Mite problem? Possibly?

[blakeee]

Hi there! I have been doing some research but it can be quite difficult for me to understand if it's the same circumstances. I have an Isa Brown hen named Precilla and she lives with a naked neck rooster named Sam. They have had one chick named Bailey (my picture) and she has gone on to have 11 chicks that are currently 7 weeks old. I also have two white sussex chickens that are around 16 weeks old. One hen and one rooster (Seaton and Myrtle). Anyway, they're not all housed together and I only have one chicken with a problem. Precilla is quite old. We got her from an elderly man a few years ago who threatened to chop her head off if I didn't take her. So of course, I took her. She loves Sam and they're quite the couple. She has been losing some feathers here and there and I thought maybe she's moulting or maybe Sam is being a bit rough. It's nearly winter in Australia so I've ditched the moulting theory. I watched them for a few days and Sam hasn't been rough at all. I picked her up tonight to take her to her bed and noticed her skin is extremely red and very, very hot. I did some research and sounds like it could be mites? Thoroughly examined her and couldn't see anything. No mites, eggs, anything. But apparently they can hide really well? I'm not sure but I'm willing to treat. I have Ivermectin for sheep but I don't know how old it is. It could be out of date from a while (I got it from the vets in a bottle with no date or anything). Is it still okay to use? And how much?

Thanks for anyone able to help! I absolutely love this community and how helpful it is. I know I rambled on but I get excited talking about my chickens.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi.

Firstly autumn/winter is the time for moulting (I know it doesn't seem to make any sense to us to lose feathers as the weather gets colder) so I would not be so quick to rule that out. Are you seeing feathers in the run or under the roost?
What areas of her body is she losing the feathers from? Can you post a photo of her?
Lice live on the chicken and lay their eggs at the base of the feather shafts usually near the vent or under the wings. You can sometimes see the lice scuttling about if you part their feathers and look closely. Mites live and breed in the cracks and crevices of the coop and crawl onto the chickens at night to such their blood. You can either examine the chickens after dark with a head torch or run a white cloth under the roost bar after dark and examine for red smears of blood or lift the roost bars out during the day and check the ends and supporting sockets/brackets. I use a soft dust brush to sweep debris from these areas into the dustpan and then tip it onto a white card and look for any red dots that move. If I see any I squash them with the back of my finger nail and you will see a smear of blood.
Usually if you have a bad infestation of these pests you will see the chickens preening and dust bathing more enthusiastically and sometimes you feel "loppy" yourself after you have cleaned out the coop. I would be loath to use ivermectin unless you have established that there is an external parasite problem and even then, a permethrin based powder or spray would be the first port of call.
My gut feeling is that she is probably moulting.

 

[Kat C]

rebrascora is right about fall and even the beginning of winter being molting time. Length of day seems to be the trigger "Shorter days and cooler temperatures...For people, it’s a sign that it is back to school time and fall. To chickens, it’s a sign that it is time to renew their feathers. Losing feathers and re-growing them is called molting and occurs every year when the days get shorter." https://www.nutrenaworld.com/blog/the-molting-process However I find that our chickens may moult at other times as well. I think messing with their genetics probably upset the timetable for molting in domestic chickens. Some molt gradually so you hardly know they are molting until one day you notice they have a full bunch of shinny new feathers (most noticeable on our blue chickens). Others molt a lot from the backside and become vulnerable to rooster mating which makes the molt worse and breaks off new feathers trying to grow in. One of our chickens goes almost completely bare. In cases of heavy molt where the back is getting scratched by roos we pen the bird until she re-feathers.

As for your chicken feeling warm, chickens have a higher body temp than humans
"The internal body temperature of birds shows more variability than mammals, and therefore there is no absolute body temperature. In the adult chicken the variability is between 105°F and 107°F (40.6° and 41.7°C). The body temperature of a newly hatched chick is about 103.5°F (39.7°C), and increases daily until it reaches a stable level at about three weeks of age." http://www2.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofi...tion_principles/Chapter7_air_temperature.html

Its hard to feel the temp on a fully feathered chicken but you could try on the belly and then compare to your chicken that you think might be sick. Or you can just take her temp with a thermometer.

My test for red roost mites, put my hand on the roost and hold it there, see if anything hops on. I understand some mites bite humans but the ones we have around here never have bothered me. But if you don't see mites or lice I go with the molt theory.

 

[blakeee]

Hi.

Firstly autumn/winter is the time for moulting (I know it doesn't seem to make any sense to us to lose feathers as the weather gets colder) so I would not be so quick to rule that out. Are you seeing feathers in the run or under the roost?
What areas of her body is she losing the feathers from? Can you post a photo of her?
Lice live on the chicken and lay their eggs at the base of the feather shafts usually near the vent or under the wings. You can sometimes see the lice scuttling about if you part their feathers and look closely. Mites live and breed in the cracks and crevices of the coop and crawl onto the chickens at night to such their blood. You can either examine the chickens after dark with a head torch or run a white cloth under the roost bar after dark and examine for red smears of blood or lift the roost bars out during the day and check the ends and supporting sockets/brackets. I use a soft dust brush to sweep debris from these areas into the dustpan and then tip it onto a white card and look for any red dots that move. If I see any I squash them with the back of my finger nail and you will see a smear of blood.
Usually if you have a bad infestation of these pests you will see the chickens preening and dust bathing more enthusiastically and sometimes you feel "loppy" yourself after you have cleaned out the coop. I would be loath to use ivermectin unless you have established that there is an external parasite problem and even then, a permethrin based powder or spray would be the first port of call.
My gut feeling is that she is probably moulting.

Oh wow, winter! So weird! So is their skin really red normally?

 

[blakeee]

Yeah, we checked her at night and didn't see any mites or lice at all. There was heaps of feathers though.

rebrascora is right about fall and even the beginning of winter being molting time. Length of day seems to be the trigger "Shorter days and cooler temperatures...For people, it’s a sign that it is back to school time and fall. To chickens, it’s a sign that it is time to renew their feathers. Losing feathers and re-growing them is called molting and occurs every year when the days get shorter." https://www.nutrenaworld.com/blog/the-molting-process However I find that our chickens may moult at other times as well. I think messing with their genetics probably upset the timetable for molting in domestic chickens. Some molt gradually so you hardly know they are molting until one day you notice they have a full bunch of shinny new feathers (most noticeable on our blue chickens). Others molt a lot from the backside and become vulnerable to rooster mating which makes the molt worse and breaks off new feathers trying to grow in. One of our chickens goes almost completely bare. In cases of heavy molt where the back is getting scratched by roos we pen the bird until she re-feathers.

As for your chicken feeling warm, chickens have a higher body temp than humans
"The internal body temperature of birds shows more variability than mammals, and therefore there is no absolute body temperature. In the adult chicken the variability is between 105°F and 107°F (40.6° and 41.7°C). The body temperature of a newly hatched chick is about 103.5°F (39.7°C), and increases daily until it reaches a stable level at about three weeks of age." http://www2.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofi...tion_principles/Chapter7_air_temperature.html

Its hard to feel the temp on a fully feathered chicken but you could try on the belly and then compare to your chicken that you think might be sick. Or you can just take her temp with a thermometer.

My test for red roost mites, put my hand on the roost and hold it there, see if anything hops on. I understand some mites bite humans but the ones we have around here never have bothered me. But if you don't see mites or lice I go with the molt theory.

 

[Kat C]

Oh wow, winter! So weird! So is their skin really red normally?

no but if the rooster is mounting her even if he is not aggressive his toenails will irritate the skin because it is bare. Can you post a picture?

 

[Kat C]

See this on red skin at molt "As some birds will loose a large amount (or all) their feathers, their exposed skin can get irritated and bright red due to increased contact with objects (straw, the ground etc) or other chickens pecking them."
http://goodlifepermaculture.com.au/molting-chickens/
And this
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/chickens-loosing-feathers-managing-your-flocks-molt.64576/

 

[blakeee]

no but if the rooster is mounting her even if he is not aggressive his toenails will irritate the skin because it is bare. Can you post a picture?

I'll try to get a photo when I can.

 

[blakeee]

Her skin has gone less red. I haven't been able to get a photo but I would say it was just moult. Thank you guys for all your help! She had a day away from Sam but she's back in with him now because they both seemed to be a little depressed.

 

[blakeee]

Her skin has gone less red. I haven't been able to get a photo but I would say it was just moult. Thank you guys for all your help! She had a day away from Sam but she's back in with him now because they both seemed to be a little depressed.