Parasites?

[calsunchic]

What is going on with my girls? One as had a bald rump for a few months now. It is not wet with yeast and doesn’t totally appear to just be plucked. Do old chickens get skin atrophy? She has still been off and on laying in her 6-7th year of life.
The other has been getting mangy looking neck feathers over the last month. When you pull them back to look, the skin is healthy and clean. Appears to have smaller feathers growing out of the same root as the large one. Is it a way to replace feathers without fully molting? Has been hot here! I dusted both with DE. Any advise welcome!!

 

[casportpony]

DE won't kill parasites, try some permethrin instead.

 

[calsunchic]

Does that mean you think it’s a parasite? I don’t want to treat with permethrin if it’s not necessary. I do have some in powder form...like a garden supplement (see attached photo) Does that work? Strange question because not ingested, but Can you eat the eggs with exposure to this product?

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Permethrin is very safe for the chickens, so if you have any suspicion whatsoever of them having mites/lice, then you should treat them. The powder should work, applied properly. It won't hurt them at all, and will hopefully solve the issue. And if they still continue to have problems, then at least you know what it's not! And yes, eating there eggs is perfectly safe even during treatment.