Missing feathers for months!

BabyGotQuack

Crowing
Sep 15, 2021
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2,446
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Utah
Hello, I’m a new member to BYC but have been reading threads for the last couple years. I have 4 chickens (2 years old) who have been missing feathers for months! My first guess is that my drake ducks are ripping them out but can’t be sure. All my ducks are fully feathered so I didn’t think it would be lice or mites, I’ve also done DE in the coup several times. Does anyone know what this could be and how to fix? I’ll attach pics.
 

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Drakes have a penis that penetrates but a roosters does not. Chickens reproductive organs aren't designed to be penetrated.Drakes breeding with hens can seriously injure and kill the hens. A Drake will fight a rooster to breed with the hens.Roosters can be killed by Drakes esp. if there is a pond nearby .Drakes have been known to drag a hen or rooster to the water and drown them.
 
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I don’t believe they are mating, I’ve never seen them do that, but I’ll keep that in mind. I have seen the chickens chase and peck the ducks and then the drakes will chase them off, usually pulling feathers, but not many. I’ve had my chickens and ducks together for 2 years and this just started happening this summer. I just wanted to be sure this didn’t look like just molting, lice or mites, or something along those lines before I rehome or separate them.
 
:welcome :frow Are you sure they don't have mites? First you need to determine if you have mites. Some mites only come out at night to feed on the birds. I use a headlamp so I have both hands free to check over the birds after they roost. I have a lot of birds. I had a mite infestation in one coop but then discovered some in another coop. I thought my birds were molting but they weren't getting their feathers back in. Upon closer inspection I discovered they were loaded with mites. I treated them with DE for a couple of weeks and they still were loaded with mites. I'm not a believer in DE anymore. It certainly didn't work here. I got some permethrin and sprayed the birds and all of the coops well, every crack and crevice, everywhere. After a couple of weeks the birds were looking better and even starting to get their feathers back in. I do 3 or 4 weekly treatments then stop. The mites can get a resistance to it. I do put poultry dust with permethrin in the nest boxes. The bonus is there is no egg withdrawal period and everything is available at TSC. I use a garden sprayer because I like the wand to get to hard to reach areas. I also use poultry dust in the nest boxes. Good luck...
 
:welcome :frow Are you sure they don't have mites? First you need to determine if you have mites. Some mites only come out at night to feed on the birds. I use a headlamp so I have both hands free to check over the birds after they roost. I have a lot of birds. I had a mite infestation in one coop but then discovered some in another coop. I thought my birds were molting but they weren't getting their feathers back in. Upon closer inspection I discovered they were loaded with mites. I treated them with DE for a couple of weeks and they still were loaded with mites. I'm not a believer in DE anymore. It certainly didn't work here. I got some permethrin and sprayed the birds and all of the coops well, every crack and crevice, everywhere. After a couple of weeks the birds were looking better and even starting to get their feathers back in. I do 3 or 4 weekly treatments then stop. The mites can get a resistance to it. I do put poultry dust with permethrin in the nest boxes. The bonus is there is no egg withdrawal period and everything is available at TSC. I use a garden sprayer because I like the wand to get to hard to reach areas. I also use poultry dust in the nest boxes. Good luck...
Thank you for the reply! I can’t for sure rule out mites, I’ll have to do what you said with a headlamp tonight and check. I just assumed since my ducks are fully feathered and they share a coop that it wouldn’t be mites. But thank you for all the mite info, that will be super helpful if they end up having them.
 
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If a Rooster tried to fight a Drake it would have feather loss on its neck.
One of my hens, the one that looks the worst is very “roostery” if that’s a word haha. She’s very aggressive and will spur at me, (she has no Spurs) she’s also the one who pesters the ducks the most, that’s why I thought maybe it was the ducks fighting back cause she is far worse then the rest of my more gentle hens
 

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