Mysterious Feather Loss....

[Jakenhoss]

Quote:
I noticed that most of your flock is black or of dark colors. It is not easy to find the mites on dark colored birds. I have mostly dark birds and the only way I actually new I had mites was from the one white bird I had. You can fluff their feather on the ruff, (neck) to see if there are/is anything abnormal. My birds were loosing their feathers also and I was at a loss as to what to do. I didn't think they could molt for that long. I was given a white wynadotte and she actually came with mites but she was dropping her feathers like the others, and there was no sign of any in the pen. I couldn't figure out why my birds were going bald and there were no feathers to show for it. I then remembered that the birds eat the feathers especially if they are lacking protein. I caught each bird, 14 at the time, and put 7 dust on them and the problem disappeared. I caught them one by one and when I had dusted them I put them in the yard so I wouldn't forget who was powdered and who wasn't. You might want to dust them just for good measure and maybe that might be the problem.

Keep us informed on the progress with the feathers and their behavior.

Good luck to you. Don't hesitate to ask for help. There is always someone out there that has experienced or knows how to cure, fix or tell you where to look for help.

 

[Ogress]

Quote:
My guess is molting. I have many hens molting this year even though some are only 9 months old. They only gave me eggs for about a month, and then their tail-feathers al started falling out, then neck and body. My Lavender Orps look like zombie brides, their few remaining tattered feathers sticking out like scraps of lace from the downy fluff on their backs. I was panicked because my older hatchery hens did not molt until they were nearly 2 years old, and they just lost a feather here and there. I was certain some disease was going to kill my flock; but then I saw the thread here with ugly molting pictures, and now I think mine don't look so bad. Half the flock (25 hens, 3 roos) have now grown in all their new feathers, they are beautifu. Those hens are laying again. Others have just started to molt.

 

[Christie Rhae]

I promise you they are pecking each other. Your story sounds exactly like mine. They were pecking each other and eating the feathers. I only saw it happen once though it affected much of my flock of hens. I could not figure it out because I rarely saw it happening and was sure the others would not let themselves get plucked. But I think it was happening when they would dust bathe. A hen would walk up to the bather and just start pulling feathers out and eating them. The one getting plucked would just lay there. I read somewhere that chickens don't feel pain the way you would think.
I did everything... let them free range all over the place, upped protein, applied goop. It lessened but I still had bald bottoms running around. The problem finally went away when they had their first molt. Kooky chickens.

Here is a link to my original post
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=496292

 

[aoxa]

One of my chickens eats loose feathers. I don't know why.. She only eats the small ones.. Maybe you have a feather eater as well? She does not peck the feathers off her flock mates, only eats them once they fall off. It's either that or they are molting, which they can do in their first year. Or it could be rooster damage

 

[amillecay]

I had pretty much the same problem going on I havn't seen any feather eating or anything but i have been watching them I read the thread and it gave me some good ideas! The same thing was happening with my rooster I had more than one and i am geeting rid of them next week (the roosters) and I am hoping i can help stop some of this crazy stuff going on!!