Losing feathers & irritated skin... mites?

[PioneerChicks]

I have a BR hen, 7-8 months old, who currently has bare patches under both wings. They've been there for the past month or so with no sign of new feather growth. The skin is red and looks irritated.

It doesn't appear to be a molt, though I do have one molting hen at the moment. This other hen started molting just after I noticed the BR's bare patches. I haven't noticed any picking either.

A third hen has developed a bare patch on her back as if from excessive mounting, though I don't have a rooster. But that hen's skin isn't irritated.

Their roost is a little cramped (they sometimes all sleep on the same one), but I'm not seeing these signs on other chickens.

This flock and coop are both new-ish with no history of mites. They have no access to wild birds. I did bring a couple hens to a county fair, so there has been a brief exposure to mites (though I was careful). That was a couple months ago.

On my last property and different flock I dealt with lice and red mites so I know the signs. However, I don't see any eggs or mites on my current birds. No others have irritated red skin. Have I just missed the signs? Could this be northern fowl mites? Or something else?


Pics 1 & 2 side profile




Pic 3 showing the vent, from a slight angle



Pics 4 & 5 showing the (same) bare patch




Pic 6 of the back of the different hen with the bare patch

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be feather picking while on the roost or at other times. If you can find out which one is doing it with a game camera, you could put some pinless peepers on the picker. Overcrowding, too little protein in the diet, boredom, not getting out to free range, and other causes may lead to feather picking.

 

[LSHensOKC]

I have a BR hen, 7-8 months old, who currently has bare patches under both wings. They've been there for the past month or so with no sign of new feather growth. The skin is red and looks irritated.

It doesn't appear to be a molt, though I do have one molting hen at the moment. This other hen started molting just after I noticed the BR's bare patches. I haven't noticed any picking either.

A third hen has developed a bare patch on her back as if from excessive mounting, though I don't have a rooster. But that hen's skin isn't irritated.

Their roost is a little cramped (they sometimes all sleep on the same one), but I'm not seeing these signs on other chickens.

This flock and coop are both new-ish with no history of mites. They have no access to wild birds. I did bring a couple hens to a county fair, so there has been a brief exposure to mites (though I was careful). That was a couple months ago.

On my last property and different flock I dealt with lice and red mites so I know the signs. However, I don't see any eggs or mites on my current birds. No others have irritated red skin. Have I just missed the signs? Could this be northern fowl mites? Or something else?


Pics 1 & 2 side profile
View attachment 4013645
View attachment 4013646


Pic 3 showing the vent, from a slight angle
View attachment 4013647


Pics 4 & 5 showing the (same) bare patch
View attachment 4013648
View attachment 4013650


Pic 6 of the back of the different hen with the bare patch
View attachment 4013651

I have something similar with big patches of bare skin on three of my hens. If I find out anything I will share it, but I am similarly at a loss and cannot tell what it is attributable to. Sorry!

 

[Eggcessive]

I have something similar with big patches of bare skin on three of my hens. If I find out anything I will share it, but I am similarly at a loss and cannot tell what it is attributable to. Sorry!

Welcome to BYC. I would start a new thread of your own here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/

and provide age and some pictures, details of what you feed and the protein %, and how much room they have. Could they be molting?

 

[PioneerChicks]

@Eggcessive I didn't see your response until today for some reason!

Thank you for that! They're already on 20% protein, but I've been giving them dry cat food every once in a while to boost their protein.

More started loosing feathers over the past month. Same spots. I treated for mites a few days ago. Hopefully I'll see some improvement

 

[PioneerChicks]

I'm about to do my week #3 mite treatment. I've been treating the birds with permethrin dust for Northern Fowl Mites. I've left the coop alone.

I'm not seeing any improvement and some have started losing feathers on their necks and other random places.

When I ran a damp paper towel along the roost at night I didn't see signs of Red Mites. But could these be Red Mites living in the coop, and not on my birds?

 

[PioneerChicks]

Update: we figured out that they are depluming mites. We're about to start an ivermectin pour on treatment. I'm also looking into sulfer.

 

[MamasKitchen]

Update: we figured out that they are depluming mites. We're about to start an ivermectin pour on treatment. I'm also looking into sulfer.

I think this is what has been plaguing my girls as well. I have been going crazy trying to help my balding girls but they seem to be looking worse. I have tried permethrin dusting twice, ivermectin three times and now I am looking into Elector PSP. Did you try the sulfur and was it effective for you? Have your girls improved?

 

[CharlieBaby]

How are your girls doing now? @PioneerChicks @MamasKitchen

One of my hens has a bald and very itchy neck, with skin looking similar to the picture you posted. I tried topical Elector PSP, thinking it mites, and topical ketoconazole cream, wondering if it could be yeast; they didn't fix the problem.

Also, would you mind sharing how you determined depluming mites are the problem?

Thanks!

 

[MamasKitchen]

How are your girls doing now? @PioneerChicks @MamasKitchen

One of my hens has a bald and very itchy neck, with skin looking similar to the picture you posted. I tried topical Elector PSP, thinking it mites, and topical ketoconazole cream, wondering if it could be yeast; they didn't fix the problem.

Also, would you mind sharing how you determined depluming mites are the problem?

Thanks!

I haven't heard of or considered yeast. For me, I deduced my problem was depluming mites by process of elimination. I stalked my birds at night and put out a mite trap (Hot water bottle on roosting bar with double stick tape) to see if I could find any evidence of mites. None. I can't see anything on my girls at all. No mites or lice or eggs of any type. What I do see is a bunch of bald hens. 10 out of 11 had been losing feathers since last fall. I wrongly assumed they were molting, though they were less than a year old and everything I read online said they don't molt until they're over a year. I let it go on too long. Rookie mistake as this is my first time owning chickens. It started as feather loss on their backs at the base of the tail, then spread to their bums and tummies, and finally on their necks. It started and is the worse in my Welsummers, then the Barred Rocks, and the Buff Orpingtons seem to have only a little and one of them has no loss at all (ironically, her name is Lucky). After three treatments of Ivermectin the feather loss seems to have stopped it's spread. I am now just waiting for them to molt in the fall in the hopes they may regain their beauty. Today they are still sad looking with varying degrees of baldness. But, they seem happy and have been on "feather fixer" feed for a few months and are laying.