Rooster Losing Feathers?

[ClareScifi]

Thanks for the info, Gals! I appreciate it. I've made a vet appointment for him tomorrow. I'm afraid of treating him for the wrong thing at his advanced age... I noticed today he picks his feet up high when walking... Researched it, and it could be scaly leg mites, which are a cousin of the mysterious depluming feather mites, which no one here seems to know anything about. I recall a few years ago I suspected he had scaly leg mites and took him to the vet. The vet didn't know whether he had scaly leg mites or not but gave him some sort of shot that he said would help, if he did have scaly leg mites. So maybe the vet can give him one of those shots again, and the tech said the vet could give him the Ivermectin, if need be. I'll try to catch him tonight and get him in a cage for tomorrow. I have a trick for getting him into a cage when he is roosting at night, high on the snow roof, which is at my shoulder level. I'll put some scrambled eggs in there for him... The cheapest Ivermectin I could find at the store was $45.00. I'm sure it will be expensive at the vet's, but that was far more than I needed...

 

[ClareScifi]

The article says pigeons carry these scaly leg mites and their depluming feather mite cousins, and we do have pigeons around here quite a bit...

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/scalylegs.html

 

[ClareScifi]

I've never heard of a head torch? Good to know about, rebrascora!

 

[ClareScifi]

Update: The vet could not detect any mites on my roo. He said the rooster is pulling out his own feathers himself. His weight is fine. No bumblefoot. He gave him a shot of Ivermectin, just in case it should be depluming feather mites (he has never seen this here), and if the feathers start to look better, I am to bring him back to the vet's office for a second shot in 2 weeks. I had them daub BluKote over the raw, irritated featherless patches. When we got home several hens started pecking madly at those blue areas, defeathering him more. I thought the BluKote was supposed to prevent that??? I have never seen the hens peck at him like that before???

 

[Chickenkeepr]

You really should keep him separated from the rest of the flock until he heals up. It will help you to monitor him as well. Start putting some probiotics/vitamins (found for chickens at the feed store) in his water. What is he being fed?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm glad you were able to see your vet.

I doubt you will see much new feather growth until he goes through his yearly molt. In the photos it looks like a lot of the "old" feathers have been broken/chewed off and the shaft is still in the skin. Those won't come back in until he molts.

A good clue as to whether the treatment is working for you, is to observe his behavior. All chickens preen/groom their feathers, but every photo you have of him he is preening and seemingly can't stand still. If he becomes more peaceable and starts to groom himself normally, then he's on his way to healing.

 

[ClareScifi]

Thanks, Wyorp.

 

[ClareScifi]

Just this morning I was wondering how I going to tell whether the shot is working. It had dawned on me that the feathers won't grow back until he molts, just this morning, before I read Wyorp's post, but I hadn't thought about the reduced preening component, and I think he isn't preening nearly as much! So thanks again, Wyorp. This is encouraging to me.

 

[ClareScifi]

Chickenkeeper, I'll bet you are right. His girls do pick at his bare areas, even with BluKote on them. But could separating him and preventing him from mating cause him to get a reproductive disorder?

 

[rebrascora]

But could separating him and preventing him from mating cause him to get a reproductive disorder?

No, it won't cause him any physiological/reproductive problems. Many people keep their roosters in a bachelor pad until they are ready to use them in breeding pens. He may become a bit stressed at being penned on his own though.

Pleased to read that he is acting less irritated after treatment. Let's hope that progress continues.
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