How much itching/scratching/grooming is normal?

[hems_and_hens]

Hi everyone! I've had my 5 pullets (~16 weeks old) for a week now and am a first-time chicken keeper. I'm noticing they are doing quite a lot of scratching at themselves during the day when they are in the coop. I am not sure if this is normal grooming/preening (I don't see them go for the preen gland but maybe I am missing it) or if they are itchy for a reason I should be fixing. I have not seen them do this when they are in the run, just when inside. They will all stand around inside and scratch for stretches of ~10 minutes straight, and this seems to happen a few times throughout the day. We checked one of the birds for lice/mites and didn't see any, but they're still a bit nervous around us and it's tough to check thoroughly. I just want them to be comfortable and am worried, but perhaps this is normal/a symptom of boredom? I uploaded a video to dropbox that shows some of the scratching behaviour if anyone cares to look: https://www.dropbox.com/s/itv417h6wjhn7v5/VID_20201002_134526.mp4?dl=0

A few random notes in case you have questions:
- They have mixed wood chips (my partner is an arborist) as bedding/litter in the coop
- They're on the same pellet feed as they had at their previous home, although the environment is quite different (went from a group of ~50 chickens in a small space to being the only 5 in a large coop)
- I have fed small amounts of several different types of treats (pumpkin seeds, oatmeal, mealworms, crickets, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, watermelon)
- They are eating and drinking enthusiastically/normally
- They have naturally occurring dry dirt in their run that they have dust bathed in

Thank you so much all!

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Since you checked them for parasites like lice or mites and they don't have any I would say they are just primping and trying to look their best.

 

[hems_and_hens]

Have you checked them for parasites like lice or mites?

I checked one bird for lice/mites and didn't see any, though it was difficult to do what I'd consider a comprehensive check because they are still nervous around us.

 

[aart]

I checked one bird for lice/mites and didn't see any, though it was difficult to do what I'd consider a comprehensive check because they are still nervous around us.

I find exams to be much easier by grabbing them off the roost at night.


My Bug Check notes:
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[azygous]

Getting started pullets from a private source is a risk you'll import something in addition to the chickens. As @MrFluffyandGirls suggested, check for bugs. It's not normal for them to be scratching as much as you've indicated.

Look around the vents. That's where parasites hang out mostly. Lice will be larger than mites and move around. Mites may just come out at night, but the chicken's skin may show bites and red irritation. Check for mites at night with a flashlight. You should see them crawling up the chickens' legs while roosting.

Scratching can also signal pain, not just itching, so check for wounds and swelling. Conveniently, a chicken will point you to what hurts by scratching there. If they are all scratching their ears, then look inside the ears for signs of swelling, crusting and discharge.

 

[hems_and_hens]

Getting started pullets from a private source is a risk you'll import something in addition to the chickens. As @MrFluffyandGirls suggested, check for bugs. It's not normal for them to be scratching as much as you've indicated.

Look around the vents. That's where parasites hang out mostly. Lice will be larger than mites and move around. Mites may just come out at night, but the chicken's skin may show bites and red irritation. Check for mites at night with a flashlight. You should see them crawling up the chickens' legs while roosting.

Scratching can also signal pain, not just itching, so check for wounds and swelling. Conveniently, a chicken will point you to what hurts by scratching there. If they are all scratching their ears, then look inside the ears for signs of swelling, crusting and discharge.

This is so helpful, thank you! I'll check tonight!

 

[hems_and_hens]

Since you checked them for parasites like lice or mites and they don't have any I would say they are just primping and trying to look their best.

Let's hope I just have a bunch of primping divas!

 

[hems_and_hens]

Just wanted to post a quick follow-up to this in case it's helpful to anyone with similar issues - we checked the birds a few times and couldn't see any bugs, but I was confident we were missing them. I took one bird to the vet and it took them a while but they eventually found a few lice! If you're a new chicken keeper, recommend getting someone with a trained eye to look for lice, which run away when you separate the feathers!

 

[RainbowHen]

Just wanted to post a quick follow-up to this in case it's helpful to anyone with similar issues - we checked the birds a few times and couldn't see any bugs, but I was confident we were missing them. I took one bird to the vet and it took them a while but they eventually found a few lice! If you're a new chicken keeper, recommend getting someone with a trained eye to look for lice, which run away when you separate the feathers!

What a smart move! So glad you got help. Buggers sure can be hard to spot especially if the bird isn't heavily infested