Broken feathers. What is going on?

[Anna-MN]

The hen in the photo went through a hard molt about a week after i took the picture. All the girls are doing great now

 

[ChinoChix]

Mine still look a MESS. I have been using DE and Poultry Dust. I ordered some Poultry Protector but it's not here yet. I did see lice back in May but they are just not growing back and my Polish looks the worse. I think it's my big bully Wyandotte pecking but I'm not with them all day, so I don't know. She looks tattered too. The only one that doesn't have one feather out of place is my Buff Orp. They are all laying almost daily.
I have 4 new pullets and am hesitant to introduce them until I figure out whats going on

 

[Anna-MN]

They probably wont get nice feathers again until they molt.

 

[canyoncito]

Try the oil based spray in stead of the powder. It is 10 times stronger, and if you have roost mites, dusting the birds is pointless since the mites get on the birds at night and back into the woodwork during the day. With a bully bird, the hen is pecked until the feathers are completely gone, not just broken off all over the body. With mites (my assumption) they eat the feathers and make them look broken. I'm not 100% sure; I am waiting until the fall to see if they get new feathers.

 

[new chick mom]

this is happening to two of my birds right now. they were fine yesterday but this morning feathers were snapped off. they sleep off of the ground as well and don't know if the feathers will come back. Anyone???? also what are you spraying the chickens and treating the dirt with???

 

[canyoncito]

I'm not sure if what we are dealing with is the same as your dilemma. My birds' feathers look broken off but it didn't happen over night. Perhaps your chicks are picking on each other? Previous posts talk about using permethren oil based spray on the birds and the roosts in case it is mites or lice. We don't treat the dirt. The feathers will grow back once they molt.

 

[Peg1]

I went out to the coop this morning and I noticed that my three Welsummers were missing feathers right before their tail. I picked up each one and looked closely at the feathers and they are snapped clean off half way up the shaft. It looks like someone cut them with scissors. I have two Blue Andalusians that are the same age that aren't having this problem (thought maybe they were molting?). All my other birds aren't having this problem either. My Welies are 11 months old. I don't have a rooster and have never had a problem with an aggressive hen picking fights either. I don't see any mites or other critters. What the heck is going on?!

 

[Peg1]

I went out to the coop this morning and I noticed that my three Welsummers were missing feathers right before their tail. I picked up each one and looked closely at the feathers and they are snapped clean off half way up the shaft. It looks like someone cut them with scissors. I have two Blue Andalusians that are the same age that aren't having this problem (thought maybe they were molting?). All my other birds aren't having this problem either. My Welies are 11 months old. I don't have a rooster and have never had a problem with an aggressive hen picking fights either. I don't see any mites or other critters. What the heck is going on?!

I came here hoping to find some answers for why 4 of my 6 girls have these broken feathers on their rumps like the picture. All three Wyandottes have these fuzzy looks with snapped off feathers and my little Polish looks a wreck missing feathers on the back of her neck and under her chin.
I feed them an organic, soy-free mash with 16% protein and they get lots of fresh veggies, broccoli, cabbage, collards, mealworms and they live in a large tack shed and a large enclosed outdoor run.
I have checked for bugs and don't see anything.
The feathers actually look like a *V* on the end, like they are snapped off? And underneath is this fluffy grey *fur*. I'm out there often with them and don't see them over-picking at each other? They are just one year old. They sleep 5 feet off the ground with a reptile bulb....do you think the heat is doing it? I don't think it's mice as I've read elsewhere.
I'm at wits end! They look a MESS! I'm still getting 4-6 eggs a DAY so I don't think it's molting???

 

[Peg1]

I came here hoping to find some answers for why 4 of my 6 girls have these broken feathers on their rumps like the picture. All three Wyandottes have these fuzzy looks with snapped off feathers and my little Polish looks a wreck missing feathers on the back of her neck and under her chin.
I feed them an organic, soy-free mash with 16% protein and they get lots of fresh veggies, broccoli, cabbage, collards, mealworms and they live in a large tack shed and a large enclosed outdoor run.
I have checked for bugs and don't see anything.
The feathers actually look like a *V* on the end, like they are snapped off? And underneath is this fluffy grey *fur*. I'm out there often with them and don't see them over-picking at each other? They are just one year old. They sleep 5 feet off the ground with a reptile bulb....do you think the heat is doing it? I don't think it's mice as I've read elsewhere.
I'm at wits end! They look a MESS! I'm still getting 4-6 eggs a DAY so I don't think it's molting???

Hi one of my chickens was having the same issue. I believe it is straw mites or itch mite. Only see these under my microscope. They can get into the feather shaft and then it breaks off. Treat with lice bath or neem oil in any shampoo. Keep out of eyes. Leave on for 5-10 minutes and keep applying to keep it wet. Then rinse and blow dry & repeat in 1 day, 3-4 days and then at 7. (These things multiply rapidly.)
She is doing better now. Weird only one bird attacked.

 

[Peg1]

I came here hoping to find some answers for why 4 of my 6 girls have these broken feathers on their rumps like the picture. All three Wyandottes have these fuzzy looks with snapped off feathers and my little Polish looks a wreck missing feathers on the back of her neck and under her chin.
I feed them an organic, soy-free mash with 16% protein and they get lots of fresh veggies, broccoli, cabbage, collards, mealworms and they live in a large tack shed and a large enclosed outdoor run.
I have checked for bugs and don't see anything.
The feathers actually look like a *V* on the end, like they are snapped off? And underneath is this fluffy grey *fur*. I'm out there often with them and don't see them over-picking at each other? They are just one year old. They sleep 5 feet off the ground with a reptile bulb....do you think the heat is doing it? I don't think it's mice as I've read elsewhere.
I'm at wits end! They look a MESS! I'm still getting 4-6 eggs a DAY so I don't think it's molting???

Straw mites or itch mite get into shaft and it breaks.
treat with lice shampoo or shampoo with Neem oil. Leave on for 5-10 keeping it lathered adding extra shampoo and water. Do this 3 times in one week.
these things are microscopic. Can’t see with magnifying glass. Use a microscope on a broken feather. They can get reinfected with straw. DE all straw or bake for 1 hour at low temp. Above 165