Strange destruction of flight feathers

[HereChickyChickyOfTikTok]

Hello Everyone. I have a RIR who seems to be losing her flight feathers. I’ve done my research on this and the consensus seems to be that there are three most likely causes: mites, roosters, and flock boredom. We have no roosters and she is the only one I have ever observed pick at the feathers of the others and I doubt she’s picking at her own flight feathers. Though on second thought I guess i can’t rule that out completely. I am already treating the whole flock for two varieties of mites. Thoughts?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am already treating the whole flock for two varieties of mites.

What variety of mites are you treating for and how are you treating them?

 

[HereChickyChickyOfTikTok]

What variety of mites are you treating for and how are you treating them?

Thank you. I am treating them all for scaly leg mites and spider mites. I am treating the leg mites every few days by washing/soaking their feet and legs in warm water with Epsom salt. Then I rub Vaseline all over their feet and legs up to the knees. For the spider mites, I am applying Insectrim powder to their bellies and also to their nesting boxes.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you. I am treating them all for scaly leg mites and spider mites. I am treating the leg mites every few days by washing/soaking their feet and legs in warm water with Epsom salt. Then I rub Vaseline all over their feet and legs up to the knees. For the spider mites, I am applying Insectrim powder to their bellies and also to their nesting boxes.

I'm not sure about Spider Mites, I think those only affect vegetation.

Perhaps you have a different type of mite instead (see the link below). Mites will infest housing so you will definitely want to treat the housing, roosting bars, etc., including nesting boxes. Dusting your birds around the vent, under the wings, etc. working it down through the feathers to the skin can also be helpful.
Repeat dusting and treating the coop/housing weekly to break the lifecycle and eliminate the pests.

Hopefully you can get them under control.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/ectoparasites/mites-of-poultry

 

[HereChickyChickyOfTikTok]

I'm not sure about Spider Mites, I think those only affect vegetation.

Perhaps you have a different type of mite instead (see the link below). Mites will infest housing so you will definitely want to treat the housing, roosting bars, etc., including nesting boxes. Dusting your birds around the vent, under the wings, etc. working it down through the feathers to the skin can also be helpful.
Repeat dusting and treating the coop/housing weekly to break the lifecycle and eliminate the pests.

Hopefully you can get them under control.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/ectoparasites/mites-of-poultry

Yeah, red mites, not spider mites. We dealt with a red mite infestation in the coop last summer and were able to eliminate them. Haven’t seen signs of infestation in the coop yet this spring but am treating the housing and the birds anyway. Also treating them all for leg mites just in case since one or two of them are showing slight signs of it.

But the RIR (pictured above) may have feather mites, based on the descriptions in the link you gave me. I’ll do some more research on that one because it seems like the other treatments won’t help her.

 

[HereChickyChickyOfTikTok]

Yeah, red mites, not spider mites. We dealt with a red mite infestation in the coop last summer and were able to eliminate them. Haven’t seen signs of infestation in the coop yet this spring but am treating the housing and the birds anyway. Also treating them all for leg mites just in case since one or two of them are showing slight signs of it.

But the RIR (pictured above) may have feather mites, based on the descriptions in the link you gave me. I’ll do some more research on that one because it seems like the other treatments won’t help her.

Here is the powder I use to get rid of the red mites, both on the hens and inside of the nesting boxes and the henhouse.

 

[FunClucks]

Instead of vaseline I'd do NuStock for the leg mites, if you have them. It works better, IMO. I tried both and vaseline went away quicker, also the NuStock has sulfur in it that helps a lot.

 

[HereChickyChickyOfTikTok]

Instead of vaseline I'd do NuStock for the leg mites, if you have them. It works better, IMO. I tried both and vaseline went away quicker, also the NuStock has sulfur in it that helps a lot.

Good to know. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Yeah, red mites, not spider mites. We dealt with a red mite infestation in the coop last summer and were able to eliminate them. Haven’t seen signs of infestation in the coop yet this spring but am treating the housing and the birds anyway. Also treating them all for leg mites just in case since one or two of them are showing slight signs of it.

But the RIR (pictured above) may have feather mites, based on the descriptions in the link you gave me. I’ll do some more research on that one because it seems like the other treatments won’t help her.

Ivermectin would be needed to treat depluming/feather mites.