Depluming Mites? Or Something else?

[lolomugg]

I have a flock of 8 hens. This one is looking a little funny. The feathers on her back look almost like someone cut the tips. Zoom in to see. Also, she’s got a bald spot on each “shoulder blade.” We don’t have a rooster. She recently became broody. When I went to take her out of the nesting box yesterday (I’m trying to break her from her broodiness), she had thick drool coming out of her mouth. It was like the consistency of mucous, but it was clear. Molting maybe? Someone mentioned maybe depluming feathers. Thoughts? And if so, how can I treat her with a product where there is no egg withdraw? And do I need to treat the whole flock? Everyone else looks healthy. My girls just turned 1 in April.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Looks like feather picking.

Depluming mites would leave birds with bald patches with no feather shafts.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a flock of 8 hens. This one is looking a little funny. The feathers on her back look almost like someone cut the tips. Zoom in to see. Also, she’s got a bald spot on each “shoulder blade.” We don’t have a rooster. She recently became broody. When I went to take her out of the nesting box yesterday (I’m trying to break her from her broodiness), she had thick drool coming out of her mouth. It was like the consistency of mucous, but it was clear. Molting maybe? Someone mentioned maybe depluming feathers. Thoughts? And if so, how can I treat her with a product where there is no egg withdraw? And do I need to treat the whole flock? Everyone else looks healthy. My girls just turned 1 in April.

Welcome To BYC

The feathers are broken.
If you wish, dust her with a Permethrin based poultry dust.

Clean out nesting boxes, spray roosts, boxes and housing with a Permethrin based poultry spray.

Broken feathers will not be replaced until she molts.

Are you sure she's broody or is she sick?
Drooling with mucous, check her crop first thing in the morning before she's had anything to eat/drink. If it's not emptied, then address that symptom according to one of the
2 articles linked below.

Do look inside her beak for any signs of canker or lesions.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ntion-and-treatments-of-crop-disorders.67194/

How to break a broody
https://the-chicken-chick.com/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/