Losing feathers on bottom?

[pnyjmper89]

I have two BR hens that are about 1 1/2 years old now and one of them has begun to lose feather off of her bottom. The other hen has a nice fluffy rear but this one looks like she has diarrea because the feathers are clumped together even though she seems to always go to the bathroom with rather firm poo. My grandfather said it could be mites and that I may need to spray her but I would think the other hen would have them also because they sleep in the same roost at night. Anyone have some ideas?

 

[nccountrygirl]

It could be that the hen with the feathers is pecking the feathers off of your bald hen. Try upping your protein with BOSS, and watch to make sure you don't see any blood. You can put Blu Kote on her.

 

[sammi]

no harm in treating for mites.

 

[pnyjmper89]

Just the kind that you buy for birdfood and horse supp.? They get Purinas Layena along with a few slices of bread and other table scraps, grass/clover and a bag of crickets as a treat every once in a while but I'm not to keen on chicken nutrition so any ideas would be helpfull. I don't really think the other one is plucking out her feathers because the one that is loosing them is the top hen and she usually does all the pecking. What should I look for to spray her with? There's a few older hardware stores and some farming stores around here but what should I be looking for when I go in?