White spots on head and pale face

Peaches2019

Chirping
Nov 26, 2019
13
49
79
Auburn, washington
My Rhode island red/white has white feather tips on her head. I was finally able to grab her and I tried to scrape the feathers with finger and some of them fell out. She also is pale in face. I'm thinking mites but nothing on her butt or under wings. The other two sisters don't show any signs. In Oct I had a pest possum or raccoon scare them badly. The one in question was scared the most and was caught in fence trying to get out. Any ideas?
 
My Rhode island red/white has white feather tips on her head. I was finally able to grab her and I tried to scrape the feathers with finger and some of them fell out. She also is pale in face. I'm thinking mites but nothing on her butt or under wings. The other two sisters don't show any signs. In Oct I had a pest possum or raccoon scare them badly. The one in question was scared the most and was caught in fence trying to get out. Any ideas?
A picture would help a lot. Are you saying some of the feathers fell out? Or did some of the white stuff fall off?
Both, feathers came out and white stuff came off. Trying to figure out how to post pictures.
 
I'll post pic tommorow
IMG_20201219_135605.jpg
IMG_20201219_135615.jpg

I hope you can see from these pictures.
 
I hope you can see from these pictures.


It looks like she's going through a partial molt. Feathers loosen and fall out, as that's what molting is. The white flakes are the sheaths that surround the new feathers coming in. As the feather grows, the sheath flakes off. My pullets are doing the same thing. It looks like giant dandruff on their black feathers. In other words, this is totally normal, so don't worry. :)
 
It looks like she's going through a partial molt. Feathers loosen and fall out, as that's what molting is. The white flakes are the sheaths that surround the new feathers coming in. As the feather grows, the sheath flakes off. My pullets are doing the same thing. It looks like giant dandruff on their black feathers. In other words, this is totally normal, so don't worry. :)
So her face that looks like it needs lotion is part of the process too?
 
It looks like she's going through a partial molt. Feathers loosen and fall out, as that's what molting is. The white flakes are the sheaths that surround the new feathers coming in. As the feather grows, the sheath flakes off. My pullets are doing the same thing. It looks like giant dandruff on their black feathers. In other words, this is totally normal, so don't worry. :)
Thank you so much for your help. Worried mom was beside herself.
Still confused about the paleness of the face. Normal too?
 
It looks like she's going through a partial molt. Feathers loosen and fall out, as that's what molting is. The white flakes are the sheaths that surround the new feathers coming in. As the feather grows, the sheath flakes off. My pullets are doing the same thing. It looks like giant dandruff on their black feathers. In other words, this is totally normal, so don't worry. :)
Thank you so much for your help. Worried mom was beside herself.
Still confused about the paleness of the face. Normal too?
@Sally PB has it right, looks like sheaths from the new feathers coming in.

It's not uncommon for a molting bird to be pale since generally they are not in lay. If you think back, likely you will find that her comb and wattles have probably shrunk a little as well (which would be normal during molt). Once she's finished molting and her time has come to go back into lay, you should see her comb/face/wattles start to plump and redden back up.
 

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