Losing neck feathers - tried many treatments

[Veronique44]

Hello,

I'd love some help with one of my chickens. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my chickens are free range during the day.
One of my chickens been losing neck feathers for about 4 months. She's about 1 year 7 months old. I have already taken her to the vet - he found no cause (no lice, mites, etc) and suggested my other chicken is pecking, but I've seen no evidence of this.
She is much itchier and scratchier than my other chicken however. She also has scaly feet.
Treatments I have tried:
- Prazlquantel + oxfendazole 20g/L (oral)
- Permethrin + piperonyl butoxide + methoprene (spray)
- F10 disinfectant gel (applied directly to the neck)
- Paraffin oil (applied to the feet)
- Apple cider vinegar (in the water)
- Sulfur/rotenone powder (in the bedding)

She lays fairly regularly, and although she doesn't wander around quite as much as my younger chicken, she doesn't seem lethargic, her appetite is fine, she's interactive and seems healthy otherwise. Her skin is not broken, not red, and appears healthy. But she is itchy.

The reason why I am particularly concerned is that this also happened to a chicken of mine earlier last year. She began losing neck feathers around March 2017, despite treatment; she would go through periods of laying well and periods of not laying, but seemed otherwise healthy. She began extremely lethargic and then egg bound in December 2017, and I ended up having to get her put down. My new chicken was purchased later in December 2017 so is now about 9 months old, and has no symptoms.

I've attached some photos, any advice would be great. We were looking at Ivermectin, but it's not technically available for chickens in Australia so would love some guidance. Thank you!

 

[azygous]

This is the absolute best product I've ever used for leg mites as well as all other poultry parasites. https://www.amazon.com/Elanco-Elect...F8&qid=1519435262&sr=1-1&keywords=Elector+PSP It's an organic biological control that works by enzymatic action. It leaves a residual that keeps working for a long time.

I mix a half teaspoon in a warm tub of half gallon water and Epsom salt. Soak the legs and feet for ten minutes, and it kills the leg mites and the eggs. One treatment and the chicken is good for months. I reuse the soak water on multiple chickens so it's actually very economical despite the initial price shock.

For the neck, you can mix up a spray bottle of a quarter teaspoon to a quart of water and spray her neck. If she continues to scratch, you might try some coconut oil on the exposed skin to soothe it.

By observing your chickens, you should be able to see if one is pecking this chicken. You might consider pinless peepers on the picker. They are very effective and

are working well in my flock right now.