Mom’s Chickens are losing feathers

[DWClay]

Hey Everyone! I’m posting for my mom! One of her chickens has been losing her butt feathers for over a month. At first she thought bullying and used Rooster Booster Peck No More. But it didn’t do anything. She’s tried new bedding and permaguard in case of lice and treated everyone and the coop twice. Just in the last week another chicken has started losing feathers at the base of her tail feathers. The golden laced Wyandotte (who was patient zero) now has absolutely no feathers on her butt and she’s started to lose them on her side.
They are nine months old!

 

[DWClay]

Some more pictures

 

[CCsGarden]

Hmm..looks like something other then molting is going on? Do you know if they have molted? The Wyandottes bottom looks very inflamed and red almost like she had an egg there.
What is there diet? Do they have enough space to walk around?

 

[paddock36]

My guess would be maybe mites. I would dust them real good with poultry dust. It was always easier to do at night for me when they were roosting.

 

[Lavender and CJ]

I am not a chicken expert by any means, but we have been through it with feather picking. If you have ruled out any disease/lice or mites, my guess would be feather picking. We noticed that ours started getting pecked in the same area on their back (not near their vent, though.) We also tried Rooster Booster Peck No More, and we found that it stopped them from being attracted to the blood but as soon as it wore off they went back to picking. I think I see that your black chicken has not lost any feathers. If you or your mom have the time, I would sit and watch them to see if the black chicken pecks at the others. Look for the chicken that hasn’t lost any feathers in that area, that is most likely the culprit. Does your mom have any more chickens than those three? Pictures of any others can help to determine who might be the picker. I hope you and your mom can resolve these issues!

 

[nuthatched]

What's their diet?
Coop size for how many girls?
The d.e won't do any good, unfortunately.

 

[DWClay]

Hmm..looks like something other then molting is going on? Do you know if they have molted? The Wyandottes bottom looks very inflamed and red almost like she had an egg there.
What is there diet? Do they have enough space to walk around?

It’s an 8’x 4’ along with a 8’ x 8’ aviary attachment for three hens! They have not molted. They get Kambach 17% Layers feed pellets along with any fruit or vegetables my mom give them!

 

[DWClay]

I am not a chicken expert by any means, but we have been through it with feather picking. If you have ruled out any disease/lice or mites, my guess would be feather picking. We noticed that ours started getting pecked in the same area on their back (not near their vent, though.) We also tried Rooster Booster Peck No More, and we found that it stopped them from being attracted to the blood but as soon as it wore off they went back to picking. I think I see that your black chicken has not lost any feathers. If you or your mom have the time, I would sit and watch them to see if the black chicken pecks at the others. Look for the chicken that hasn’t lost any feathers in that area, that is most likely the culprit. Does your mom have any more chickens than those three? Pictures of any others can help to determine who might be the picker. I hope you and your mom can resolve these issues!

It’s just the three! She has a camera in there and hasn’t seen any bullying! But she’ll keep watching!

 

[DWClay]

What's their diet?
Coop size for how many girls?
The d.e won't do any good, unfortunately.

Kambach 17% layer feed pellets along with any fruit or vegetable scraps she gives them!
8’ x 4’ coop with 8’ x 8’ aviary attachment! Is poultry powder different to DE?

 

[nuthatched]

Kambach 17% layer feed pellets along with any fruit or vegetable scraps she gives them!
8’ x 4’ coop with 8’ x 8’ aviary attachment! Is poultry powder different to DE?

Try a higher protein feed and cutting out all treats and scraps.
It's is different, DE is ground fossils of plankton and poultry dust is a medicated product.