feather loss

[beeman1]

My young chickens are losing their feathers, mainly near their wings and along their sternum -abdominal region. I'm new with keeping chickens, but it might be mites. I looked, but did not see any. Maybe mites are too small to see with the naked eye. These chicks are 4-6 weeks old, maybe older. Also, any way to get rid of coyotes....traps or poisons?
Thanks,
James

 

[chilling in muscadine]

I would say your birds are molting but I don't know if they would molt so young so are your chicks getting pecked by other chickens and losing feathers?

Coyotes-12 gauge shotgun. I would be afraid to use poison, wouldn't want anything to get harmed.

 

[beeman1]

My chicks are about the same age. I do not see them pecking each other, but they do like to jump at each other...like their cock fighting each other. It could be a period of molting. I don't know if you can mites on chickens like I can with my bees.

 

[CityChook]

Check their vent area after dark. Mites come out at night.