balding heads/drop in production

[mixedflock]

Help! My laying hens have had a recent drop in egg production and i can't figure out why. The only strange symptom that some of them have is the loss of feathers around their combs. Some of them have loss of feathers at their necks but that may be the rooster since these birds also have bare spots on thier backs.

One hen is more sickly than the others, she is very lazy but when i get close to her she perks up and runs away. She keeps "closing" her inner eyelid while she is sitting. I picked her up and I can't see any mites but did notice that she has a poopy butt- not blocked, but the feathers are all streaked with dried poop.

They have no respiratory symptoms at all.

Ideas?

 

[Wes in Tx]

The missing feathers is from the rooster.

AS for everything else need to have a fecal float done by a vet to check for worms.

 

[HenHappy]

Is this the only sign of worms? Is there other things to look out for?

 

[mixedflock]

UPDATE- I went into the house with a bunch of DE, sprinkled it onto the hens (sort of!), put it into all the nest boxes and on the floor in their favorite spots and, 4 days later, egg production is back up. I still dont' know exactly what was wrong.... at least it has gotten better.