Hen’s feathers thin and falling out, not resolving

[chickenmeadow]

I would go straight for the DE & sprinkle some on her back, nests, roosts & general coop chicken hangout areas (or maybe a mix of DE & pyrethrin powder), if it doesn't fix soon then go for the above mite remedies that would surely be needed to eradicate this issue. Maybe that's just the stubborn organic girl in me to do the lesser first. Also, if you have a rooster then he may be breeding her more often. But, are those black specks seen on her back in your pics mites or dirt specks from dust bathing? She sounds like a fine hen, who gives it her all. Best wishes.

 

[casportpony]

I would go straight for the DE & sprinkle some on her back, nests, roosts & general coop chicken hangout areas

I tried DE and it did nothing to treat lice in mine.

 

[junebuggena]

DE will not treat a mite/lice outbreak. It's a deterrent at best. Not a cure. And if it's harmful for people to breathe, just imagine the damage that stuff can do to the delicate respiratory systems of the birds flapping around in it. Pyrethrins are a great treatment for dermal parasites, but if it's feather mites, you need something taken orally. Feather mites live inside the feather shafts, so a topical treatment won't even touch them.

 

[casportpony]

@TwoCrows , don't you have some experience treating feather mites?

 

[chickenmeadow]

Rachel Roni, I do look forward to seeing your future post on this when your hen recovers.

An outbreak of mites on a chicken is not something that I have had a problem with, so I thank casportpony & junebugenna above for their valuable suggested info on mite treatment, & will keep this for future reference when in need. This is how we all learn here. Best wishes.

 

[TwoCrows]

I've learned something recently about brittle feathers as I am dealing with a hen that is having a very rough time with several conditions going on at the same time internally.

First, feather mites strike weak birds. Healthy birds can ward them off just as they can Cocci, worms, yeast infections, bacterial infections, ect. Yeast infections occur in birds that also suffer from low immune system fuctions and all of what I mentioned above effects the liver. A bird that suffers from a weakened or diseased liver has skin issues and very brittle feathers. Preening leads to breakage.

Cocci, worms, all species of mites, bacterial infections, intenal laying, poor genetics (and hatchery birds are not coming from clean blood lines) improper diet from even the best feed manufacturers, too many treats or fat in the diet, damaged intestines from yeast and other parasites making it difficult to absorb nutrients, etc., anything to weaken the bird, all of this effects the liver. When the liver doesn't function normally, featheres become weak and brittle. And you cannot tell the health of the liver without an enzyme test done at your vet. The liver can be ailing and there are no outward signs, poop or otherwise.

In this case I think adding a vitamin-probiotic supplement to the diet will help. Discontinue all grain treats and offer up greens only as treats. Add ginger and coconut oil to the diet to strength and improve feather health. These two things over time and a good molt will make a big difference and also strength the immune system keeping the intestinal tract in good health to absorb all their bodies need to thrive.

Good luck!

 

[Rachel Roni]

Do you see uniform rows of pin feathers coming in on the neck area and the back in front of the tail? If so, it's molt. Sometimes a hen will follow her own silent little drummer when it comes to her own unique style of molt.

I had one Cream Legbar that decided to skip her first molt entirely, went an entire winter with a set of feathers that were so threadbare, I don't see how she managed to keep warm, and then she had her first molt at age two in June. Her daughter did something similar, although not exactly the same.

Check for pin feathers but also check the skin around the vent for lice and mites. My money is on molt. They say Feather Fixer does wonders for feather re-growth.

What are pin feathers? As in without the plumage, I guess, just the “spine” of the feather?
This bird just turned two, so similar to yours at her first molt. How long does the process take? She’s looked like this for weeks, if not months. I just kept expecting it to go away.
I’ll definitely check out Feather Fixer - is it a supplement?

Thank you!

 

[Rachel Roni]

That looks like depluming mites. They are microscopic.

That is your cue that it is a mite problem. Birds take dust baths when they have a pest problem and are itchy. They don't do it for the fun of it.

A systemic approach is more effective than topical sprays and powders for depluming mites and Ivermectin is the usual treatment, but it is off label, as ivermectin is not licenced for use in poultry. Some people use it to worm their chickens though, without issue.

Wouldn’t they both be infested if it were mites, though? The other one looks great. And she does dust baths also.

 

[Rachel Roni]

I've learned something recently about brittle feathers as I am dealing with a hen that is having a very rough time with several conditions going on at the same time internally.

First, feather mites strike weak birds. Healthy birds can ward them off just as they can Cocci, worms, yeast infections, bacterial infections, ect. Yeast infections occur in birds that also suffer from low immune system fuctions and all of what I mentioned above effects the liver. A bird that suffers from a weakened or diseased liver has skin issues and very brittle feathers. Preening leads to breakage.

Cocci, worms, all species of mites, bacterial infections, intenal laying, poor genetics (and hatchery birds are not coming from clean blood lines) improper diet from even the best feed manufacturers, too many treats or fat in the diet, damaged intestines from yeast and other parasites making it difficult to absorb nutrients, etc., anything to weaken the bird, all of this effects the liver. When the liver doesn't function normally, featheres become weak and brittle. And you cannot tell the health of the liver without an enzyme test done at your vet. The liver can be ailing and there are no outward signs, poop or otherwise.

In this case I think adding a vitamin-probiotic supplement to the diet will help. Discontinue all grain treats and offer up greens only as treats. Add ginger and coconut oil to the diet to strength and improve feather health. These two things over time and a good molt will make a big difference and also strength the immune system keeping the intestinal tract in good health to absorb all their bodies need to thrive.

Good luck!

Thank you! So how do I add coconut oil? Just mix it into their feed?

 

[azygous]

Feather Fixer is a complete feed. It has a lot of animal protein. Pin feathers look like hedgehog spines or a pin cushion, thus being why they are call "pin" feathers. If you look closely, they have barely visible tufts of feathers on the tips. They are uniform, not haphazard.

Mites and lice don't often affect chickens with really strong immune systems, so not all your chicken may be affected.