[Angie]

Hey, me again.

My Buff Orpington (ironically called Feathers) is almost bald from where her tail feathers are meant to be right up to where her neck feathers start, and even they are thinning out at at an alarming rate.  I know that hens moult but I imagined in that case the feathers just fell out whereas poor Feathers's feathers look as though they have broken off - you can see the short stumpty bits close to her body which was once a full feather.  She doesn't seem to be getting bullied and she's perfectly lively -I dont think she's laying.  This poor bird is looking pretty bald although her wings and front are lovely and healthy looking, I'm worried that if they dont grow back soon Autumn and Winter will arrive and she'll be freezing.  Could she just be moulting?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Angie

[Aunt Sally]

If the feathers are breaking off rather than falling out it could be mites rather than moulting.  

This is an extract from the external parasites sticky:

Feather Mite
Feather Mite (Knemidocoptes gallinae) are barely visible and burrow into the skin at the base of the feathers causing the chicken to scratch and pull its feathers out.  They are more prevalent in warm weather.  Control of this mite is difficult, and infested birds may need to be culled.

Quill Mite
Quill Mite (Syringophilus bipectinatus) inhabits a feather quill resulting in partial or total loss of the feather leaving a powdery deposit  in the quill stump.  Affected birds may need to be culled.

I would treat her aggressively with anti-mite treatment and thoroughly clean the accommodation.  Treat any other birds you have too.

[muntjac]

as above . treat the coop as wel as the shed .as the other post

[Angie]

Thank you both loads, have bought something to treat red mite and also stuff called Diatom which I mix in with their food which apparently treats internal parasites and worms.  Am very glad I found this site, its great!

[Aunt Sally]

Thank you both loads, have bought something to treat red mite and also stuff called Diatom which I mix in with their food which apparently treats internal parasites and worms.  Am very glad I found this site, its great!

Feather mite is much harder to treat than red mite.  Read through this site:

http://www.federmilben.de/en/control.html

I've not time to go through it thoroughly just now (Worzel will need his dinner)

Diatom is used by some to prevent gut worms.  It is puerly physical. It is sharp and scratches the worms skin making it dry out.  It doesn't treat lung worm at all.
Flubenvet is the wormer that I choose  :!: