help-bald chickens

[yotetrapper]

ok all my chickens have huge bald spots. Around their butts and on their backs. At first I thought was just molting, but has been like this for 2-3 months now...too long for moulting, right?

Do you think is from lice? How do I tell?

Any help, advice appreciated.

Angela

 

[CarriBrown]

Do you have a roo? He may be over breeding them.

 

[yotetrapper]

yes....3 of them. 18 hens and 3 roos. Guess I should get rid of some of them?

 

[ella]

Hi! It wouldn't be a bad idea to get rid of some of the roosters, but you can also try a chicken jacket.

Check out this post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5460

It has pictures of easily made jackets that fit on the hens that are being denuded, along with a link to buy them if you don't want to make them. They work very well

Edited to add: It you're worried about lice and mites you can take a flashlight out at night and look closely around their rear ends and belly feathers and see if you can find any bugs.

 

[keljonma]

3 roos for 18 hens is 2 too many roos. If you're keeping the boys for breeding, try separating the birds into breeding trios. OR separate the boys and girls so the girls can get some of the feathers back. I have found that hens seem more relaxed with each other when there isn't a roo around.

According to the Mississippi State University site...
"Birds that frequently mate may have an absence of feathers, especially on the backs and heads of hens. The males may also have feathers missing from the breast area. These feathers will grow back after the breeding season is completed."

"If feathers are missing from the abdominal and vent area, the cause is most likely the presence of external parasites such as the northern fowl mite or poultry lice. Infestations of these pests can be controlled by regular sprayings of an approved pesticide like permethrin to the birds. The house and other structures that the birds frequently visit should also be sprayed. This will ensure the elimination of any pests that can reinfest the birds. Several applications at 2 to 3 week intervals will kill pests that hatch from eggs that have been deposited prior to the initial spraying."

 

[yotetrapper]

Quote:
hmmmm.... well the feathers are missing from the backs and around the butt....one from each possibility.