Big Bare spots

[Rachael<3Chickies]

(is this the right forum?)

I can’t tell the difference between mites and breeding and picking but this is starting to freak me out. What is this??

Chickens were totally healthy but then I moved houses and now they have mites and I don’t even know what this is. A little overwhelmed.

 

[Kiki]

Is that a cut or tear in her side?
(Probably from a rooster)

 

[Rachael<3Chickies]

Is that a cut or tear in her side?
(Probably from a rooster)

Yes I think that cut is from our rooster. I think that it is an accident as we introduced three new hens and he got up hyped and what not. That’s upsetting enough but those bare spots keep getting bigger and have been around much longer. I think even before the rooster.

 

[Rachael<3Chickies]

I have given the dust bathing areas and a covered run and try to let them out daily. Covered their coop with DE. They still have bad mites and I don’t know what more to do. At our old house (less rural) the mites were always under control and maybe this isn’t mites anyways, someone with experience with feather picking or other odd behaviors would have to let me know cause I don’t really.

 

[oregonkat]

I just bathed 5 of my hens this week with Adams flea and tick shampoo because they had mites too. You may find that the bald spots are from the roosters feet also. They are very rough on the bottom and the favorite hens usually show the most wear. That slice on your hen is definitely from the rooster. When my roo did that to one of my hens, I cleaned the wound, although it is almost impossible to get all the dirt out from the inside, and then sprayed the wound with BlueKote and it was healed up within a couple of days. Hens are remarkable at healing quickly. If you can, keep the roo away from her till she is all healed up.

 

[PirateGirl]

Ok, slow down. Tonight, after dark, go out to your coop with a flashlight. Take a look at the roost. Stay a minute or two. Watch carefully. If you have mites, you will likely see them moving on the roost, tiny specks, moving. Another member has advised to take a piece of white paper or similar, and rub it along the roost (also at night preferably) and if you get red/blood smears on the paper, you probably have mites. Take pictures if you can. Update us with your findings. No sense in treating for mites if that's not even what you are fighting. Unfortunately DE is not going to kill mites if you have an infestation, but there are other products that can. My coop had lots of mites, but I never actually saw them on the chickens. Other places to look would be corners, where the roost attaches to the wall, and nest boxes.

 

[Kiki]

I have given the dust bathing areas and a covered run and try to let them out daily. Covered their coop with DE. They still have bad mites and I don’t know what more to do. At our old house (less rural) the mites were always under control and maybe this isn’t mites anyways, someone with experience with feather picking or other odd behaviors would have to let me know cause I don’t really.

DE won't do a thing for mites.
Get some Permethrin spray and spray all birds and the entire coop asap and again in a week and again in one more week, (3 times )

Permethrin Concentrate, Martin's on Left - Durvet on right

• Kiki
• Jul 28, 2018
• 2

Screen Shot 2018-07-20 At 8.58.04 AM

• Kiki
• Aug 3, 2018

Martin's PERMETHRIN spray

• Kiki
• Mar 22, 2018
• 6
• flies lice mites permethrin

If you buy a concentrate like the first two phonos above you will have to mix it with water at the proper dilution which is on the label but can be a bit confusing.
It you buy one let me know which exact one and I will help you with the dosing amount.

The last product comes premixed and ready to use.

 

[Rachael<3Chickies]

Okay. So no diseases I’m missing. That’s good. They do seem alright- good crop, normal poop.

I know they have mites because I can see them on them. The rooster tail has this disgusting egg thing on his big tail feather. Ugh. Noticed it today. So that’s for sure a problem. I can get the chemical spray. After that wound heals, which I will cleanse and coat. (And I will have to build raised dust areas because they find my new yard too moist to dig in.)

Is that placement most consistent with rooster feet, picking on my flock, or mites? I feel like they are all possibilities but if it’s consistent with overbreeding that would be my uneducated guess. (3-1 ratio. Large rooster. Been raising 6 more since April but no quite ready to breed.)

 

[Rachael<3Chickies]

Ohhh. Mites like under wings and some hens will pluck feathers out in response. I see. I will chemical spray them as soon as that heals.

 

[jolly wattles]

Can you take pics of the bugs on them? When are you seeing them? Mites typically hang out in the coop during the day then feast on the chickens when they are roosting during the night.