Not mites and no rooster

[woodenfarm]

Any ideas?
She was the only one now I have 3 or 4 like this. I have looked and no signs of mites on any of them.
Over look the mess my 5yr old help give scratch that day.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Looks like feather pecking. How's the size of your setup, and what percentage protein feed are you giving? Are you feeding a lot of scratch? (Scratch doesn't contain much protein, and the chickens will eat it as a filler food. Then they crave protein and start looking to the other hens for it.)

 

[aart]

How old are birds?
All same breed and same source?
Have the feathers always looked like that?

 

[woodenfarm]

They have alot of room we turned a horse stable at the barn into the coop it is big and the run is a good size we are about to make it bigger once we move the baby chicks down when they get to size.
There are 10 ladies always been together a little over a year old. Rhode island reds, Orpington, austrilop and leghorn.

 

[woodenfarm]

The feathers just started like this a month ago

Maybe to much scratch
They have oyster shells

 

[woodenfarm]

I have seen one of the leghorn trying to mate with another hen could that be the cause of these horrible looking feathers.
She has took on more of a rooster tried flogging me once or twice

 

[aart]

Could just be 'weak' brittle feathers, easily shredded when mounted.
Or they could be pecking at feathers looking for animal protein,
but that usually causes them to break off.
Or could be feather mites, invisible as they live inside the feather shaft and thus hard to treat.
Changing feed now will have no effect, new feathers will come in during molt.

 

[chonsey]

One of my favorite Brahma hens looked like that, I added Sunflower Seeds to her diet-wasn't sure if it was because I moved her to the new coop or if she was molting? I heard they remove the oil out of the soy before they make the feed, so I thought sunflowers are good protein, selenium, & vitamin E might help. Let me know what you find out, I was wondering if my hen might have a sensitivity to soy since they are adding it to everything-I also bought her feed with no soy. I mixed oats, sunflower seeds, with soy-free feed. That was start of winter - Her feathers are fine now. Still would like to know what it is or what causes it.

 

[aart]

That was start of winter - Her feathers are fine now.

Did she molt?

 

[chonsey]

She is a young hen, hatched her out last year. I just didn't know why her feathers were fluffy like that. Getting a neighbor's coop had me nervous, I power washed it. But since it is made of pole barn material inside, cleans easy. I checked for mites, etc. Didn't find anything. It's been so cold here in Michigan, today it's finally thawed enough where I can do Spring Cleaning. Will be cutting through the metal roof to put a skylight in, or a cupola for ventilation & natural light. Whatever I can find at a garage sale this spring - I do not like my coop being so dark. Never thought of molting until I read it here. I thought it was a food issue.