Feather loss in the rear....

[jgcalifornia]

Ya, Jeffers seems to be the cheapest I can find it. Plus, they're super nice.
They should always have access to oyster shells. When they need the calcium, they know to go and eat them.
Also the Black Oiled sunflower seeds. You will get more eggs as well when their calcium needs are met.
Thats one reason I asked if you saw feathers around. If you have a feather pecker and she/he is pecking at them, you will more than likely see feathers in the coop everywhere in the morning.

 

[aart]

Well, I can start them on some oyster shell. I dont farm earthworms just mealworms which as far as I understand from the forum on them here, are great sources of protein for the birds. The poop looks normal, behavior normal. I like the idea of a feather picker, I will watch for that in the evening when they are in the coop as it does not appear to be happening during the day. What do these mites look like? I will check them again this afternoon. Thanks for the link to the poultry protector, it is way cheaper there than on Amazon.

You can google for pics of mites and lice......some mites do not live on the birds but in the cracks and crevices of the coop and only feed on them at night, why it's good to inspect the birds well after dark.

 

[jgcalifornia]

How they doing today?
Just checking in.

 

[erin11]

I'm having possibly a similar problem- 7 out of my 8 hens are all missing large amounts of feather on the belly/stomachs. I have not seen any mites or evidence of lice, not witnessed any feather pecking, and the only hen without this problem is my one silkie.... Here's the best picture I could get today. The skin is not inflamed..

My girl has the same issue. Doesn't look like feathers are going to grow back though. Should I be concerned? She's acting fine and I just sprayed her down with warm water and some Vectrixin

 

[erin11]

My Salmon Faverolle seems to have lost her feathers only around her bum area..I thought maybe this was the beginning of her molt, but no other areas seem to have any feather loss. You can already see new growth coming in, but I wasn't sure if this was normal or not? Thanks for any help.

My girl started laying a month ago and now I've run into this mid winter. I sprayed her vent with warm water to try and get the dirt/droppings off then sprayed her with some Vectricin - what could this be and what can I do to help her

 

[jgcalifornia]

It's so hard to say if we would be experiencing the same problem despite identical symptoms.

My Salmon Faverolle was totally fine and everything grew in. It seems they all just molt differently in different places.

I've been using coconut oil on my girls skin, especially my blue silky. It is great for everything from scabs to mites and just a general treatment.
I would keep an eye on it and see if she starts to produce new growth.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[naes]

I'm having a similar issue, I believe. Three out of five of my hens have bare bottoms. One of the girls also has a bare back by her tail.

I read on another thread the suggestion that coop crowding might be the issue. I know that our roost is a tight fit for all 5 and one of them usually ends up on top of the nesting boxes. I wonder if they're fighting for space on the roost.

Here's a couple pictures of the barred rock, which has the worst feather loss. It's been like this for 2-3 months. At first I thought she was moulting but the feathers aren't growing back in at all. Then 2 other hens started showing the same bare bottom issue. I've checked for mites/lice and haven't seen anything.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Ok, I'm not the only one searching for an answer - Bare Bottoms...

Last Oct I was given 5 Wynadottes that were 6 - 7 mos, 3 had missing tail feathers, told they were in the barnyard & the Roo was a pain in their butt. So they were named No Tail, 2 Tail, 1 Tail, Dotty & Mohawk. They started laying in January, tail feathers are coming in, however I've noticed 1T still has 2 feathers and NT has alot more feather but under her tail & above her vent is "bald". I've seen Mohawk (biggest) pick on her tail, thinking she's the plucker. I feed them fermented Flock Raiser half & half with layer (feed store ran out of FR) until the layer's done and they have Oyster Shells on the side.

Have read it could be lice/mites which I will check for tomorrow, FR has 20% protein, they get mealworms, fruits & veggies, poultry treats & kitchen scrapes. I am concerned about all that PINK bottom, read about spraying with Blu Kote but wondering if I should mix up some food coloring (red & blue) to paint on her bottom?

One thing I have noticed, there are feathers, not the tail feathers but the softer stuff lining where they lay. Are they plucking to line the nest? I did have one that went broody (took 2 days to break her), her bottom got a little sparse & feathers in the nest but not bald like NTs....Ideas?

 

[aart]

I'm having a similar issue, I believe. Three out of five of my hens have bare bottoms. One of the girls also has a bare back by her tail.

I read on another thread the suggestion that coop crowding might be the issue. I know that our roost is a tight fit for all 5 and one of them usually ends up on top of the nesting boxes. I wonder if they're fighting for space on the roost.

Here's a couple pictures of the barred rock, which has the worst feather loss. It's been like this for 2-3 months. At first I thought she was moulting but the feathers aren't growing back in at all. Then 2 other hens started showing the same bare bottom issue. I've checked for mites/lice and haven't seen anything.

Welcome to BYC @naes

I don't know what causes that red, red skin.
I've seen it come and go in my flock, sometimes changed back and forth during a single day.
Sometimes lasted for days or weeks, then disappeared, never to return.

Did nothing to treat it because I couldn't figure out what caused it.
Hard to apply a viable solution to a 'problem' when you can't identify the cause.
Didn't seem to be causing the affected bird any discomfort.

 

[oregonkat]

Welcome to BYC @naes

I don't know what causes that red, red skin.
I've seen it come and go in my flock, sometimes changed back and forth during a single day.
Sometimes lasted for days or weeks, then disappeared, never to return.

Did nothing to treat it because I couldn't figure out what caused it.
Hard to apply a viable solution to a 'problem' when you can't identify the cause.
Didn't seem to be causing the affected bird any discomfort.

aart, I was in the middle of reading your posts about CS in your water for treatment of lice, then my system went weird and I didnt finish it. Do you recommend this treatment? Did it work for you and are you using it daily? Thanks.