Scaly leg mites or infected feather follicle

[BCR 2023]

All the chickens eat the medicated baby chick food also.

 

[BCR 2023]

So do layer food in pellets not crumbles and flock raiser or baby non medicated food correct?

 

[MarlaMac]

Layer pellets have too much calcium for roosters and not enough protien. An all flock or chick starter has less calcium and more protein which is also good for the hens. More protein will also help with their molts. I just stick with chick starter b/c I don't want to bother to go back and forth when I have babies and when I don't. Everyone seems to like it and I don't have to worry about switching out. Would definitely do non-medicated if you are going with chick starter. I have never used all flock so I don't know if it has the nutritional values necessary for baby chicks. I do Texas Naturals 20% non-medicated chick starter for everyone and offer free choice oyster shells for the ladies.

 

[ChristinaMc86]

This is what we identified as feather cysts on our 5 month old Easter Eggers. We removed most infected feathers, soaked their feet in Epsom salt and spent the next few days monitoring and pulling out and new infected feathers and now they are all healed up.

Is there a way to prevent feather cysts? From my research I know some of it is just due to the genetics of the breed, but is it possible they are missing something in their diet? They are eating a 50/50 mixture of layer food and scratch grains....then meal worms as a snack.
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Just wondering how you went about pulling them out? Did you use tweezers or pliers? Or something to that effect lol that’s exactly what my roosters feet look like