Bare Chickens in Winter! Thoughts on Sweaters?

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Nothing to add but hope that you are able to solve their problems! You said that you took the hens to a vet - did the vet find mites? What were they treated with?

 

[MadelineT]

Oh also, do any of the chickens in your flock look good? Just wondering if you have 1 picker?

No, none of them look good and I can tell they’re irritated! But I just can’t get rid of the problem. I feel like we have literally tried EVERYTHING.

 

[MadelineT]

I deffinately think now, after seeing the pictures that you are right about it being lice or mites.
O googled lice and mites on chickens and saw some similar feather damage like your pictures show.
As far as a remedys there are several, some of which you have probably tried.
First i wonder if you have a dust bath for your chickens? Dust bathing is a chickens natural defence gainst lice and mites. Some people like diacamatious earth others say it has no effect. I personally would set up a dry protected spot, i would use an old tire and mix fine sand with some of my wood ashes and see if they use it. You could even give them a bath in it by hand. The idea is to smother the bugs.
you have to not only treat the chickens but the entire coop also. All the wood and espically the perches. Some bugs hide in the wood grain and feed on the chickens at night while they are sleeping Some install only non wood perches for this reason. There are chemical sprays also orange oil is helpful to some.
It would be really helpfull if you could get right up close to your chickens skin with some magifying glasses and figure out exactly what kind of bug we are dealing with here. Sometimes they hide around the vent area.
If you could get a magnified picture of that and post it here, that would be great.
Also take some white paper towel and wipe it on the underside of the roosts and see what you find if anything.?
This has really got me curious.
Good luck and keep us updated!

Hey there! Just seeing this! Yes, my coop has a big tire of sand, dirt, and DE for dust baths all through the year. I see them using it often so I know they’re dusting!

Second, I’ve emptied the coop and transferred them to a small coop 3-4 times over the past year while I treat their coop with chemicals from top to bottom. Always sweeping it out first and filling it up with fresh clean bedding. I’ve tried some natural sprays (oil, dish soap, and water) as well as a mite powder, and finally the hard stuff... permetherin every week for 2 months!!!! Still nothing!

The girls are on feather fixer, 22% protein from tractor supply and I’ve cut back their meal worms and scratch so they eat more. I also give them scrambled eggs whenever I make them.

I even spent $300 at the vet to do ivermectin shots and antibiotics to help their bare skin irritation. Still didn’t help. I’m at such a loss!!

I’m going to try the paper towel under the roosts to see what I can find. Although, they’ve been laying in the straw at night to keep their feet warm rather than roosting. (We are in Utah and it’s frigid out right now.)

 

[MadelineT]

I would go over them carefully for signs of lice or mites. Permethrin 10 spray from TSC, or the permethrin garden dust are both good to treat for either. Here are 2 good links for what to look for under the vent, under wings, and elsewhere:
https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

Tried both those treatments but didn’t seem to help. I’ll check out the identification article!

 

[MadelineT]

Nothing to add but hope that you are able to solve their problems! You said that you took the hens to a vet - did the vet find mites? What were they treated with?

She didn’t actually find anything on them but she did treat for mites regardless. She gave them ivermectin shots and an antibiotic to help the skin irritation. But it hasn’t helped it actually seems to be getting worse again.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Sorry you and your girls are going through this. It does look like feather mining mites (deplumbing). As you said your vet gave them ivermectin shots I'm wondering if it would be worth treating them yourself again with ivermectin orally. Are these laying hens? Do you eat the eggs/sell them/give them away? Ivermectin dosing means throwing away eggs for 2 weeks minimum that's why I ask. I don't see why it would be a bad idea to try it again as the problem is obviously still there. I can't think why it wouldn't have worked from the shots but anyone I know of that dosed orally had success. Just thought I'd share.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No, none of them look good and I can tell they’re irritated! But I just can’t get rid of the problem. I feel like we have literally tried EVERYTHING.

She didn’t actually find anything on them but she did treat for mites regardless. She gave them ivermectin shots and an antibiotic to help the skin irritation. But it hasn’t helped it actually seems to be getting worse again.

Can you clarify what is getting worse? The way they look, how they act - what is worse?

If you can post more photos or even a video of them that would be good. (for video, upload to youtube, then provide us a link)

You mention the vet gave them an injection of Ivermectin, was that repeated in 10-14days?
Is the skin irritated - photos of that?

 

[MadelineT]

Sorry you and your girls are going through this. It does look like feather mining mites (deplumbing). As you said your vet gave them ivermectin shots I'm wondering if it would be worth treating them yourself again with ivermectin orally. Are these laying hens? Do you eat the eggs/sell them/give them away? Ivermectin dosing means throwing away eggs for 2 weeks minimum that's why I ask. I don't see why it would be a bad idea to try it again as the problem is obviously still there. I can't think why it wouldn't have worked from the shots but anyone I know of that dosed orally had success. Just thought I'd share.

Yes we threw them away last time for a few weeks after the ivermectin shot. They are laying hens and we don’t sell the eggs, just use them ourselves. I think that is a good idea to give ivermectin orally. Do you put it in their water or do you actually try to open their beaks and put it in?

 

[MadelineT]

Can you clarify what is getting worse? The way they look, how they act - what is worse?

If you can post more photos or even a video of them that would be good. (for video, upload to youtube, then provide us a link)

You mention the vet gave them an injection of Ivermectin, was that repeated in 10-14days?
Is the skin irritated - photos of that?

Hi there! Will try to get more photos or videos and post. They seem to be acting fine, but the feathers are looking worse. I call them sticks... because the fluffy part of the feather is slowly deteriorating on the wing feathers and tail feathers. Necks, chests, and stomachs are still bare.

The vet didn’t repeat in 10-14 days, but I know that’s recommended. I’m thinking about saving some $ and doing it myself orally? Thoughts?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi there! Will try to get more photos or videos and post. They seem to be acting fine, but the feathers are looking worse. I call them sticks... because the fluffy part of the feather is slowly deteriorating on the wing feathers and tail feathers. Necks, chests, and stomachs are still bare.

The vet didn’t repeat in 10-14 days, but I know that’s recommended. I’m thinking about saving some $ and doing it myself orally? Thoughts?

You can use Ivermectin Pour On - dosage is 0.045 ml per pound. Apply to the base of the neck, the liquid needs to make contact with the skin along the spine. Repeat treatment in 10-14days.

Hopefully that will take of the depluming mites. The condition of the feathers will likely deteriorate further as the year goes by. The feather shafts are intact, so they will not regrow those until they go through a molt.

I don't remember if you said what you fed, I would limit treats, get them on a nutritionally balanced poultry feed that is 18-20% protein and offer them some poultry vitamins once a week as well.