Breda foot feather problems

[JPHens]

Hi
My breda has feathers that seem to have fallen out and some that look like new ones coming in, pin feathers. . Her legs are half bare and look awful.. the feathers now start higher than they used to. She picks at her legs and drew a little blood earlier today. She is also walking timidly and spending time sitting alone.

We thought she also had mites this spring and summer. I tried the mite treatments suggested and finally resorted to gasoline, but it still looks like she has mites. Now the bare and bloody look too. I will get a photo when i can (she is super skiddish). I did catch her and soaked her legs in warm water with oil and then did a gentle brush. Thinking to continue that (I have read to do that and been advised in the past) but looking for suggestions.

JP Hens

 

[Noobchick]

Holy crap. Gasoline?? Please don't do that again. It's toxic to the birds as well as for you.

Have you seen actual mites? If they're not on her, check for them at night. Get a flashlight and inspect the perches and nesting boxes at night.

If you see tiny things that look like grains of rice on her, those are lice. Treatment is easy: pour a little Diatomaceous Earth in their favorite dust bathing areas and the chickens will take care of the problem themselves.

Are they leg mites? Treatment is different for that. Are her leg scales raised?

 

[JPHens]

Yes the scales are quite raised. That has been going on for a while but this bare legged/feathers out issue is new (though she also had some of this in the fall)