losing neck feathers

[ginamomdoc]

I have 6 hens, 2 are just over a year old, 4 are about 8 months. All are laying well. One of the older ones started losing her neck feathers 8 weeks ago or so, the pins start to grow in but she still has a naked neck. Now all of them are losing them, just around the necks.

They spend the day outdoors in a 20X7 foot run, protected under bushes with a little sun. Their hen house is only 5X3X3 feet, but they only go in there for sleeping and laying, the rest of the time they are outside. Pellet layer food, at least daily treats of veggies, fruit, etc plus running around in the yard at least a few times per week for bug time. They had a few mites around their vents a few months ago but I treated with DE and have seen none since. They aren't pecking at each other, it's a pretty peaceful flock.

I thought molting, but everything I read says that that happens in the fall, and lasts for a few weeks. Plus would they all molt at once?

Thank you!

 

[threehorses]

DE doesn't actually treat mites - it reduces numbers, but doesn't kill hatching mites. And mites hide in the premises while not eating, not on the bird, so you might be missing them.

Then again, wild birds can also bring them back in.

I'd definitely treat them again for mites and lice. This time use permethrin, please. It's "poultry dust" and actually made to mimick the natural extract from flowers that has insecticide properties, pyrethrum. It's a synthetic pyrethrum as crushing flowers is too costly.

It's quite safe.

It'll be important to mix some with water and 'white wash" the wood in the place where they sleep. That's where the mites hide, sometimes for days without feeding, until they go to feed again. That's also where they lay their eggs. YOu can't kill their eggs, but you can kill their larvae with permethrin.

DE won't kill an infestation, as much as I would love to say it does. It's design is to keep infestations from occuring as often or as strong. It's a control method, not a prevention method. So use it for what it does best... and that it does.

I've used it for years, and years ago was mocked for even using it. So it's a product I understand well.

Also treat the birds. The best method for the birds is really ivermectin, but it's a little more harsh than permethrin is. And with ivermectin you're also worming, so you should worm with a weaker wormer first (2 weeks before) before using ivermectin. Time's of the essence as mites take blood and can make birds weak and anemic too quickly in the heat.

So dust the birds and premises. Redust birds in 7 days.

Then give them a little extra protein in their diet for the next 2 weeks. Boiled eggs are some of the most bioavailable and rich proteins available. They were designed to make chickens, after all!

You can and should also give them some yogurt weekly for a few weeks. It helps with calcium (which is also needed in feather building) and will help their guts' natural bacteria so that the birds use their food more efficiently during the stress of building new feathers. They'll ffeather out much more nicely.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to email me with any questions. I'd love to help.

 

[ginamomdoc]

Thank you! I'm off to the feed store today. They love yogurt so this will make them extra happy. Hopefully they will have normal necks soon.