Dry skin

[536320]

Hi. Can silkies get dry skin? My black silkie had some white dandruff on her neck and butt feathers. It's not there everyday. It comes and goes. She is broody at the moment and plucked some chest feathers out like before. So was just wondering. Advise for the newbie will be appreciated.

 

[ashlierami]

Hi. Can silkies get dry skin? My black silkie had some white dandruff on her neck and butt feathers. It's not there everyday. It comes and goes. She is broody at the moment and plucked some chest feathers out like before. So was just wondering. Advise for the newbie will be appreciated.

My silkie had this issues. Particularly after she was broody and with chick. She to plucked her feathers and when they were coming in she had dry skin flakes everywhere. She was a partridge I never had this issue with my white. I would put aloe vera gel on her back. The sun seemed to make her skin drier so this helped. It would still flake after the first time but was less and less in a week and her feathers came thru better.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

All chickens produce a lot of dust from their feathers which is essentially dried up specks of skin. They fall off the base of the new feathers as they grow in.

New feathers are constantly growing individually to replace those that fall out here and there, but during a moult when a lot of feathers are falling out and regrowing at the same time, the amount is dust produced is significantly more. All hens have a minor moult after each brood.

The only thing to help remove the dry skin is dust bathing. Otherwise it's best to just leave it alone.

Skin flakes and specks from feather growth will be white and easily fall off, whereas 'dust' that clings in clumps at the base of the feathers and looks more greyish could be mites.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi. Can silkies get dry skin? My black silkie had some white dandruff on her neck and butt feathers. It's not there everyday. It comes and goes. She is broody at the moment and plucked some chest feathers out like before. So was just wondering. Advise for the newbie will be appreciated.

Can you post some photos?
Likely what you are seeing is keratin sheaths from new feather growth.
If the dandruff looks like a qtip end close to the skin, it may be lice eggs - you may want to check her closely to see if you find any crawling bugs on her.

 

[536320]

It's definitely dandruff as I looked very closely at it and moved her feathers to look at the skin. Don't see any lice or mites, as she is also not itchy. Both my silkies dust bath every day. I just can't see it clearly on my white hen. They are a year old and it is middle spring time here.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It's definitely dandruff as I looked very closely at it and moved her feathers to look at the skin. Don't see any lice or mites, as she is also not itchy. Both my silkies dust bath every day. I just can't see it clearly on my white hen. They are a year old and it is middle spring time here.

What do you feed?
I might would try a good poultry vitamin to see if that makes any difference.

 

[536320]

What do you feed?
I might would try a good poultry vitamin to see if that makes any difference.

I feed them mix fowl food and they get vitamin in their water every 2 weeks. They look happy and healthy otherwise.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I feed them mix fowl food and they get vitamin in their water every 2 weeks. They look happy and healthy otherwise.