Buffs Having issues - could be mites but not sure

[monicalynn]

I am not sure what is wrong - i am wondering if it could be mites. I have 7 adult Buffs living in a large coop. I have 8 other Orps living in another coop, and then some baby orps in a third. The large Buffs have been looking a bit off. It started with one that seemed to be losing her feathers from her back. We thought it was due to the rooster. Rooster is now gone and the appearance/ behavior has worsened. This has been over a period of a few months. Now all the Buffs seem to be changing. At first it looks like they are picking on one another because the feathers on their back appear to be broken and snapped off. Now some have them pulled right out, and the skin that is showing is red. Egg laying has backed way down as well. I am very concerned. Could they be stressed? Unhappy? Or mites? I purchased some of that diatomaceous earth, and I was going to attack the large coop and deep clean, and use that under bedding. Any advice or experience would be very helpful. I love my chickens and it kills me that they might be going thru something. Oh, another thing I noticed tonight when I went to tuck them in - I picked a few up and looked at their vents, and 3 of the four have very soiled areas around vents. Should I give them a bath? I didn't get any medicine for them because i don't know for certain what could be wrong.
Monica

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are they? This time of year birds are looking pretty ratty and some are starting to molt.

You should catch a few to check for external parasites. Check around the head and under the wings for moving dark brown dots which would be mites, and check around the vent for white lice egg clusters.

I'm not a fan of DE. I will dust any birds with a pyrethrin based poultry dust if I see excessive parasites. Otherwise most birds keep them under control taking dust baths, so make sure your birds have a dry spot to do that in. I will also dust roost cracks and nestboxes if necessary.

 

[ChickNanny13]

2x TSC has Poultry Dust containing Permethrin. It could be stress from the Roo being gone or like said, molt.

 

[monicalynn]

A few of these hens are around 2 years old, some about a year. When they molt does it have feathers literally broken off? I was thinking of getting some of that feather fixer just in case. I read another post that talked about chickens lacking protein. Any suggestions on a supplement? And i will work on the specified dust bath right away. I have seen some posts with recipes for good dust baths, and I will look into that tonight. I did go out and check 2 vents. The 2 I looked at were soiled. As if they had the runs. Does anyone give their chickens baths, and is it okay to do so. I had to do it once because I had a hen with an egg that burst inside her vent, and I needed to relax her enough t get it out.
Thank you

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Feathers get old. They aren't technically alive as the blood supply recesses after the feathers grow in, so they basically get old and can be more brittle. Breaking off can be normal wear and tear.

I haven't used feather fixer. I just feed a higher protein ration year round, I feed an All Flock or non medicated grower depending on whether I have chicks in the flock. Layer can leave them deficient, and they should be switched off it anyways during the molt or if they aren't laying. It's just easier to feed an All Flock with a separate bowl of oyster shells for the calcium needs.

You can give your chickens a bath if necessary, though feathers work best if the bird keeps them oiled during preening. Baths can strip off that oil, but if they need a cleaning you can certainly do that.

For dust baths I just let them go at it in a dry patch of dirt. You can start a hole for them and add stuff like peat moss to it, but I don't actually make mine baths, they do it themselves.

After the fall molt your birds should look fresh and clean again, and be ready for winter.

 

[Eggcessive]

It can help to pull any dried droppings off the vent area, and trim any excess feathers there to clean them up, but just doing a butt bath with some soapy water can really help. During hot weather, flies can lay maggot eggs in poop on vents. So it would be good to keep them clean.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Try adding some Apple Cider Vinegar (with Mother) to their water for a week, see if that helps the messy butt situation....1T to a gallon of water, changing daily. Maybe some plain yogurt for a treat.