Silkie Cockerel missing his beard

[bobbieschicks]

My 43 week old Partridge Silkie keeps his face smooshed down so well that I just noticed he's missing almost all of his beautiful beard. What could cause this? Is it molt? I also noticed his lovely green tail feathers are reduced in number and he has mostly fluffy white feathers there now.

Here's a close up of his face.

 

[Habibs Hens]

its possible that as you say his head is scooched down all the time that the feathers have rubbed away

silkie feathgers are so soft that its a possibility

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Some of the hens might be feather picking?

 

[Debbi]

If he doesn't have mites, I would say he is going into his adult molt. Looks like he lost a lot of his crest too?

 

[bobbieschicks]

If he doesn't have mites, I would say he is going into his adult molt. Looks like he lost a lot of his crest too?

Yes now that you mention it I notice his topknot isn't as full and dark as it used to be. He was treated for mites about a month ago along with all the others. I gave them all IVermectin pour on drops and I had sevin dusted the coop when I cleaned it out. I hadn't noticed mites, I just did it because my older chicks were starting to look ratty. I wonder if they are all old enough to be going into molt since the juveniles still look fine. My oldest is 57weeks old. He is 43 weeks old.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes now that you mention it I notice his topknot isn't as full and dark as it used to be. He was treated for mites about a month ago along with all the others. I gave them all IVermectin pour on drops and I had sevin dusted the coop when I cleaned it out. I hadn't noticed mites, I just did it because my older chicks were starting to look ratty. I wonder if they are all old enough to be going into molt since the juveniles still look fine. My oldest is 57weeks old. He is 43 weeks old.

I have been looking and all the info I read says adult molts are between 18 and 20 months old. But Davy isn't even a year old, so how likely is it he's going through a molt?

 

[bobbieschicks]

I treated him and the rest of the flock over 22 weeks old for mites so hopefully they will all look good soon.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
They do go through mini-molts. It is possible that it is a molt...but mites should always be ruled out with feather loss. You did good.

Don't forget to retreat every week until bugs are dead, to get the hatching eggs.
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/pesticides.html

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ig140

 

[peepblessed]

I have a bearded black hen that seem to over night lose her beard down to bare skin - a patch about the size of a quarter. I treated for mite though I saw no sign of any and posted a note on here and got no answers. It stayed bare for about 4 months and finally grew back in nice a full! Still a mystery to me!

 

[aoxa]

I have a bearded black hen that seem to over night lose her beard down to bare skin - a patch about the size of a quarter. I treated for mite though I saw no sign of any and posted a note on here and got no answers. It stayed bare for about 4 months and finally grew back in nice a full! Still a mystery to me!

I don't know if this helps, but my Ameraucana bantams have their beards picked clean. The cause: A cute little blue Pullet named Beyonce. She is the only one left with a fluffy beard, and I have caught her at it.