someone is pecking my girls!

[tuckertori]

I have 6 Australorps that came together in August. I also have 1 Rhode Island Red. 3 of my Australorps (6 mo. old) have bald spots about the size of a quarter on their backs where their tail feather starts. The skin isn't broken or red, just missing feathers. Any ideas? How do I treat it and what can I do to stop it? Also, in Spokane, Wa where we will have below freezing weather this winter, do my girls need to dust bathe? How can I provide the materials for that?

 

[homeschoolchick]

Sorry, I don't know about the bald spots, but you can provide a dust bath with sand inside any good size container your chickens can fit into and roll around in ..like say for example a disposable roasting pan or maybe a small sand box. You can even mix in a little seven dust in the sand for parasite prevention.