worried~roosters losing feathers 7 have swollen combs (pic included)

[terri1nd]

Worried sick about my roosters. I only have 2 roosters & both look pretty much the same. This is a Partridge Chantecler rooster that is 39 wks. They act normal for the most part but I have seen him shake his head once or twice, not much at all, but it could be related (I'm pretty sure it is).
They have had this problem for over a month it seems now. Son in law thought the hens were pecking them, he said he saw them, so I was concerned, but thought there was an explanation. I did dust the roosters & the roosting area with DE 2 weeks ago & sprinkled it in their food lightly as well. At that time I also sprayed some Blue Kote on the combs of the roosters, hoping it would help deter the hens from pecking them.

I live in North Dakota & we have had -22 temps, but it only has gotten as low as -4 in the coop from what we can figure so far this winter.

I brought the worst looking rooster in today so I could get a better look & take pics (I like seeing the enlarged photos to help me see better as to what might be going on.) I am fairly new to keeping chickens (all year round, have had meat birds).

here is the photo of my poor rooster! Be forewarned it is NOT pretty!

I think I will try to shampoo him in the tub with cat flea & tick shampoo, then blow dry him, maybe dust him with DE & keep him in the house in the cage for a day to make sure he is fully dry & not stressed before I take him back out to the frigid coop. I worry about transitioning him but not sure what to do in that regard either!

I'm not sure what is going on, & this has me so stressed & a nervous wreck & sometimes just feel so sorry I've gotten them, even though I do enjoy them, but I'm just so worried!

(link where I recently posted about my hens https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=443230 included because they are probably all related to what is happening)

 

[MuranoFarms]

My first thoughts: boredom, protein deficiency or not enough space. Possibly moulting if they haven't done it yet. (I have year old's moulting for the first time...weirder things have happened)

What are you feeding them? Low protein can cause feather pulling/eating, boredom can cause feather pulling.

You say 2 roo's but don't mention how many hens. I would Like to know the size of the coop and are they allowed out or kept in during this cold weather? If they are kept in...do they have a covered run they are allowed in and what size is it? Coop size isn't 'as' important if they go out every day, when they are stuck in during bad weather the problems start. If they are not going out it can be boredom also.....you can toss some scratch in their bedding to give them something to scratch around for. Hang a cabbage by a piece of twine where they can peck at it as it swings.

Have you looked them over for lice/mites?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Lice are easier to see than mites look around their vents on the feathers close to the skin you'll see the eggs attached to the feather shaft, the lice are beige in color, mites are very very tiny and black you might also see them around the vent under their wings etc.. I looked my chickens up one side and down the other and never saw the mites till they got in my hair, I felt something crawling around right after I had come in from being in their coop, went to the bath room and turned my head over the sink and with a comb they fell into the sink and started to crawl, needless to say I freaked out...I got ivermectin pour on to treat them you put it on their necks close to the skin like frontline for dogs or cats. Now I will use epernix because theres no egg withdrawl, this will also worm them too. You might go into the coop at night with a flash light and look on the birds and roost and see mites crawling too.. you'll need to treat everything coop and birds, so be prepared.. Parasites will kill them so if you suspect it's either one you best get busy and treat them.. What do you feed are they getting a good sourse of protein? could it be a fungus? you might want to look up favus also. also look up this site I think we all need to have this product in our medicine bag for our birds.. www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Quote:
X2

 

[terri1nd]

Quote:
Yep it is MITES, yikes!!!! got the heebeegeebeez now!!!

I have a total of 24 chickens. I have them on a layer feed & I throw scratch or cracked corn around for them to look for. I've also tried the cabbage on a string, it froze, tried apples=froze, orange halves=froze, you get the idea. I do occasionally get bagged produce from the grocery store they are throwing away (expiration date was the only issue) & I will toss some of the lettuce, shredded cabbage, cherry tomatoes, etc. for them. I also have grit when I give them the scratch & I sprinkle the oyster shell in with their food, since I think they ignore the oyster shell I have out in a separate container for them.
They are confined to the coop https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=9884

I did not see anything around the head, I have a wonderful coffee table that raises up towards you (turning into a dinner table, LOL) that I had him on & was taking my time looking after I dried him after the bath I gave him (with my reading glasses on), and I saw a TINY black dot near his tail feathers and IT MOVED. This is AFTER the flea & tick shampoo (for dogs) that I gave him! I put some DE in an old stocking & before I put it on him, I put some on ME. I rubbed the DE on him real good. I will deal with the rest tomorrow (Lord willing). I dusted the inside of the cage he is in also, with the DE.

I have ivermectin pour on to treat them. Wonder if I could dilute it & put some in a pressure sprayer to treat the roosting perches, nest boxes, & inside of the coop???

MITES, yikes!!!! got the heebeegeebeez now!!! I gotta go get a shower (maybe with tea tree oil!!!)