High feather loss

[LindsaySinai]

I put some pullets in a temporary run and after a few months they started losing a ton of feathers. I couldnt tell the feather loss from the birds themselves but the actual feathers everywhere. I gave those birds away to put my younger pullets in there and they were fine for a few months and now its the same issue as the other. The first group of birds was mutts and the two I have in there now are 18 week old cochins. Is that normal feather loss....maybe losing their baby feathers??? If you look at the birds you would never know they were losing a ton of feathers....they're very fluffy.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

They might be pecking at each other?? Maybe you have a rodent or critter chasing them? Its not normal to loos lots of feathers.
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[dawg53]

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I was thinking of molt at first, but if they are only 18 weeks old or way under a year old, it cant be a hard molt. Pick them up and inspect them for feather lice. If they have lice or mites, use sevin dust to dust them, repeat dusting in 10 days and do the same with the inside of their coop and nests. Observe them for feather picking as well, that can happen if they are living in close living quarters and a small pen.

 

[LindsaySinai]

Ive never seen them peck eachother. All the feathers that i see on the ground are small fluffy ones....almost like down feathers. I have DE...csn I just dust the whole run and chickens with that?

 

[LindsaySinai]

So....I looked under their feathers and didnt see anything strange...just a lot of broken off feathers. I know we have rats and mice around here. Can they squeeze through the chicken wire? If so could that cause feather loss????