FROSTBITE? PICS

[earlybird]

Can someone help me? I recently posted a message about my chicken missing feathers on top of her wings. I thought it might be molting, but upon further inspection it's looks dry and irritated. It looks like the skin could actually be dead because it's not at all the same color as the surounding skin. Plus, the tips of her feathers are actually just quills, no feathers at all. We have had some colder than usual weather lately. Could this be frostbite? What should I do? I'm really worried about her!

 

[KKluckers]

Have you checked her for lice or mites?

 

[dlhunicorn]

treat your coop with a permethrin or pyrethrin solution for mites (or it will reinfest) and treat your bird... if it were me I would first bath and then spray her with a (non-aerosol) bird spray for mites from the pet store (cage birds) and then give IVOMEC EPRINEX as it will also get many of the mites (in addition to being a good braod spectrum wormer)...

 

[DuckLady]

It is too warm for frostbite here. It might be that she scraped herself or another chicken pulled her feathers. I see a scab in there on the second pic. Did she get herself caught on something sharp and was cut?

 

[earlybird]

How do I give her a bath? I understood that you shouldn't get them wet because it's difficult to dry them and they must be dry to stay warm.

 

[ella]

Could it be rooster damage?

I'll see that on the boy's favorite hens especially in the spring. Although by the time the wings get damaged they usually are sparse on the back too.

 

[rooster-red]

A rooster won't strip the feather shafts like that, they will pull the feathers out.

Looks like mite damage to me.

 

[ella]

I'd have to disagree with that and I can get pictures to prove it.

But it's always a good idea to check for mites and with no damage on her back it's more likely mites anyway.

Take a flashlight out at night and look at her skin especially around her vent. Also look at her roost and the nesting boxes. Mites are tiny blackish brown or red specks. Lice are larger and cream or white.

 

[chickbea]

IS this your only bird? What state are the others in?

 

[KKluckers]

My friend had a little black frizzle hen that did the same. She was molting and had the striped feathers like yours. Im not sure about the mites or lice, but if you havent dusted she probably has them. I keep my coop super clean and still have mite problems

To give her a bath I put her in a small tub and I just use dish soap of all things (show breeder told me this) there are soaps out their that are made just for poultry bathing but I've never looked into them. I put mine in a crate with shavings by the fireplace till warm, but is is only 35 today. If it is sunny and warm you can put them in a pen outside to dry, I would say anything over 70 degrees. IMO I would either dust or treat with Ivomec for the bug eggs that get left behind.