Raised/ruffled feathers

[RCL]

For the past couple of weeks my 11 month old cuckoo marans Roxanne has had raised and ruffled feathers on her back. They appear somewhat curled and the tips are split/ragged. Does this indicate a problem?

I have ruled out:

• Pecking: she is not getting pecked at; she’s at the top of the pecking order, and all 4 of our girls get along. We don’t have a rooster so that’s not the culprit
• Mites: I have looked through her feathers and don’t see any. I also inspected the roost and didn’t find any. She regularly dust bathes and the coop is dusted with diatomaceous earth.

Other nown health concerns:

• Roxanne is our largest chicken, and she has what I suspect is a hernia. If I put my hand between her legs and move my hand back toward her vent, there is a softball-sized squishy bulge hanging low. There is no feather loss on the bulge, and when I inspected the skin it is flesh-toned and doesn’t appear to be blood or fluid filled. I suspect a hernia but possibly ascites. She has had this condition for months so I don’t think it’s necessarily related to the feather situation.

Other symptoms:

• None. She eats heartily, lays beautiful eggs nearly daily, plays with her sisters, responds enthusiastically to treats and petting, and carries her tail high as she walks around.

Observation:

• Her ruffled feathers started around the time our youngest pullet laid her first egg. Coincidence or correlated?

Notes about the photos: her tail is down for balance as she had just jumped up on a log. She normally carries it high.

 

[Lollychicken]

Do you have a rooster??

 

[RCL]

Do you have a rooster??

Hi! Nope, no rooster here.

 

[Lollychicken]

Hmm, not too sure what would cause that if it wasn't a rooster

 

[RCL]

Another angle. Still not sure what’s going on. I’m going to give her an epsom salt bath today and see if that helps somehow.

 

[RCL]

Another angle. Still not sure what’s going on. I’m going to give her an epsom salt bath today and see if that helps somehow.

Update: I gave her a bath and found lice and red colored mites near her vent. I still didn’t see any on top of her back, but maybe that’s the issue?

 

[Lollychicken]

Yeah, that could be a cause, I would do the rest of the chickens now, because if one has them the rest could

 

[Beard4]

Update: I gave her a bath and found lice and red colored mites near her vent. I still didn’t see any on top of her back, but maybe that’s the issue?

Does epsom salt kill them? I am researching now to find how to get rid of them.. I have also done check after check and don’t see a mite or live but ruffled/tattered feathers are getting worse.

 

[RCL]

Does epsom salt kill them? I am researching now to find how to get rid of them.. I have also done check after check and don’t see a mite or live but ruffled/tattered feathers are getting worse.

Hi @Beard4! No, the epsom salt bath didn’t seem to kill the lice and mites (I’m treating those with permethrin) - but her feathers went back to normal after the bath! I had her soak for about 20 mins, and blow dried her before sending her back out to play. I learned that blow drying a chicken is a very lengthy process LOL! But her feathers are no longer ruffled!

I will note, it was WAY easier to find the lice and mites when her feathers were wet. I had looked multiple times when she was dry and found nothing. When she was wet they became very obvious.

pics attached: Roxanne looking aghast that I’ve dared to stick her in water. Pic of nits (lice eggs) on her feather shaft, and live louse that I pulled off. Gross!

 

[Beard4]

Hi @Beard4! No, the epsom salt bath didn’t seem to kill the lice and mites (I’m treating those with permethrin) - but her feathers went back to normal after the bath! I had her soak for about 20 mins, and blow dried her before sending her back out to play. I learned that blow drying a chicken is a very lengthy process LOL! But her feathers are no longer ruffled!

I will note, it was WAY easier to find the lice and mites when her feathers were wet. I had looked multiple times when she was dry and found nothing. When she was wet they became very obvious.

pics attached: Roxanne looking aghast that I’ve dared to stick her in water. Pic of nits (lice eggs) on her feather shaft, and live louse that I pulled off. Gross!

Thanks, this is Pepper!

yes blow drying is a job!! I’ve given an egg bound chicken a bath