Bald Spot On Back Of Almost Entire Flock Help Please

[davidr]

I have 11 "girls" 6 different breeds 14 months old they have been laying since last August like clockwork, no Rooster. On 8 of them there is a bare spot starting at the tail and gloing up almost halfway up their backs. They completely bald in this area. I have watched them for several weeks and have not seen any of them picking at each other. There are no feathers on the floor of the coop or run. No bleeding, the bald area is not sensitive to the touch, meaning I can touch the bare spots and it doesn't bother them.

I have sprayed the BlueKote on the bare spots, this doesn't seem to have any effect.

What going on?

I am open to any and all suggestions.

At this point I would howl at the moon if I thought it would help.

David

 

[ranchhand]

LOL, howl away, you never know what will work with chickens! The mental image is hilarious!

Mites? Check at night.
Picking? Again, check at night.
Protein lacking? What do you feed? Sometimes they will pick and eat feathers if their diet lacks protein.

 

[davidr]

I'll check tonight for mites, what do they look like? little bugs? Wouldn't they loose feathers all over their body?
I havn't seen any pecking.
I feed them a standard layer feed from the Farm and Fleet. They must be eating the feathers since there are none on the floor of the coop or run.

If they are lacking protein what do I supplement them with? feed for meat birds?

Should I continue the bluekote?

Instead of howling at the moon, maybe I should crow at the morning sun?

Thanx,

David

 

[willkatdawson]

check around their vent area. Mites will look like tiny bugs running around, lice will look like some of her feathers have fireplace ash dried to them in clumps. Both are VERY itchy, as a matter of fact it's making me scratch just writing about them...