Loss of feathers

[Crzychcknldy8]

I have 4 hens who have lost feathers on their backs and tops of wings. 2 others look like they are on the way to the same with lots of grey/fuzzy feathers sticking up out of her back feathers. My rooster has the same

on his chest. Mites? Molting? What should I do?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

4 hens

4 hens who have lost feathers on their backs and tops of wings. 2 others look like they are on the way to the same with lots of grey/fuzzy feathers sticking up out of her back feathers. My rooster has the same

on his chest. Mites? Molting? What should I do?

The loss of feathers on the hens are likely from mating. Could be a little feather picking going on too, it's hard to see the damage, but the pattern of loss seems to be consistent from a rooster.

What do you normally feed? I see quite a bit of corn on the ground, do they have regular poultry feed as well? Feather loss can be from picking too - some common causes are boredom, lack of space, insufficient protein and sometimes plain 'ol meanness.


The loss on the rooster, have you taken the time to observe the hens to see if they are pulling out the feathers on his chest? I can't see it in the photos, so...is it at the crop, under his chin, the breast? Is his crop empty in the morning before he eats/drinks?

You ask about mites, have you physically picked up the birds and looked them over? That would be a good idea. You can see lice during the day. Birds need to be checked out at night for mites. Here's a good article about lice/mites and identification. https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/