What the heck is this???

Kourtnie

RedWolfn'Racer
6 Years
Mar 15, 2013
48
5
31
Bettsville, Ohio
Some of my girls have developed "raw" spots on their cushions. I did some research and found a picture of mites in my chicken health for dummies book but there are no eggs like in the picture. If it were mites wouldn't all my girls have them and as you can see in the pictures below, some have it and some don't. Any ideas and is there anything I can do for them? Thanks so much in advance!!!











 
Do you have any roosters? In the process of mating, roosters may wear off the feathers on a hen's back and neck. Could your hens be picking at eachother? I would still dust for mites/lice as a precaution.
 
Sevin dust can be applied to the chickens by hand or by using a pillowcase with a 1/2 cup of sevin dust gathered around the neck and applying it to the bird. The coop and nest boxes need to be cleaned out and sprayed or dusted. Permethrin spray is good for that.
 
I'm pretty fanatic about keeping my girls clean. They are dusted for mites, the coop is constantly cleaned and dusted as well as the yard. When I first saw one with the raw spot I cleaned everything up and dusted again. The only ones that have the raw spots are a couple of my Araucanas but not all of them. Out of my 23 hens, only three of them have the raw spots.
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I only have hens and yes, they will from time to time peck at each other, if the younger ones get a little to big for their britches the older ones will put them in their place.
 
I'm pretty fanatic about keeping my girls clean. They are dusted for mites, the coop is constantly cleaned and dusted as well as the yard. When I first saw one with the raw spot I cleaned everything up and dusted again. The only ones that have the raw spots are a couple of my Araucanas but not all of them. Out of my 23 hens, only three of them have the raw spots.
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I only have hens and yes, they will from time to time peck at each other, if the younger ones get a little to big for their britches the older ones will put them in their place.
What do you dust them with? Methionine is an amino acid in addition to other amino acids that are in a bird's diet. If they are lacking this protein, they can resort to feather picking. If you are just feeding a 16% layer ration, mix half grower/starter or game bird crumbles. Give a high quality vitamin supplement like Avian Super Pack in their water a few times a week. Probiotics are also essential in the bird's diet. I prefer the water dispersible powders like Probios since they are more easily utilized in the bird's digestive tract. Of course, you likely know they don't need dusting or spraying unless you see mites or lice.
 
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Where do you dust for mites..... in the coop, in the yard, on the chicken, or all?

You dust the birds themselves with 5% Sevin dust or poultry dust to kill any mites on their body. But you should also clean out and dust the coop, as mites like to hide in crevices in wood/plastic. For the coop, you can also spray it with vinegar or liquid Sevin instead of dusting, as that will help kill the mites as well.
 
SO you only have hens. Are there any of the birds who still have all intact feathers?
You may have a a bully hen.

There are only 3 out of 23 hens with the small raw spots on their cushion. As careful as I am and with only three of them with the issue I didn't think it would be mites even if thats the only picture I found that was somewhat close to what my girls look like and hence the reason for posting here
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None of the RIRs or the Isa Browns have any indication of mites
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I'm going to sit out there all evening and tomorrow and watch to see if any of them are picking on the younger three with the missing cushion feathers. I'm going to clean everything out again just in case...
 
Hi there. One o my 4 girls has the same thing. Except its in her tush area and left wing. I thought she wa molting but the feathers are not coming back. She has been like this for several months. I also don't think it's mites since she is the only one with this, I would assume everyone else would catch it too. She is in great health, appetite, just balding in spots. Not sure what to do.
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