Thick scaly, flaking skin (not legs)

Cherylbis

Hatching
Jan 29, 2023
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Hello, my chicken has multiple pin feathers (its January in CT), I thought it strange that she would still be molting, I noticed she's preening a lot. I looked her over for mites, since we did have a bout of them in late summer (northern foul mite), but didn't see any. What i did see were thick, flaking scales of skin. Some fathers were coming off with the scales. This was on her back, not under the wing, legs look normal. We do not have roosters. Any ideas?
She's a barred rock, almost 6 years old, 5 chickens in flock.
 

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When the new feathers grow in, they're covered with a keratin covering. The chickens preen that off, and it looks like big flakes of dandruff. Is that what you're seeing? If so, it's nothing to worry about.
No, it's not typical molt dandruff. Some of the flakes are really thick, 1/4 inch, big yellow slabs that when they give, the new pin feathers shed with it.
 
Hi Cherylbis, my chickens have the same thing! But on their faces and neck. Any luck finding out what it is or a treatment that works? I couldnt decide if fungal or mites. Treated for both and nothing worked. Am focusing now on treating it like it might be depluming mites under the skin, though I can't see any mites. I have been using oil to suffocate them and ivermectin drops, and now the skin is peeling off a lot for most of them just like yours and worse. Would love to know if you found out what it was?
 
Hi Cherylbis, my chickens have the same thing! But on their faces and neck. Any luck finding out what it is or a treatment that works? I couldnt decide if fungal or mites. Treated for both and nothing worked. Am focusing now on treating it like it might be depluming mites under the skin, though I can't see any mites. I have been using oil to suffocate them and ivermectin drops, and now the skin is peeling off a lot for most of them just like yours and worse. Would love to know if you found out what it was?
I'm wondering if you figured out what the problem was.
 
Any updates? One of my roosters has a 'patch', about 4"x4" on the back of his neck. It looks like really thick dandruff, has pin feathers within it but no full feathers in the patch. The 'patch' is not visible until you pick up the full feathers around it. Haven't seen any lice or bugs, no symptoms of any illness and is acting normally otherwise. I check 1-2 chickens a day & so far he's the only one I've seen with that.
Unfortunately, he did not give me permission to take his picture.

Anyone figure anything out?
 

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