WingsysRoost
Crowing
- Nov 8, 2022
- 938
- 5,755
- 486
Hello everyone. I'm seeking some second opinions on some feather issues I've been having in my flock over the past several months. The majority of them haven't really had the best feather quality ever since their adult feathers grew in, so I'm not sure if it's genetic or if they are missing something nutritionally that I can fix. They seem fine otherwise, so I have no idea what is going on here.
I apologize in advance for being unable to provide pictures of said issues. I have pictures, but for some reason the site does not want to let me post them.
All birds are just about fourteen months old currently. They are fed Purina layer pellets (though I am switching to Rolling Acres layer crumble as I have not been entirely satisfied with the Purina pellets and I want to see if they do better with a food switch), as well as a soaked seed mix. They get the occasional treat of soldierfly larvae, egg, yogurt, or fruit/veggie scraps, but not more than once or twice per week at most. They are offered grit and oyster shell free choice. The coop has been deep cleaned within the last few months. I have checked both coop and birds for lice and mites and found nothing. I was feeding them way too many soldierfly larvae over the summer as treats, but I realized what I was doing and stopped.
My first issue is that I have two hens with feather loss on their neck. On both, it appears as a rounded patch of bare skin just below their ear lobes. It almost looks like pecking damage, but it's on two hens that are higher up in the pecking order and it seems too extensive for that.
Second, I have several hens missing feathers on their stomach, kind of over their keel bone. Other than a little bit of dry skin on some of them, the skin looks fine, no visible scabs or irritation.
Third, I have one hen that seems to be getting picked on. The base of her tail is completely bald. She seems to start regrowing feathers, but they are apparently getting picked off as they grow back because a day or so later they are gone. Some of her wing feathers look like straw, with just the middle of the feather left, which would make me think mites or lice or something but I haven't seen any. She is the only one with that particular issue.
Some of them do seem to be molting, as I can see new feathers growing in.
Any ideas would be very appreciated! I've been trying to figure out what is going on for months now and I am completely baffled. Thanks in advance!
I apologize in advance for being unable to provide pictures of said issues. I have pictures, but for some reason the site does not want to let me post them.
All birds are just about fourteen months old currently. They are fed Purina layer pellets (though I am switching to Rolling Acres layer crumble as I have not been entirely satisfied with the Purina pellets and I want to see if they do better with a food switch), as well as a soaked seed mix. They get the occasional treat of soldierfly larvae, egg, yogurt, or fruit/veggie scraps, but not more than once or twice per week at most. They are offered grit and oyster shell free choice. The coop has been deep cleaned within the last few months. I have checked both coop and birds for lice and mites and found nothing. I was feeding them way too many soldierfly larvae over the summer as treats, but I realized what I was doing and stopped.
My first issue is that I have two hens with feather loss on their neck. On both, it appears as a rounded patch of bare skin just below their ear lobes. It almost looks like pecking damage, but it's on two hens that are higher up in the pecking order and it seems too extensive for that.
Second, I have several hens missing feathers on their stomach, kind of over their keel bone. Other than a little bit of dry skin on some of them, the skin looks fine, no visible scabs or irritation.
Third, I have one hen that seems to be getting picked on. The base of her tail is completely bald. She seems to start regrowing feathers, but they are apparently getting picked off as they grow back because a day or so later they are gone. Some of her wing feathers look like straw, with just the middle of the feather left, which would make me think mites or lice or something but I haven't seen any. She is the only one with that particular issue.
Some of them do seem to be molting, as I can see new feathers growing in.
Any ideas would be very appreciated! I've been trying to figure out what is going on for months now and I am completely baffled. Thanks in advance!
