Mom’s hens saddle bald - no rooster.

[Venicecoop]

greetings and thanks in advance for all advice. My mom has three hens that were hatched last November and began laying in the last month or so. She recently noticed the Rhode Island Red going bald in the saddle and tried some DE and then blue Pick No More (pic after DE). She handles the birds a great deal and sees no evidence of mites or lice. Now the Easter Egger is also looking like it’s got less saddle feathers. The only one without issue is Boomer, the Barred Rock, who seems to be top of the pecking order. We were beginning to think she was a crow less rooster but then she started laying.

The birds are on all purpose food with high calcium, healthy and protein snacks (they are her babies and she makes them mixes of whole seeds, oatmeal, meal worms, and they get yogurt and a variety of fresh greens and fruit).

As Boomer’s saddle looks fine, I think she’s the culprit. Mom has seen the girls pick at their own feathers but very infrequently.

Advice would be much appreciated.

 

[cmom]

Check carefully for mites. I had some birds looking similar and upon close inspection I discovered some mites. I have been treating all of the coops and they are looking better. So far, I had some in one coop and then discovered some in another coop so now I have been treating all of the coops. I have no idea where they came from.

 

[rebrascora]

In my opinion, if Boomer was the culprit you would see her doing it more often. My feeling is that this might be depluming mites which are microscopic. The treatment is systemically with Ivermectin I believe. There would probably be an egg withdrawal period.

 

[cmom]

Check carefully for mites. I had some birds looking similar and upon close inspection I discovered some mites. I have been treating all of the coops and they are looking better. So far, I had some in one coop and then discovered some in another coop so now I have been treating all of the coops. I have no idea where they came from.

I use Permethrin. You can get it at most feed stores. Tractor Supply carries it. I buy the large container and mix it with water in a large sprayer and I spray the inside of the coop, roosts and nest boxes.
https://www.amazon.com/Martins-Perm...d=1527961917&sr=8-5&keywords=permethrins&th=1

 

[Venicecoop]

In my opinion, if Boomer was the culprit you would see her doing it more often. My feeling is that this might be depluming mites which are microscopic. The treatment is systemically with Ivermectin I believe. There would probably be an egg withdrawal period.

I googled the Ivermectin. It seems to need a prescription? There’s no vet in mom’s area that sees chickens for under $200 (exotic pet). Any ideas where I can get this or is there a substitute? Thanks so much

 

[Venicecoop]

I use Permethrin. You can get it at most feed stores. Tractor Supply carries it. I buy the large container and mix it with water in a large sprayer and I spray the inside of the coop, roosts and nest boxes.
https://www.amazon.com/Martins-Perm...d=1527961917&sr=8-5&keywords=permethrins&th=1

Thanks so much! What do you use on the chickens?

 

[cmom]

I get it from Tractor Supply, https://www.amazon.com/Martins-Perm...d=1527961917&sr=8-5&keywords=permethrins&th=1

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The only one without issue is Boomer, the Barred Rock, who seems to be top of the pecking order. We were beginning to think she was a crow less rooster but then she started laying.

The birds are on all purpose food with high calcium, healthy and protein snacks (they are her babies and she makes them mixes of whole seeds, oatmeal, meal worms, and they get yogurt and a variety of fresh greens and fruit).

You mention that you were beginning to think that Boomer was a crow-less rooster...what behavior made you think that? Is she mounting the other hens?

Can you tell us what an all purpose feed is? The protein content?
How much space do you have for the chickens (sq.ft. of coop/run)?

 

[cmom]

Is she mounting the other hens?
Can you tell us what an all purpose feed is? The protein content?
How much space do you have for the chickens (sq.ft. of coop/run)?

I have had a dominant female mount other females but I don't think that is it or the poster probably would have noticed. I think it is more likely mites or similar. There are depluming mites. They are so small and hard to see, almost microscopic. I initially used DE and several other products and still got mites. I bathed the birds using flea shampoo which helped some. I started spraying the coops and misting the birds in the evening starting once a week when they go to roost with Permethrin which will kill a variety of mites. I spray the inside of the coop totally including the walls. I had never had mites before and was very surprised when I saw them on some of my birds after looking very closely after noticing they were preening a lot and some were loosing some feathers. Since the feathers have been growing in nicely after the treatments. I don't know where the mites came from because I have not introduced any new birds to my flocks. I may have brought them in when attending a farm swap or wild birds can introduce them. I have seen some rough looking birds at the swaps at times. I initially sprayed inside my coops weekly. I sprayed all of the coops, I don't want them back. Now when I clean the coops I spray. We have had a lot of rain as of late and so the warm and damp weather is prime conditions for the mites from research I have done. While some mites live on the chickens, some chicken mites live in cracks and crevices in the coop during the day and come out at night to feed on the chickens’ blood. Remember that your chickens might have a chicken mite problem even if you don’t see any mites on the birds.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Having feathers and skin scrapings microscopically examined by a vet is always best. Depluming (feather) mites live in the feather shaft and feed off the blood and cannot be seen unless under a microscope. Topical treatments (dusts/sprays) are not effective on this particular mite. They require a systemic treatment like Ivermectin which is absorbed into the bloodstream. If using a treatment like Ivermectin, the user needs to do some research on egg/meat residues and find a throw away period that they are comfortable with.

It won't hurt to treat the chickens with a Permethrin based poultry spray or dust to see if that makes a difference. Lice live on the chicken while mites live in the coop and come feed at night. So if mites are the problem, then the OP would not see while inspecting during the day, they would need to check the birds and housing well after dark.

In the photos on the bare backed chicken, I see a lot of broken feathers, some scabs from picking and general all around damage. Even the Barred Rock has some feather damage. There is definitely picking going on-could be a combination of external parasites and being plucked/picked on while roosting. OP also mentions the DE was applied before photos were taken, so I assume that is some of the dander looking "stuff" we see.

Someone that has birds infested with feather mites will see their birds constantly picking at themselves to the point of removing their own feathers, birds will even dig at their own skin leaving large wounds, feathers will have a stripped appearance. Birds likely will not be eating/drinking well due to the misery of scratching/plucking themselves.