Feather picker or molting?

[Thousand Oaks Family]

I recently purchased 3 chickens over a month ago. One I was told was in molt. The worst part of her being around her vent. She had another spot on her front and another on the back of her kneck. The front areas are starting to fill in but the vent area is terrible and doesn't look like any feathers coming in. Now I am starting to notice one of the other hens looking a little out of sorts and just today I saw a bare spot below her vent. Is this feather picking? What can I do about it?

 

[chicmom]

Oh, I hate to say this but you really need to check them for mites or lice. The new chickens you purchased may have came to you infested, or it can even come from wild birds. You have to look very deep into the feathers, next to the skin to really see them....they do like the vent area, and under the wings too......

If you find parasites, you will need to dust each bird with Sevin Dust, and also clean out your coop and run entirely, and sprinkle everything with more Sevin dust...and repeat after a week.

Good luck to you!

 

[Thousand Oaks Family]

What do they look like?

 

[Thousand Oaks Family]

I use DE in the coop and in their food. Still lice/mites? Also, how quickly would the feathers come out? Do then hen pick them out trying to get the mites?