My Chickens Look Horrible.. Help

[MadelineT]

My eight hens look awful. They are almost 1 year old and for the last 5-6 months they have been looking worse and worse. I should note I feed the highest protein feed I can find (18-20%) and supplement with meal worms and black oil sunflower seeds, daily. I'd be surprised if it was a protein issue. They also have access to water, oyster shells, and grit daily. I've also checked for lice and mites at night with a flashlight and can't see a thing. Why are they snapping their feathers off and eating the "fluff" around their wing and tail feathers?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Do you have a rooster?

 

[Mutchi]

They may be molting or bullying each other I would give them some toys like mirrors, more perches, and even a medal piano thing if needed

 

[KaseySnow]

If you're sure it isn't a protein or parasite issue, could it be boredom? How much time do they get outside of the coop and how much space do they have in the run? Do you let them free range? Give them toys?

Is there anything they might be rubbing their backs on in/around the coop that maybe they weren't tall enough to rub on when they were younger?

You might also try dusting them with a permethrin powder like "Poultry Dust" just to make sure it isn't lice or mites of some kind, even though you haven't spotted any. Never hurts to be thorough and eliminate possible causes!

 

[featherhead007]

I think they are bored. Just my opinion.
Hang a cabbage in the run or something they can peck at besides their own feathers

 

[MissE]

Mine look like that, but its because of my rooster. My poor Australorp is almost bald, but the rooster is her favorite out of the whole flock and she sticks to him like glue, so I don't want to separate them.

 

[50-45-1]

I believe you have one or more feather pickers.
This habit is not easily stopped once it starts
Tight confinement and boredom is a common cause
If you can identify the culprit(s) you could put pinless peepers in them. This has worked for me.
Your feather picker may or may not have feather loss herself. Depends on how many are in your flock.
Reevaluate the amount of chickens you have and the space avaliable to them.
Research some boredom busters.
Chickens are seldom still during the day and need stuff to scratch, dig and peck through.
Good luck! A plucked flock is awful to look at.

 

[KaseySnow]

I dunno if you're still having this issue or checking this thread, but you might want to dust with poultry dust just in case. Here is a thread about depluming mites that looks remarkably similar to your chickens, even down to the self-plucking behavior. I think your hens just aren't as far along as this flock was in the infestation.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/possible-depluming-mites.1459243/