Crust on feathers

[Bushastead]

Hello,

My Silkie (Olive) has some crust on her feathers around her mouth. I have checked her other ones and I cant find it anywhere else on her. Is it just fried on food?
I have posted a picture. You have to zoom in on it to see it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hello,

My Silkie (Olive) has some crust on her feathers around her mouth. I have checked her other ones and I cant find it anywhere else on her. Is it just fried on food?
I have posted a picture. You have to zoom in on it to see it.

Looks almost like lice nits to me. Can you check her head, under her wings and around her vent to see if there's any crawling bugs on her?

If you find any, then treat her, the flock and their housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust. Repeat in 7 day intervals.
If those are nits (lice eggs) rub some coconut oil onto those so they will loosen up and you can remove them.

 

[Bushastead]

Looks almost like lice nits to me. Can you check her head, under her wings and around her vent to see if there's any crawling bugs on her?

If you find any, then treat her, the flock and their housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust. Repeat in 7 day intervals.
If those are nits (lice eggs) rub some coconut oil onto those so they will loosen up and you can remove them.

We looked yesterday and didnt see any bugs crawling on her. So thats the confusing part. She has had them for a few months now around her mouth.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We looked yesterday and didnt see any bugs crawling on her. So thats the confusing part. She has had them for a few months now around her mouth.

Can you have someone hold her and you take a closer photo of the crusty stuff? Spread the feathers out under there too.
Could be caked on dirt. Her comb and face looks a bit dry, if she were mine I would rub just a little vaseline into her comb and facial area around the eyes.

 

[Bushastead]

Can you have someone hold her and you take a closer photo of the crusty stuff? Spread the feathers out under there too.
Could be caked on dirt. Her comb and face looks a bit dry, if she were mine I would rub just a little vaseline into her comb and facial area around the eyes.

So three of my girls have this after checking them again. With the naked eye it looks like photos I have seen of clusters of lice nits, but we looked at the photo below under a microscope and it just looks like tangled white hairs. We searched them under the wings and vents and all are clean. So basically i am confused lol.

 

[Bushastead]

So three of my girls have this after checking them again. With the naked eye it looks like photos I have seen of clusters of lice nits, but we looked at the photo below under a microscope and it just looks like tangled white hairs. We searched them under the wings and vents and all are clean. So basically i am confused lol.

This is after we tried to use oil to loosen them and work them out. But there is no way to get them out of the feathers.
Also, its only on the silkies, so maybe its dirt build up? But its odd to me that its all white, not dirt color.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would treat for lice. If all the Silkies have them, then I would get a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust and treat the birds and their housing.

 

[drmolarmagic]

I'm having this same problem!! My Silkie Obi One HenObi is having a bout with Mites. Her head feathers are gone and the skin is crusty and after many days I'm finally seeing the mites. So I sprayed her head with the essential oil product and sprinkled the nesting area and floor with fine DM. I started to look when the feathers were gone and she started to become very lethargic. This is the second time this has come up. Last time this strategy worked and that was about 4 months ago.

 

[Bushastead]

I'm having this same problem!! My Silkie Obi One HenObi is having a bout with Mites. Her head feathers are gone and the skin is crusty and after many days I'm finally seeing the mites. So I sprayed her head with the essential oil product and sprinkled the nesting area and floor with fine DM. I started to look when the feathers were gone and she started to become very lethargic. This is the second time this has come up. Last time this strategy worked and that was about 4 months ago.

Can you post pics of them? I would like to see if what I am seeing on mine you are seeing on yours

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm having this same problem!! My Silkie Obi One HenObi is having a bout with Mites. Her head feathers are gone and the skin is crusty and after many days I'm finally seeing the mites. So I sprayed her head with the essential oil product and sprinkled the nesting area and floor with fine DM. I started to look when the feathers were gone and she started to become very lethargic. This is the second time this has come up. Last time this strategy worked and that was about 4 months ago.

If mites continue to be a problem, then you may need to step up treatment to include a Permethrin based poultry dust or spray. I appreciate wanting to use remedies like essential oils/DE, but sometimes they are simply ineffective once there's an infestation.