Flock of Golden Laced Wyandottes losing feathers!! Please help!

[ACTWESTWING]

I have a flock of golden laced wyandotte chickens that are losing their feathers. I have given them vitamin water, apple cider vinegar and changed their feed and still no change. I have another chicken in the same pen and she hasnt lost any feathers. Could she be the culprit? I have checked to see if i could see lice or mites and no sign of that. The hens are losing feathers on their backs and bottoms and the rooster is too and he's also losing feathers from his chest. Here are some pics to show what i mean.


As you can see he has no feathers on his chest when he should have the usual golden laced feathers. All he has is fluff.


She is completely pink skined and featherless on her back and under parts.


This hen is all Fluff like the rooster and bare underneath.

As you can see they dont even hardly resemble golden laced chickens bc of the feather loss. What could be going on?!!

 

[BackyardCountry]

your chickens are molting. its COMPLETELY normal, in fact expected. dont worry, they'll grow back in a couple weeks.

 

[ACTWESTWING]

They've looked like this all winter tho and the rooster i got a month ago is now losing his feathers. So i dont think it's molting.

 

[This_chicks_place]

Mites.

 

[ACTWESTWING]

Would'nt the other hen that i have with them that is feathered perfectly be affected also?

 

[ACTWESTWING]

Also there are no feathers laying ANYWHERE around the pen. I have seen them eat the feathers before.

 

[dawg53]

Looks like molt to me, and your birds are eating the feathers as you mentioned. Feathers are extra protein for them. I recommend that you purchase gamebird feed which has higher protein content than layer feed. Feed them the gamebird feed and their feathers will regrow sooner and feather eating will stop. Eventually wean them off the gamebird feed back to layer feed once they are feathered out.
Not all birds molt at once, it varies.

 

[bigpapa0101]

If they are eating each others feathers the old timers way of doing it is to give the a little bit styrofoam,but not to much so it will not hurt them.Atlest it has never hurt any of mine

 

[ACTWESTWING]

Those are two great answers I will try the game bird feed and if that doesn't work i'll do the styrofoam!!

 

[bigpapa0101]

Keep imformed if it works for you and your chickens.Hope you the best.