Pullets and cockerel plucking their feathers.

[Jl neighborhood flock]

I have 2 pullets and a cockerel, and lately I have noticed that they have been plucking their feathers A LOT, I’ve been finding them in the yard, does anyone know what’s going on here?
I have two buff Orpington hybrids and a black sex link.

 

[nuthatched]

How old? Are they molting or actually plucking? I'd treat them in the coop fir mites.

 

[Jl neighborhood flock]

I think 7 or 8 weeks.
After looking online it was saying it was a lack of protein, but it could be mites.

 

[FrostRanger]

100% check for mites and up protein just because that's good to do anyways, but chicks go through several molts and I suspect that's what's going on here. My 12 week olds are going through a juvenile molt and it looks like they're having pillow fights when i'm not looking lol

 

[aart]

It's just a juvenile molt....they have 2-3 before about 6 months of age.



Her's how to check them over real well for mites and/or lice:

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Look fast, they will scatter quickly once the feathers are parted and the light hits them.


Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008