Itchy chickens

[mgainey]

Some of my chickens are pecking at themselves like they itch. They are getting bare spots. I don't see any kind of "bug." I have heard of mites and lice on chickens... How do I determine what is causing this and what do I do? They are still laying and are active. They just look like I feel when I get a mosquito bite! Please help.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

How old are they? They can also be molting this time of year, which is also an itchy business. Plus, when molting, they need to preen the growing feathers, to take off the outside covering, so the feather can unfurl.

Otherwise, just look for bugs on them. They're tiny, but visible.

 

[speckledhen]

Duplicate. Answer here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=576787