Chicken acting odd & strange feather loss

[Jam0318]

Hello BYC people! New chicken owner here (since March) and I have 2 different questions regarding my chickens I was hoping ya'll could help me out with.

Question #1: Last evening I let my chickens out to free range, one of my RIR's (5 Months old) was the last to leave the run and couldn't find her own way out of the gate. When everyone returned for the evening she was left out by herself and couldn't seem to find her own way back into the run. This morning I gave them all some leftover burger and everyone was chowing down enthusiastically, except for her, just hanging out at the edge of the run by herself. Any ideas?

Question #2: I have a flock of 13 chickens, all 5 months old (5-RIR, 2-Brown leghorns, 2-barred rock, 4-golden comet) all hens, no roosters. The 2 leghorns both have missing feathers on their backs right above their tails. They both seem to be high up in the pecking order, eat/drink just fine, laying regularly, no visible signs of lice or mites. It is specific to these 2 birds, everyone else is fully feathered and healthy looking. Also, should I apply wound-kote to help heal?

Thank you for any help you can offer...

 

[azygous]

Your pullet acting oddly may be sick or injured. You need to take her aside and examine her thoroughly. Check her over for parasites, paying attention to the skin around the vent. Feel her crop. Is it normal like the other chickens? Or is it empty when it should be full? Is it full when it should be empty, such as first thing in the morning? Is it empty except for a small solid object?

Crop problems can include sour crop and impacted crop or both at once. It can make a chicken very sick. There may be a putrid, sour odor around her head.

What does her poop look like? You might want to separate her so you can observe her poop. It can help you diagnose her problem.

Examine for injuries to the feet and legs. Don't rule out skin wounds under the feathers. She may have an infection you haven't noticed. Her skin will be bright red and hot and maybe swollen at the site. Are her scales smooth or lifting up? Scaly leg mite may be at work if they are lifting up.

As for the feather loss on the backs, that's a typical target of feather picking. You need to spend time observing individual behavior and find the one who's doing it. Pinless peepers can help in this regard to limit the vision of the perpetrator.

 

[andreanar]

After checking her over for problems...watch your chickens, are the others picking on her? Bullying her? Sometimes the lowest in pecking order will hang back, not eating with the others because it gets chased away or bullied.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC @Jam0318!

I'm betting that one 'lost' girl is low bird in the pecking order and is avoiding the others because of it.

What and how exactly are you feeding?
Feather picking is often due to low protein, that's the first thing to check.

Crowding can also be a factor.
How big is your coop and run in feet by feet?
Pics would be a bonus.

I've found blukote to be almost as much of a pecking attractant as blood,
and the bird it is applies to can also try to preen it off making a wound worse herself.
I just use plain ole triple antibiotic ointment(without any pain relief ingredient) for wound antiseptic.


Would be good to check for external parasites too.
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?
Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

If you do find some...check out this thread:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1134783/permethrin-spray