[Chicka17]

Hi,  I have 7 chickens all very well fed, kept in clean conditions, wormed and sprayed for mites.  Much loved pets and exceptional layers (rarely miss a day).  They should look beautiful but they look like they are totally un cared for.  Their feathers are awful. 

It started with a little fluffy patch at the base of their tail feathers, then they got tatty tail feathers, then their other feathers went the same.  Now the only way I can describe their feathers is like a very rough coconut mat. All my chicken keeping friends have had a look to see if I have missed something but they are a puzzled as I am.  Then we decided that when they moulted they would right themselves.  They are starting to get new feathers on their neck now but the same thing is happening again.

I have attached photos of various 'stages'.  Has anyone come across this before please?

[Eve]

It's a feather mite. It eats the feathers (sort of gnaws through the stems), you can see the mites / droppings under a microscope.

I live in Herts and it struck here last year, my friends' chickens in 2 neighbouring towns had it too, and I saw chicks from Bedfordshire that had it. The wild birds here all have it. My white chickens practically don't suffer from it but my grey and dark ones do big time.

Last year I tried can't-remember-what from the vet but it didn't help. It improved over winter but came back this summer.
They have dustbaths and I tried ivermectin, they have diatomaceous earth but nothing helps. Been meaning to ask the vet for something else but haven't gotten 'round to it yet.

If you find a solution, please do post it!

[Chicka17]

Thanks for your reply.  How very disappointing.   Ive not seen any droppings or evidence of lice.  I have also been using sprays and DE, but I suppose it's a possibility. 

I have ordered some Harkers Spot on drops.  I will let you know how the girls get on but I suspect that it's going to be a long time before I notice a difference in their feathers.

Cheers

[chrismahon]

Try a few squirts of Johnsons dog or cat flea spray. If it's a lice problem that will quickly get rid of it. There is the option that this could be genetic if they are all from the same source- breeding from pullets for a quick profit is rife and problems like this are symptomatic of the practice.

[Eve]

I tried harkers, doesn't work either.


Remember they're mites, not lice.


The pheasants and jackdaws etc here all have them. 

[Chicka17]

Oh, ok thanks.  Looks like I'm stuck with them then.

[harmony]

You will need to treat the chickens but also their hut. Mites are difficult to see. Easier to see in the dark if you go in with a torch and look at the perches. You will need to disinfect the hut more than once. Some good advice here.


http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/mites-lice/index.aspx

[Chicka17]

Cheers,  will do.

[Chicka17]

Just to let everyone know.  I have now tried hawkers and various flea sprays (from the vet).  Their new feathers are coming through and are again getting nibbled away.  So in short nothing's worked. 

They are healthy and happy, just plain ugly!  But I love my girls so I am currently knitting chicken jumpers to ensure they are walm in winter! 

Thanks for everyone's input.

[clydesdaleclopper]

Try giving them a bath in neem oil shampoo. It's very good at getting rid of all sorts of ectoparasites and stops the reproductive cycle.

[Eve]

Chicka17, mine had panacur about 4 weeks ago and it's done the trick, loads of new feathers and looking good! The vet gave her the injection.

[fsmnutter]

Please be careful what you post [member=4691]Eve[/member].

Someone could read your post and inject panacur to try to treat mites, but other than being ineffective, it may cause harm to the chicken (localised or systemic reaction to a drug that is not designed to be injected) as well as increasing pressure on wormer resistance by using the incorrect drug incorrectly.

Panacur is an ORAL WORMER. It would not have been given as an injection by the vet to treat mites.

Perhaps you mean panomec? This is an injectable ivermectin which is an endo and ecto parasiticide so can kill worms and mites.

I wish you both all the best with your chicken mites and issue a word of warning to all - make sure you know what you are saying on the internet is correct, and also make sure that what you are reading is correct and consult your vet about any treatment you are considering giving your animals to make sure they are correct, safe and likely to be effective.

[Eve]

A quick 'oh, actually, that would have been panomec, not panacur' would have sufficed