2 hens with missing feathers and scabby combs. Pictures included!

[My peeps]

I live in PA and this winter I noticed my 2 hens had a few scabs on their combs. None of the other chickens had anything so we thought it was from the cold and made some changes to the hen house to keep it warm. The weather has improved and their combs still look scabby and now their back feathers are missing. Egg production has been steady, 1 egg each, everyday since the Fall. I checked for mites but I'm not sure exactly what I am looking for.... I thought it might be our rooster being a little too aggressive but I haven't caught him in the act. We also have 5 silkies in with our Leghorns. This past week I heard 3 of them crowing! We found them a new home so they will be leaving this weekend. I'm not sure if they have a disease or if the roosters are to blame. HELP! It looks horrible and I want to fix the problem.

 

[Gallusfarm]

The back feathers are most likely from the male birds, typical. You can check for lice/mites, look closely at the skin around the vent, you should be able to see them moving around, they are small. Usually missing feathers and redness around the vent and abdomen are found when there is a lice infestation.

For the combs, this is not unusual. A scab from being pecked or scraped, etc. They usually heal on their own, but it you want to speed it up, you can clean with soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment or some vaseline.

 

[My peeps]

Thank you so much!