White flakes on my hen

[flowergirl60]

One of my hens keeps picking at her feathers and when she does there is little white flakes that appear and then she eats them. Is this something I should be conerned about?

 

[Miss Lydia]

it's either chicken dander or lice. can you see anything stuck to the base of the feathers?
http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018html

 

[flowergirl60]

Nothing stuck to the base of the feathers. It looks kinda like dandruff. Just little white flakes.

 

[CMV]

If you are sure she doesn't have bugs then I would assume they are either skin flakes or flakes of keratin sheaths that cover new feathers. Birds are constantly regrowing feathers and when they preen they bust the keratin sheaths of newly formed feathers allowing the new feathers to open. Perfectly normal.

Good luck.

 

[flowergirl60]

Thanks for all the feedback. She does seem to have alot of new feathers.