Mites?

[Bennythechick]

So a friend of mine picked up a pair of seramas from a guy that didn’t want them, and She ended up giving them to me. They are about a year to a year and a half old. The hen is missing a bunch of feathers and at first I thought she was a frazzle (extreem frizzle) but I’m not sure at this point. Does it look like mites? Is she molting? Or is she a frazzle?
She is outside right now with some diatomaceous earth. But I have been keeping her inside since it’s starting to get cold at night and I don’t want her to get cold since shes missing so many feathers


EDIT:
She is currently housed with a male that she came with. I was told they have been together for quite a while so figured the damage would have been done if it was mites. However he looks completely fine. He has no missing feathers at all!

I’ve also noticed her skin seems abnormally dry. Mainly in the areas where the feathers are missing. Could this have anything to do with the feathers falling out?


Any help would be appreciated!

 

[DobieLover]

So a friend of mine picked up a pair of seramas from a guy that didn’t want them, and She ended up giving them to me. They are about a year to a year and a half old. The hen is missing a bunch of feathers and at first I thought she was a frazzle (extreem frizzle) but I’m not sure at this point. Does it look like mites? Is she molting? Or is she a frazzle?
She is outside right now with some diatomaceous earth. But I have been keeping her inside since it’s starting to get cold at night and I don’t want her to get cold since shes missing so many feathers


Any help would be appreciated!

You will need to examine her skin and the base of the feathers looking for small critters or egg clusters at the base of the feather shafts.
Her wing feathers in particular are very poor looking.

 

[Bennythechick]

You will need to examine her skin and the base of the feathers looking for small critters or egg clusters at the base of the feather shafts.
Her wing feathers in particular are very poor looking.

I’ve been checking since I got her and haven’t seen anything. I have her separate from my other seramas just Incase she does have them but like I said I haven’t seen anything on her. She lives with a rooster that came with her and he looks completely fine!

 

[micstrachan]

I agree her feathers look off, despite the frizzle/frazzle. Do I see bare feather shafts? She may have been over-mated in her previous flock. Can you find out if they had a rooster?

Also, if it is mites, you will need permethrin. Unfortunately, diatomaceous earth will not get rid of mites and is very hard on their fragile respiratory systems.

 

[aart]

Have you looked really closely?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

 

[Bennythechick]

I agree her feathers look off, despite the drizzle/frazzle. Do I see bare feather shafts? She may have been overrated in her previous flock. Can you find out if they had a rooster?

Also, if it is mites, you will need permethrin. Unfortunately, diatomaceous earth will not get rid of mites and is very hard on their fragile respiratory systems.

She does have bare feather shafts, yes. She was housed as a pair with the rooster she is with now. He looks completely fine. No missing feathers or anything. I’ll not repeat the DE then and if it is decided that it’s mites I’ll go get her permethrin. Is that something you would get from a vet or are you able to get it at a feed store/online?

 

[Bennythechick]

Have you looked really closely?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

I’ve looked at the base of her feathers and don’t see anything moving or built up. I have noticed her back has pretty dry skin. This is where she’s missing most feathers. There’s no flakyness but the skin seems drier than normal. Could that be what’s causing feathers to fall out?

 

[micstrachan]

My hunch is she’s been *over-mated by the rooster, in which case she’ll look better after molt. Permethrin is available at feed stores, etc. No prescription required.

*edited for typo

 

[Bennythechick]

My hunch is she’s been overrated by the rooster, in which case she’ll look better after molt. Permethrin is available at feed stores, etc. No prescription required.

Thank you so much, I’m really hoping that’s it! So do you think it would be safe for her to be put with my other two indoor hens? I planned on just keeping her indoors with these two girls and separating her from the rooster but didn’t want to risk them getting mites!

 

[micstrachan]

That’s a tough one. Are the other two new also? Typically you don’t want to mix birds from separate flocks until after a quarantine period.