EEs missing feathers in beard only

[Yay Chicks!]

Not an emergency, but an odd development.

1) What type of bird , age and weight. Two Easter Eggers, one year old next month. Weight unknown.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. Normal behavior. Small patch of feathers missing in beard just under the beak.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? In the last week? (Just noticed it today)
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? No
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Nothing. I picked the one up that will let me and examined her thoroughly. I found no sign of bugs or eggs or any sign of injury.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. Layer feed, BOSS, mealworms, greens etc. Nothing new. Eating and drinking normally.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. Poop is normal.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Nothing.
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Will treat myself.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. It's such a small area I would be hard pressed to hold the bird and actually get a picture with the other, but if no one has a clue, I'll give it a try.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use - pine shavings as usual in the coop. Dirt and leaves in the run.

Thank you.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Anyone have a clue?

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Could it be simple case of feather picking? My EE's all look rather odd this year. Not a bit of muff left and naked upper necks (and bums).

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Quote:
Thanks. I suppose it could be, but it's right under their lower beaks so they couldn't be picking their own. And funny that it would just be these two. If it is, it must be happening early morning before I let them out

 

[taprock]

I have a roo that is missing his beard right now because a hen was picking the feathers out of him. The weird thing is he just sat there and let her do it. I upped their protein and there hasn't been as much picking going on now.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

My girls sit on the roost side by side and gently pick each and every feather from under their beaks and off their cheeks. They look like regular chickens now!! Even the roos have naked chins. They have never drawn any blood, they just pick off the feathers. (Their butts seem to get picked at the feeder.)

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Quote:
Thanks, all. Good info. What did you use to up their protein? I toss them some mealworms and BOSS every day, but not much...there are only four of them.

 

[Medicine Man]

I recommend adding fish meal to whatever you're feeding (add 5% by weight) and shredded beet pulp (.25% by weight). Also consider using forage cakes and/or ultrakibble from foragecakes.com

EEs are very prone to this.

 

[coloradowildflower]

We have 3 Easter Eggers. One has no beard, one has a grey beard, and one has a white beard. The white-bearded girl (Freckles) has had her beard plucked since she was young. We think it started because when our little flock would eat treats some would get stuck in Freckles' beard. Maybe they couldn't tell what were feathers and what were treats? Anyway, she grew her beard back after she molted, but they plucked it again. Never any blood or even irritation. They've never plucked our grey girl's beard, just the white beard. Freckles is at the top of the pecking order, and she never gets picked on, just this strange "grooming." Hope that helps.

 

[taprock]

Yay Chicks! :

Thanks, all. Good info. What did you use to up their protein? I toss them some mealworms and BOSS every day, but not much...there are only four of them.

I feed them BOSS also, plus after MONTHS of winter I went to feeding them Boiler mash that is 20% protein. I know they say it will make them fat but with temps that have only been above freezing about 10 days since November I don't think that's an issue! About a week after I started feeding the boiler the feather eating went down, they are still doing some plucking out of boredom. Once we have temps above freezing - consistently I will go back to layer mash.​