Skin/Feather issue 8 month old Australorp

[Jdub864]

I've noticed this fluffy feather/ feather breaking going on in the last few weeks , only getting worse now. No visible mites/lice upon first inspection.

I have 8 hens , 2 roos.

2 other hens are showing begining stages of feather degradation as well. Not as severe yet.

Clean hen house, free ranging, clean water. No toxic substances in the yard.

I Have put another layer of DE in all areas. And I will be adding wood ash to their dusting areas on the next dry day.


Sorry for wet photos, it's the weather were working in today .

 

[coach723]

Looks like rooster damage to me. 8 hens is not enough for 2 roo's. Usually about 10 hens to roo is a good number, depends on the birds in question.
How old are they?

 

[Jdub864]

Looks like rooster damage to me. 8 hens is not enough for 2 roo's. Usually about 10 hens to roo is a good number, depends on the birds in question.
How old are they?

8mos. Yes I have considered that and that's why I listed the amount of birds I have. Attached is the same bird from above and one of my roosters--- he actually has the devil's toenails.

 

[coach723]

It does look like damage from being mounted. At 8 mos they are still cockerels, hormonal, ill mannered and clumsy sometimes. If you don't want more hens, then I would choose one cockerel to keep, or none if you don't want to hatch eggs or have a rooster. You can trim the nails, it may help some. I just use dog nail clippers. But two roo's are going to overmate the number of hens you have, and they are going to get beat up.
And if the boys have not started to fight over the hens, then that may be coming also, and you will have injuries from that.