What could be causing this?

[sufferingnomad]

I have a frizzle that Is missing the "meat" of the feathers on it's right wing. The Quills of the feathers are still there but the stuff that makes a feather a feather is gone. I have named it skeletor because all the quills where the feathers should be look like a rib cage. What could be causing this? Do I have to wait for him to molt his feathers to fix this? It's the feathers one would clip, if clipping it's wings.

 

[Gresh]

Hm, that sounds bizarre. Are the feather quills the full length of the normal feather, or are they shorter? If they're shorter, they could just be new feathers coming in...often the shafts are the only things showing, and then the feathers come out of the shafts later. Has the chicken molted recently?

 

[sufferingnomad]

I don't think the chicken has molted yet. It's only 5-6 months. Free on Craig's list. And they are the size of full feathers.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I don't think the chicken has molted yet. It's only 5-6 months. Free on Craig's list. And they are the size of full feathers.

Can you post some photos so we can see what you see?

Any signs of mites/lice?

https://chickenwired.wordpress.com/2014/09/21/parasites-of-poultry/

 

[sufferingnomad]

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[sufferingnomad]

 

[sufferingnomad]

Here are some pictures.

 

[sufferingnomad]

I haven't seen mites or lice, but they're hard to catch, and I really wouldn't know what I was looking for.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They are stripped alright.
Could possibly mites/lice or some feather picking. Some birds will pick/strip another birds feathers.

Since you just got them, treatment for lice/mites may be in order. You can give them a dusting with poultry dust which is found at your local feed store. Repeat in 7days.

You may also want to add some extra protein to their diet, you can do this by either feeding a commercial all flock/flock raiser feed (20%protein) or giving them some scrambled/hard boiled egg, tuna, mackerel or meat. Make sure to provide oyster shell for those that are laying eggs.

Watch their behavior, if you see the bird pulling/stripping it's own feathers and "itching" a lot then you may have some feather mites. These burrow in/under the feather shaft and cannot be seen (microscopic), if you see this, then you may want to treat for those. Ivermectin will be the treatment of choice for those. But initially try the poultry dust.

At 5-6months of age, he won't grow in new feathers until he molts.


Here's more info on mite/lice, treatment and how to you can help prevent them:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html
http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/02/mites-how-to-prevent-them-and-treat.html
http://fresheggsdaily.com/2012/01/dust-bathing-beauties.html

 

[sufferingnomad]

Thank you Wyorp rock for the helpful information. I **** sure don't want lice or mites either!!