Feather Picking on self in chickens?

[Lobzi]

I just learned that domestic house birds sometimes experience this phenomenon. Does any one know if chickens exhibit it too? I have roo who is picking himself bald. I thought he was just molting as he just turn one year old May 1st, but he seems not to be letting the new feathers grown in either. He is all balk on the front of the legs, wing tops and below wings. Also his tail feathers are completely gone. I have checked closely for parasite and see no evidence that this is the reason for the feather lost and not growing back. Any ideas?
Thanks to all who can/will help me with this. He is my pet and stays inside with me most of the time. He only stays in the pen with the other chickens when I go to work.

 

[sammi]

what all do you feed?
might need some extra protein and other nutrients..egg/mealy worms/plain yogurt/canned cat food
poultry vitamins

do a good check of skin for signs of irritation or crust around the feather shafts, etc..

 

[Lobzi]

I started feeding him cat food (salmon) and hard boiled egg. He doesnt want to eat it unless he is penned up with no other good option. I have been giving him meal worms since 2 months old when I discovered them. We also do a lot of bug hunting together so he gets a lot of pincer bugs, potato bugs, grubs etc. I just wondered if anyone on here ever heard of such a problem in chickens. My neighbor tells me it is very hard to break that habit in domesticated birds kept in cages in homes.

 

[sammi]

try giving him some plain yogurt.

have you checked the feather shafts for crusts or redness?

is there another roo?

 

[Lobzi]

He is a bully and chases and dominates the other roos. I have to keep him separate or he would probably kill them. The feather shafts are clean. Really, except for the newly growing in feather that he pulled out (it had blood on the tip) the other feathers have either broken off or are clean at the shaft as if molting. Im just concerned because it has been a while since he started and I see evidence in some areas where new feathering is started but it is not progressing and some of the bald area have no evidence of new growth (front of legs for instance). Thanks for talking to me about this. Im really at a loss to help him.

 

[sfclay68]

It might be that he is lacking minerals. ?A salt lick with minerals? Vitamins in the water? Oyster shells or other grit? Just a few thoughts.

 

[Lobzi]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have since researched and talked with other bird-knowledgeable people. Evidently this is a very hard habit to break in some birds. I think I may just have to live with a half-bald rooster. He is my pet and I love him and think he is the most beautiful guy in any case. Im worried this winter when it turns cooler, but for now, Im feeding him the best that I can. Im bathing him and using Alo Vera lotion on his bald areas where he continues to scratch sometimes to rawness. I have looked and looked for any sign of parasite and found nothing. He takes frequent dust bathes. So thats it. I may just have to accept it as an aspect of his personality. A neurotic roo!

 

[purpletree23]

If he is plucking the feathers and then eating them he is lacking protein. Feed him DRY cat food, scrambled egg or cottage cheese. If he is scratching himself raw than it is a skin problem. Check him over very carefully. Especially at the base of the feathers. Lice are sometimes hard to see. Check the vent area also. If you haven't already, dust him with Sevin dust on the non irritated areas. I would imagine it would hurt like heck if you put it on raw areas. You could try to give him a warm water bath with baby shampoo. Rinse him really well and dry with a hairdryer on low unless it is very warm outside and he can 'air dry'.

 

[Lobzi]

He is not eating them, just not letting the new ones grow back in. This started as a normal molt Im suspecting and now he has plucked out two nice new feathers. They were good and healthy as they had a blood ball at the growing end. I really dont see a single thing on him and I dont want to use chemicals unnecessarily.