feather loss and little red crawling bugs

[really4me]

My Americana quit laying and then after I few weeks I noticed she has lost a lot of neck feathers. On further inspection, I found lots of areas of feathers missing. I thought of molting but then decided to give her a once over. Looking at her more closely, I saw only one little red bug( a mite ?) but that was it. I've used diatom pwd on her and my other girls once a week now for several weeks. i put it up on their roust, I changed the straw and cleaned their nesting boxes letting them dry all day in the sunshine. I don't see the little buggers anymore but she still isn't laying but maybe every 4 or 5 days. I've added the diatomaceous powder that consumable to the feed, put it in their dust bathing areas. Is there anything else that I should be doing? I'm a newby and try to have happy chickens. Colleen

 

[youngchooklover]

My Americana quit laying and then after I few weeks I noticed she has lost a lot of neck feathers. On further inspection, I found lots of areas of feathers missing. I thought of molting but then decided to give her a once over. Looking at her more closely, I saw only one little red bug( a mite ?) but that was it. I've used diatom pwd on her and my other girls once a week now for several weeks. i put it up on their roust, I changed the straw and cleaned their nesting boxes letting them dry all day in the sunshine. I don't see the little buggers anymore but she still isn't laying but maybe every 4 or 5 days. I've added the diatomaceous powder that consumable to the feed, put it in their dust bathing areas. Is there anything else that I should be doing? I'm a newby and try to have happy chickens. Colleen

It is molting season so she should stop laying.