Two hens have bald patch just above tail feathers - for months!

[fairfeatherfriend]

Two of my 10 hens (A Black and a Gold Sexlink) have a bald patch just above their tail feathers. At first I thought it was molting, but it has been this way for months with both of them. Can anyone tell me what the trouble might be and how to remedy it? Never seen this in my years of raising backyard hens. Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Marsi

 

[krista74]

Hi there!

The first thing that popped into my head (and only because I've just been through this fiasco with my chickens) is lice or mites. I would pick them up (have fun with that!) and check under their wings, across their backs, and around their vents for creepy crawlies. If you find any, obviously they will need to be treated.

The second thought I had was wether you might have an affectionate rooster that is a bit rough with his girls? It's not unusual for the lads to rip out a few feathers in the heat of the moment!

Finally, could they (or another chicken) be picking the feathers out themselves? I have heard that is quite common also. Apparently you can buy little coats for chickens to protect them from other birds and aggressive roosters, which allows time for the feathers to regrow.

That's all the ideas I have at the moment, but it's somewhere to start anyway!

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Krista

 

[fairfeatherfriend]

Thank you, Krista. I'll look into the mites and find out how to treat it. We don't have the rooster anymore (gone for over a year, now). I'll check with the feed store on how to treat the mite problem. Do you have any ideas? Is there a home remedy, or will I have to buy some sort of "bug-off"? If it is mites, I'm surprised they have only reached two of the hens. But we'll see. Do you mind sharing what was going on with your hens? Thanks again for your reply!

Marsi

 

[krista74]

Hi Marsi

I did a huge post on what I am now referring to as the Chicken Lice Fiasco - it's called "Houston - we have a problem". If you scroll back a couple of days you should be able to find it. It outlines the treatment process in detail. At the very least it will give you something to laugh about

If you check around your chicken's vent area and under their wings, a lice infestation will be fairly easy to spot. They are a caramel brown colour and a bit flat looking, and they crawl. They also lay greyish clumps of eggs - Blerghhh! Mites are harder to see as they are fast as lightening, but they tend to be smaller and can be reddish/black in colour. These may also be visible on perches and in nesting boxes. Both mites and lice can cause feather loss.

I used a powder called Pestene, which I bought from our local Farm Supply store. Hubby and I had to catch each one of our chickens and apply the powder everywhere, paying particular attention to their vent area, under their wings and across their backs. You have to rub it in all over the bird until it looks like it fell in a bucket of talc! The process then gets repeated a week later (to kill off the newly hatched eggs), and then you check another week after that to see if the powder has been successful.

All of the bedding and floor materials will need to be removed and burnt/disposed of. Your perches and nesting boxes have to be thoroughly disinfected too. It really is a pain in the neck! I put extra powder into the nest boxes afterwards so that each time the chickens lay they will get a dusting of powder across their bottoms!

Going forward, preventative measures might include a regular dusting of the birds and their nesting boxes and perches, and access to an outside area so that they can dust-bathe regularly.

I can't guarantee that lice or mites are definitely your problem - it could be any number of things. But these are quite common, and if one chicken has them I dare say they all will to a degree. That's a pleasant thought, isn't it!

Let us know how you go Krista

 

[fairfeatherfriend]

Hi, Krista.
I don't think it's mites or lice. And it's only two of the 10 hens. My husband and I looked this eve and did not see anything under the wings. The area above the tail feathers is totally bare with some very small stubs, but mostly red skin. I don't know who is pecking, if there is no rooster. Maybe they're doing it themselves??
Anyway - thanks for the reply. I'll go by the feed store soon to see if they have anything that will help the feathers grow back and prevent the are from being picked at. By the way, we had a foreign exchange student from NSW a few years back.
Lovely young lady named "Becca." Enjoy your life "down under"!

Marsi