Bald Chest(s)... Mites?

[micstrachan]

My 1 3/4 year old Black Australorp, Bagheera, went broody in the spring and went bald on her chest. I don’t think her feathers ever came all the way back, and she’s a bit bare on her chest now. She is the only one of the girls her age who still has never had a molt, and her tail feathers are looking tattered on the ends. Could she have mites? Just noticed tonight that her roost mate, my 8- month old Blue Laced Red Wyandotte pullet, Lucky, might (no pun intended) also be going a little bare on her chest (though she sits forever when she lays). Could they have mites?
Confession: I am not super confident in handling my girls to look for mites. They sit in my lap and I occasionally carry them across the yard if I have to get them back in the pen from freerange time, I feel them over for crop and abdomen checks, but my I’m a little paranoid about harming them. Silly, I know. How exactly does one turn a chicken over to inspect her underside? I have seen multiple videos where they hang chickens by their feet to dust them, but that seems dangerous. I just don’t want to spill crop contents and aspirate them. My one hen who died in September passed IMMEDIATELY after she was tipped with her head toward the ground (there was other ongoing issues withher, but these were her final monents).
Can I flip them on their backs, belly up, instead of having their heads pointed toward the ground? Does anyone have a good photo, video, or diagram? I think I may be faced with inspecting and treating for mites soon, and want to be safe when handling my girls. Thanks!!!

 

[sunflour]

You can lay them on their backs - cradling in your arms or lap or have someone else hold them for you to inspect them. The main thing is to hold them gently but with enough effort to keep them from flapping their wings.

It is easier for those difficult to handle to do this at night after they have settled in on their roosts. You can lift them off and with a small light examine them.

Mine don't like to be picked up, but once you do they give in to the exams

Edited to add - IMO holding them by their feet seems brutal.

 

[boskelli1571]

The bald chest in spring was likely related to her being broody. They often pluck their own feathers so the egg rests on the bare skin and gets more warmth form Mama.
Mites come out to play at night, chickens are generally reluctant to go to bed with a mite infestation since they equate bedtime with being bitten.
If you are concerned about mites/lice I would dust them with a poultry dust. The way I do it is to wear a plastic glove on one hand, hold the bird gently but firmly with the other hand. I scoop a small handful of dust from a bowl and just rub it into the underside, under the wings, vent area and a sprinkle everywhere else for good measure.
To check your coop for mites - as sunflour said do this at night. Check the perches with a flashlight, if you see small dots scurrying across the perches - you have mites. You will have to thoroughly clean your coop, all cracks/crevices should be filled in, dust the perches floor, etc.
Good luck and keep us posted,

 

[staceyj]

Good morning @micstrachan

I have one hen who goes in and out of broodiness frequently. She is quite bald on her chest area most of the time and does not have any mites or lice. She has yet to molt although most of the others are currently molting.
Some of my girls aren't crazy about being on their backs either.
What I do is pick them up in a football hold (gently but firmly) then walk over to a chair near the coop while chatting to them.

As I sit down on the edge of the chair (with a hand holding each wing to their sides), I sort of lay them crossways across my lap.
-head on one thigh, feet on the other
I give them a minute to process this position. They generally relax almost immediately.

I lean forward a little as I roll them a bit towards me and inspect the top side of their body. All the while I am talking to them reassuringly.
I think my body leaning over them makes them feel secure.
When I'm finished I firmly but gently hold their wings in again and turn them around swiftly so their head is on my other thigh and repeat the process.

For the vent inspection I sit them upright and hold their feet gently between my thighs. One hand I spread across the top of their body to keep their wings down while the other hand lifts up their floofy butt feathers to visualize that area.

I talk quietly throughout the whole process.

I hope this helps.

 

[micstrachan]

@staceyj thank you for the tutorial. I like the sound of that method! This morning before work, I tried to give
her a brief inspection in a similar fashion, but just did one side. Unfortunately, I discovered I’m too blind to see clearly! LOL! My prescription readers have disappeared, so I’m hoping some over the counters will do.
I might see something gray on the feather shafts. Hard to tell, since Black Australorp down is gray. Things don’t feel so nice and fluffy. Can’t tell if it feels a little crusty or if it’s just the feather shafts I feel where the bald area meets her feathered area.
Her skin does not look at all irritated, which I think is a good sign. I will repeat more thoroughly with some sort of glasses.
If I need to treat... like if the gray is lice eggs... what is best? I’ve read Sevin is a carcinogen and now illegal for poultry. Is Poultry Dust good? What is the active ingredient? I can also ask at my feed store, but would love some advice and opinions from my BYC friends before I head in there this weekend. I have a load of food grade diatomaceous earth, but have heard mixed reviews. I lean toward non-chemical treatments when possible, but not if they are ineffective or harmful. Happy to bring in the big guns if it’s truly needed.

 

[boskelli1571]

@staceyj thank you for the tutorial. I like the sound of that method! This morning before work, I tried to give
her a brief inspection in a similar fashion, but just did one side. Unfortunately, I discovered I’m too blind to see clearly! LOL! My prescription readers have disappeared, so I’m hoping some over the counters will do.
I might see something gray on the feather shafts. Hard to tell, since Black Australorp down is gray. Things don’t feel so nice and fluffy. Can’t tell if it feels a little crusty or if it’s just the feather shafts I feel where the bald area meets her feathered area.
Her skin does not look at all irritated, which I think is a good sign. I will repeat more thoroughly with some sort of glasses.
If I need to treat... like if the gray is lice eggs... what is best? I’ve read Sevin is a carcinogen and now illegal for poultry. Is Poultry Dust good? What is the active ingredient? I can also ask at my feed store, but would love some advice and opinions from my BYC friends before I head in there this weekend. I have a load of food grade diatomaceous earth, but have heard mixed reviews. I lean toward non-chemical treatments when possible, but not if they are ineffective or harmful. Happy to bring in the big guns if it’s truly needed.

If my girls start with itching/scratching I use a Permethrin poultry dust for the first and second applications. I also dust the coop, nest boxes etc. After that I alternate between DE and Permethrin. I do not dust on a regular basis - just when there is a problem. Over use of these items (not DE) has resulted in the bugs becoming immune to the effects.
Do your girls have a dust bath area? If not, make them one using wood ash and peat moss - they will love you forever