Help - Breast feather problem

[elizajay]

I have recently returned from holiday and my copper maran, less than a year old has some sort of infestation in her breast feathers. The feathers are matted, smelly and crusty. I have just bathed her in warm water and dried her and the feathers look a lot more normal now. I looked at chicken diseases and can't find anything that matches her symptoms. Her vent looks fine as do all the rest of her feathers.

Any ideas about what it can be and how to treat it?

[Scarlet]

When you washed her did you look for mites? Was her skin underneath the feathers ok? Some photos would help.

[elizajay]

Thanks Scarlet.

I did look for passengers but it was quite hard to see with the feathers all matted. I did see some tiny black spots on her skin that went when I washed her. The skin looked fine, but the feathers are thinly spaced and it looks as if she has the fluffy under feathers rather than too many of the outside feathers. I guess she has been plucking herself because she was irritated. Looking on the interblurb the best match seems to be lice. I will put louse powder on them tonight.
They all sleep in the next boxes which are cleaned out every morning and lots of diatom tossed in once or twice a week. I don't think it is red mites.