finefeatheredhens
Hatching
- Mar 26, 2024
- 3
- 0
- 9
Hi all! My hens are 10 months old.
We are dealing with a huge feather eating and pecking at bare rump skin. We have a mixed flock of 3 Buff Orps, 2 Golden Wyandottes, and 1 Barred Rock.
This is one example; they are all similar to this:
We have had zero issues with the flock until a couple weeks ago. The treadle feeder ran out of food for a day by mistake. (This is all on me; it was an honest mistake due to the whole family coming down with a flu bug, so please be kind.) I refilled the feeder immediately. During this time, I suddenly noticed my Wyandottes had lost most of their feathers around their large tail feathers. Then my Barred Rock was losing feathers in the rump area. I then noticed the third Buff's arched tail feathers were shorn short. During all this, the pecking of rump skin began. The majority of it was done by 2 Buffs. One Wyandotte was so bloodied I had to remove her from the flock for 2-3 days to heal-up.
I cannot find any mite evidence. I think it could be the stress of the feeder running out of food, but there has been zero resolve after refilling the feeder. I have noticed for a while they all seemed to excessively preen. But beyond that and feather picking and skin pecking, I haven't seen any other symptoms. Everyone is still laying eggs.
So far I've tried:
- cleaning out the entire hen house and misting hens and soaking hen house with Manna Pro Poultry enzyme spray in case it's mites.
- removing the top Buff to hen "jail" for several days. The feather/skin pecking seemed to stop, but then the 2nd Buff started in on the Wyandottes and Barred Rock, going after their bare rumps. I have removed them both from the flock for now but... the Barred Rock is going after the Wyandottes bare rumps, pecking base of tail feathers and bare rump skin.
- looking for mites and lice, though none are visible. I have to try this at night and see if I missed them but I'm not finding anything during the day.
- giving them mealworms 3x week this past week for a protein boost, in case it's a protein issue.
- adding wood ash to their dust bath areas.
It doesn't seem to be boredom. Absolutely nothing has changed about their run, coop, etc save the feeder incident. I placed some piles of leaves, sticks, etc., in the run and they seem to love it. Yet, no permanent resolve to the feather picking and skin pecking.
A good chicken mentor friend recommended treating them all topically with ivermectin, to make sure it isn't anything that's being missed.
I'm at whit's end. Any ideas or help??
As a side note: this isn't just me. A friend of mine in Canada said there are many of flocks going through this, and longtime chicken owners have no idea what is going on. They're all super frustrated. So I don't feel alone, but I do not have a solution yet either.
We are dealing with a huge feather eating and pecking at bare rump skin. We have a mixed flock of 3 Buff Orps, 2 Golden Wyandottes, and 1 Barred Rock.
This is one example; they are all similar to this:
We have had zero issues with the flock until a couple weeks ago. The treadle feeder ran out of food for a day by mistake. (This is all on me; it was an honest mistake due to the whole family coming down with a flu bug, so please be kind.) I refilled the feeder immediately. During this time, I suddenly noticed my Wyandottes had lost most of their feathers around their large tail feathers. Then my Barred Rock was losing feathers in the rump area. I then noticed the third Buff's arched tail feathers were shorn short. During all this, the pecking of rump skin began. The majority of it was done by 2 Buffs. One Wyandotte was so bloodied I had to remove her from the flock for 2-3 days to heal-up.
I cannot find any mite evidence. I think it could be the stress of the feeder running out of food, but there has been zero resolve after refilling the feeder. I have noticed for a while they all seemed to excessively preen. But beyond that and feather picking and skin pecking, I haven't seen any other symptoms. Everyone is still laying eggs.
So far I've tried:
- cleaning out the entire hen house and misting hens and soaking hen house with Manna Pro Poultry enzyme spray in case it's mites.
- removing the top Buff to hen "jail" for several days. The feather/skin pecking seemed to stop, but then the 2nd Buff started in on the Wyandottes and Barred Rock, going after their bare rumps. I have removed them both from the flock for now but... the Barred Rock is going after the Wyandottes bare rumps, pecking base of tail feathers and bare rump skin.
- looking for mites and lice, though none are visible. I have to try this at night and see if I missed them but I'm not finding anything during the day.
- giving them mealworms 3x week this past week for a protein boost, in case it's a protein issue.
- adding wood ash to their dust bath areas.
It doesn't seem to be boredom. Absolutely nothing has changed about their run, coop, etc save the feeder incident. I placed some piles of leaves, sticks, etc., in the run and they seem to love it. Yet, no permanent resolve to the feather picking and skin pecking.
A good chicken mentor friend recommended treating them all topically with ivermectin, to make sure it isn't anything that's being missed.
I'm at whit's end. Any ideas or help??
As a side note: this isn't just me. A friend of mine in Canada said there are many of flocks going through this, and longtime chicken owners have no idea what is going on. They're all super frustrated. So I don't feel alone, but I do not have a solution yet either.
(It's made of honey, lemon oil, and blue food dye... so maybe it's just a poor concept to begin with.)
