Hen Losing Feathers

[TheChickenLady1]

Hi all, I have now have two Golden Comet hens since, much to my dismay, one of them died 5 days ago Anyways, one of my hens appears to be rapidly losing feathers. I know she has lice which I have been trying to eradicate but the feathers lost are not ones with nits on them. She laid an egg today so I know she isn't molting. Included is a photo of her bottom and the feathers I found in the coop. She doesn't seem to be sick at all and her friend is not at all violent towards her. She is a bit restless when put in the coop though, but this hasn't been a problem before. Thanks for any info you guys have

 

[azygous]

How old is this hen? I would say she's losing feathers because of molt. It's that time of year. Not all hens quit laying when they molt.

Have you treated her lice? They are easily gotten rid of. The feathers with nits on them can be pulled out. New feathers will quickly replace them.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

How old your Golden Comets.

Her bum looks like it is possibly Northern Fowl Mite or Feather Mites.

If she doesn't like the coop, it could be Roost Mites. (See link to help determine which kind you might have)
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

What were you using to treat them?
DE isn't effective for lice or mites in spite of what many think....sorry to those who are fans. I recommend Gordon's Poultry spray or Permethrin dust. If dusting, you have to thoroughly dust the bird to the skin. An easy way is to but the bird in a plastic bag with head out and shake...having of course first put in some permethrin dust. Otherwise a nylon sock with permethrin used as a powder puff can apply directly to the needed areas...vent and under wings.

How often are you treating?
You need to treat, then treat again in 7 days, then treat again in 7 days for bad infestations.

She could be beginning to molt though still laying. Some birds do lay at the early stage of molting.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[TheChickenLady1]

I got my hens just about a month ago and I have no idea of their age unfortunately.

To treat the lice, I put some dust I got from a local Agway on their dust bathing areas. Unfortunately, I can't think of the name of it right now.

I haven't checked specifically for mites, but I thought I caught a glimpse of one when I was checking out the nits.

How can I remove the feathers with nits without hurting my hen? Or can I just pull them out and she won't be in much pain?

 

[SeaPolka]

I got my hens just about a month ago and I have no idea of their age unfortunately.

To treat the lice, I put some dust I got from a local Agway on their dust bathing areas. Unfortunately, I can't think of the name of it right now.

I haven't checked specifically for mites, but I thought I caught a glimpse of one when I was checking out the nits.

How can I remove the feathers with nits without hurting my hen? Or can I just pull them out and she won't be in much pain?

I would check to see what mite or lice you are dealing with. (Red) Mites especially will come out at night and feast on the hens' blood which leads to lethargy and in very serious cases, death, they live in the wood of the coop. The most common lice are easier to treat as they only live on the bird and eat feather dirt and dead skin. There are some really good tips and tricks and hacks on BYC for dealing with critters. Good luck

 

[Kiki]

I got my hens just about a month ago and I have no idea of their age unfortunately.

To treat the lice, I put some dust I got from a local Agway on their dust bathing areas. Unfortunately, I can't think of the name of it right now.

I haven't checked specifically for mites, but I thought I caught a glimpse of one when I was checking out the nits.

How can I remove the feathers with nits without hurting my hen? Or can I just pull them out and she won't be in much pain?

Was it called diatomaceous earth dust?
If so trash it.

 

[azygous]

I used to use permethrin poultry dusting powder for lice. It's effective but requires followup treatment. I found it extremely messy, though. I get impatient with mess all over me and the chicken, and I was regretting exposing them to the dust.

So I sprang for a bottle of Elector PSP. It's expensive and not real popular with the crowd here for that reason, but it's so much easier to use. It's spinosad and it treats mites in the coop, too. It's very long lasting, both the concentrate and the effects on my chickens in keeping lice and mites away. I mix it into a basin of warm water and dip the chicken, splashing it under wings and it even treats scaly leg mites more effectively than any spray I've tried for that purpose.

There's some discomfort when I pull a nit covered feather out of a butt, but it's over so fast, I don't see much reaction. It's a very good way to assure those nits won't become adults. Feathers grow back quickly.