how much they spread out in the second photo (which they'll only do when the sun's up). They'll spread out even more onto both roost bars during the day, but nighttime just has its own mentality.

I should add that this coop is a holdover while we figure out our build. I've upped the ventilation everywhere I can, but it gets a little stuffy in the summer if I don't keep that fan running in the nest box area.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh, I see. Yes, they are still piling at night.

Space is a bit tight isn't it.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Oh, I see. Yes, they are still piling at night.

Space is a bit tight isn't it.

Yep. It's basically roost bars in a cooler. What's odd is the chickens love it. I don't know if it triggers some jungle instinct, like they're hiding under a bush or something? But there are days when I have to forcibly remove them to clean.

I did end up bringing them inside last night, and they were happy to settle into their old brooder. One of the perks to having bantams!