Anna the naked Liege Fighter hen

[Elsveta641]

This is Anna. She is almost 2 years old. When I bought her a year ago, she had a small bald patch around her vent. She did not have mites or gleet. She has been treated for those conditions anyways just in case multiple times.

After a while of having her I realized she was doing this to herself. She picks and preens until shes half naked. Yes, Anna is now about 75% nude. I asked the vet and he says shes likely just a nervous chicken, but we treated her with a allergy medication and a anti itch medication. Those didn't help her at all.

She has no other symptoms. Last month she lost her mate who was killed, within days her sister and several other hens became depressed stopped eating or drinking or moving and died from what I assume was grief. She went broody instead, but her chicks were killed by a predator and she had some very bad injuries from defending them. She nearly died but has since recovered.
Anna was 2nd in the hens pecking order beneath her sister. She now sits in the garage all day, watching my family through the glass door. She sits on the step and waits everytime I go inside. She does still walk back to the barn to roost with the flock. She roosts up high with the new rooster and his favorite hen, so she must still be held in high regard in the flock.

I feel so bad for her, she has had very bad luck and probably hurting emotionally and confused. She is typical of her breed, extremely intelligent and loyal and adores her caretaker (me). I want to get to the bottom of whatever makes her peck herself bare so at least something is going right in her life. Has anyone ever had a hen do this to herself long term?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

After a while of having her I realized she was doing this to herself. She picks and preens until shes half naked. Yes, Anna is now about 75% nude. I asked the vet and he says shes likely just a nervous chicken, but we treated her with a allergy medication and a anti itch medication. Those didn't help her at all.

What did you use to treat her for lice/mites?
Her picking at herself, it could be a nervous disorder, but I would think about treating for Depluming (Feather) mites with Ivermectin - Depluming mites cannot be not seen with the naked eye and live under the feather shaft.
Ivermectin Pour On dose is 0.09 ml per pound of weight, applied to the base of the neck along the spine (must come into contact with the skin). Repeat in 10-14 days.

 

[Kathy Golla]

I was thinking the same thing. It can’t hurt. @Wyorp Rock the recommended treatment for depluming mites tends to be four weeks on (once a week), a break for a month, then another month on...
There is a recommendation not to eat eggs while on ivermectin.
If that doesn’t work, maybe getting her a new flock is in order. Like get her some new buddies. She’s been through a lot.

 

[Kathy Golla]

There is not a rooster involved with her now at all?

 

[Kathy Golla]

@Elsveta641 depluming mites can be brought on by stress.

 

[Elsveta641]

What did you use to treat her for lice/mites?
Her picking at herself, it could be a nervous disorder, but I would think about treating for Depluming (Feather) mites with Ivermectin - Depluming mites cannot be not seen with the naked eye and live under the feather shaft.
Ivermectin Pour On dose is 0.09 ml per pound of weight, applied to the base of the neck along the spine (must come into contact with the skin). Repeat in 10-14 days.

She has been treated with both Ivermectin pour on, Permethrin livestock and premises spray.

 

[Elsveta641]

There is not a rooster involved with her now at all?

We have roosters but she is 3x the size of 2 of them and womt allow them to mate her. One is crippled and cannot mate. The last one she occasionally let's mount her. But the majority of the time she is in the garage and not bothered by any rooster. She is rarely mated

 

[Elsveta641]

@Elsveta641 depluming mites can be brought on by stress.

She has been treated multiple times with ivermectin, permethrin and some special organic non toxic hippy powder from the tractor store. She also has 24hr access to multiple dust baths

 

[Kathy Golla]

She has been treated with both Ivermectin pour on, Permethrin livestock and premises spray.

I’d try the treatment for depluming mites, it can’t hurt.
But you won’t see new feathers until it’s molting time. you should see her stop overpreening herself with the long term pour on treatment if it’s depluming mites.
Ivermectin pour on-6 drops for a reg sized hen, on the back of the neck, make sure to get it right on the skin. Once a week for Six weeks. Then take a month long break and do the same for four weeks. They can be quite hard to get rid of.
Ivermectin does get in her eggs, if she’s laying.

 

[Elsveta641]

I can follow this advice, however she has already been treated for mites about once every 4 weeks for a year. Also she has been seen for this condition by the vet, would he have not diagnosed the mites? Would the mites not effect other chickens? She is the only bird out of nearly 60 with this issue and has been the entire time.