Finally created an acct.

[chick1mom]

I've searched and read so many post in the past 6months finally decided to create an acct. I have several different breads.. My main concern is our sex links one we had to put down the other day I did everything I could to save her.. She was just in so much pain. Anyways my sex link hens not rooster "only" have many feathers gone this has been for months now.. I've bathed, sprayed them, given them cat food.. Feather pellets still very little if any success.. What are your thoughts or advice.. Thank you in advance.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join us here! I'm sorry to hear you had a hen put down Could this be feather pecking that you are describing? Could the other breeds be pecking and picking the feathers out?
Here are some threads for you to check out ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=Feather+pecking+#
I would suggest that if this continues you remove the sex links and keep them seperate to give them a chance of healing.

Wishing you the very best of luck and enjoy BYC

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

Along with feather plucking and the possible need for protein, depluming mites will cause huge feather loss. They will strip the feather down to the stalk, chew the feathers off at skin level and you may see thin barring across the feather where the mites have eaten on the newly growing feathers. These mites live up inside the feather and require something like Ivermecin Pour on for Cattle to get rid of. Powders and sprays won't touch these nasty buggies. I had a couple of hens with these mites and after treatment looked scraggly until their fall molt.

Do you have any pictures of these areas on their bodies that are losing feathers? Molting is also a possibility.

 

[limited25]

You have already been given good advise so I will just say

. I was a lurker for a while too before joining.

 

[zweibucherwurm]

I just joined also and can't seem to find how to post new, so please forgive me for piggybacking on your post. I have 6 hens, about 22 weeks old (4 have started laying). Today I went out and found one hen Huddled in the corner of the run with the other 5 pecking her. I shooed the others away and she ran into the coop. Her tail is down and sagging and she doesn't want to come out. I've had them for 3 months and they were from the same farm, hatched at the same time, 4 golden comets, 2 americauna. It's the americauna that was being pecked....
Thanks!

 

[TwoCrows]

I just joined also and can't seem to find how to post new, so please forgive me for piggybacking on your post. I have 6 hens, about 22 weeks old (4 have started laying). Today I went out and found one hen Huddled in the corner of the run with the other 5 pecking her. I shooed the others away and she ran into the coop. Her tail is down and sagging and she doesn't want to come out. I've had them for 3 months and they were from the same farm, hatched at the same time, 4 golden comets, 2 americauna. It's the americauna that was being pecked....
Thanks!

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

I am sorry about your bird. It is very possible she is sick. The flock knows when another member is not well, which in the wild, would attract predators.

You might want to start a thread in our Emergency section for some help. Usually a hanging, sagging tail means illness.

Here is the direct link to starting a new thread in the Emergency section. Click here... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/threads/add/forumId/10

Good luck with your flock and welcome to ours!

 

[drumstick diva]

Please keep them away from the hen. Chickens can quickly turn cannibalistic.

 

[chick1mom]

Hi

Glad you could join us here! I'm sorry to hear you had a hen put down Could this be feather pecking that you are describing? Could the other breeds be pecking and picking the feathers out?
Here are some threads for you to check out ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/newsearch?search=Feather+pecking+#
I would suggest that if this continues you remove the sex links and keep them seperate to give them a chance of healing.

Wishing you the very best of luck and enjoy BYC

The hen that had to be put down had an accident.. I took them away from the sex link rooster and leghorns did not see any improvement.. Thank you for the welcome.

 

[chick1mom]

[COLOR=333333]Hello and welcome to BYC! [/COLOR][COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

Thank you for the welcome.. I'll take better pictures tomorrow. I did seperate them from all the others.

Along with feather plucking and the possible need for protein, depluming mites will cause huge feather loss. They will strip the feather down to the stalk, chew the feathers off at skin level and you may see thin barring across the feather where the mites have eaten on the newly growing feathers. These mites live up inside the feather and require something like Ivermecin Pour on for Cattle to get rid of. Powders and sprays won't touch these nasty buggies. I had a couple of hens with these mites and after treatment looked scraggly until their fall molt. 

Do you have any pictures of these areas on their bodies that are losing feathers? Molting is also a possibility. 

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!