Anyone else have bare bottom hens?

[Tikkijane]

If it's a plucking issue, you might consider getting some pinless peepers.... http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/i-threatened-to-do-it/

Upping their protein will help them feather out faster, too. I don't think you can go wrong and have " too much" space, fwiw.

 

[lukes52]

Out of 6 chicks this buff O. has a bare bottom well below the vent. Not inflamed. She seems perfectly normal.

 

[lynyrd]

I adopted a hen that looked the same and thought all was fine, but noc time inspection revealed red mites that were not detectable during day. Go out at noc with flashlight into your coop. the mites hide in corners of roosts during day feed on your hens as they roost. After treating with poultry dust and spraying her roost she is fluffy butt once again. took her 2-3 mo. to grow back all the butt feathers though.

 

[dthompson]

...

Baymen Moe - We are neighbors - we're in Plymouth! Where did you get your chick block? Our local Agway doesn't carry it. I would like to try that. I agree about the roaming. They love, love, love to go out and will get IRATE with me if i come and see them and don't let them out. They are very opinionated!


You can get them at tractor supply comp...you can make too...just Google.

Btw...I have 27 birds. Most bare butts, no sign of parasites, but have treated their dusting area with DE, thyme, parsley and plan to start adding cloves of garlic to their water. There are great sites for info, but recently scoured Fresh Eggs Daily... Google. For my girls, they were pecked my at night, or as they put themselves to bed. I have added another roasting bar and moved another so.they were further apart. Hope to see some improvement.

 

[dthompson]

If you are a bit muddy, try hay in the run, that gives them something to scratch in. I pile it up in a corner, let them spread it around, this time of year, they could use a little greens too, and an alfalpha hay, might do the trick. I don't have alfalpha, just prairie hay, but I keep piling, they keep scrathching, and it is going to be pretty darn good compost for my garden next fall. mk

Hay or straw?

 

[beccaWA]

That's what I would say, too. Red mites. You need to totally clean out the coop and dust it and also dust the hens.

 

[dthompson]

That's what I would say, too. Red mites. You need to totally clean out the coop and dust it and also dust the hens. 

What do you "dust" with that is safe?

 

[dthompson]

I came.across this article.in.my reading tonight..might help some
https://urbanchickenconsultant.wordpress.com/2012/02/28/birds-with-bare-butts/

 

[beccaWA]

There's a lot of products, usually pyrethrum or permethrin miticides. If you go to the feed store they can help you.

Myself, I would just get Ivermectin from the vet as it kills mites, lice, some internal parasites and even scaly leg mites. So multipurpose.

Plus then you just have to wash/dust the coop and not have to dust the hens which is a pain. The Ivermectin is oral and I think maybe they even make it where you can just put a drop on the back of the neck (like dog flea treatment). Not sure about that one though.

 

[Carrots Chicks]

I’m dealing with the same issue... started with the really cold weather in November and continues to get worse 16 hens, lots of boredom feather picking. The snow is covering the ground so they just come on the porch, poo, and whine to come in the house. I don’t know how to keep them occupied.