Help! My roo is loosing his tailfeathers and has a raw rear

[mistylady]

Please help!!! Punt has been loosing his tailfeathers. Tonight I noticed he has four left. And under his tail is red and raw. Like he has been pulling out his rump fluff. None of the hens are having feather issues. And I powdered Punt with DE the other day - he ran and I couldn't catch him to coat him much so I tossed it at him when he would get in a corner. He's either awful fast or I'm getting slower. Hubby is back from his training classes now so I can get his help to catch Punt. Punt is healthy other than the feathery problem. He crows all day and is busy with his hens. He calls them when I toss a snack on the opposite side of the run and the hens can't see it (if they see you with a snack they have learned to fly up and land on my arms to get first peck - not real cute when six or seven hens are flapping and trying to land on you). Love my chickies but they have no manners!

I'm rambling again. Sorry. Someone please toss me some help for my roo! I hate to see him balding at a young age - he's not a year old yet.

 

[M To The Maxx]

He is probably molting.

 

[DonnaBelle]

The same thing happened to my roo this week!! It is all red and bare around his bum hole and it sure is feather bear and almost bloody. I saw a hen pick at his butt. Why this has started I don't know, the hen that was picking was one of my 5 mo. old RIR hens. My original 3 grown hens that have been with my roo don't do it to him.

Anyway, I got some Blue-Kote, a blue wound dressing, and sprayed it on him 2 nights in a row, I am hoping they are leaving him alone.

I was really surprised that he would allow this. He is a big big big roo and very much the big guy. I have one other roo, the same age as the RIR hens, in fact, he is their brother. He doesn't seem to bother the old roo at all.

Go figure, chickens are somewhat of a mystery in their behaviors.

DonnaBelle

 

[mistylady]

Thank you both!

I'll have to catch him and blue kote him. We bought some of that for a hurt goat not long ago. It worked great on her. I have the feeling Punt is going to really hate me.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

The same thing happened to my roo recently

 

[purpletree23]

Are the feathers falling out or are the other birds pulling them out or is the roo pulling them out himself? Are any of the chickens eating the feathers?

He may have lice or mites.

The chickens might have a protein deficiency.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Quote:
Mistylady, would it be easier to catch him after he's gone to roost for the evening? Once it gets dark out my chickens stay put on the roost so it is a piece of cake to grab them then.

Good luck, I hope Punt recovers quickly!

 

[Judy]

You need to do the checking for mites and lice at night, off the roost, anyway, as some of them are only on the birds at night.

If it is feather picking, the most common reasons are feeling overcrowded and too little protein.

 

[threehorses]

I completely agree with ddawn! The lice and mites (more suspected here) are nearly microscopic, so turn on the coop lights at night and check then. Use a flashlight to really see all of their skin. Look literally at every inch of him - his skin, on the feather shafts, the feather bases, etc. Look for little clusters of very very tiny white eggs from lice. Pay the most careful attention around the head, under the wings, around the vent, and on the back of the neck.

Also never dust with DE - it's not meant to be used that way and it won't treat a lice infestation nor mites. If you have an actual infestation, you must use something like permethrin. Permethrin is a synthetic version of a natural insecticide from flowers that used to be made by grinding up the flowers themselves. It's very safe for poultry, way more safe than DE and highly effective. If you see lice and mites, you must not only treat the birds but the premises (nest boxes, bedding - scrape aside, dust the floor, put bedding back dust bedding and stir.) If you see mites, you should get liquid permethrin (10% from a feedstore) and spray the wood well in the joints and cracks as that's where mites breed.

You have to treat the birds at least once more in 7 days as things hatch out.

I'd highly suspect mites and would check several nights over the next 2 weeks. They're hard to find. Or just treat (more correctly) with the permethrins.

I'm a big fan of DE, have been for about 10-12 years. But it's best for what it's good at - using in the dust baths or feed between worming and to help control, not treat for infestations of, parasites. I like more common methods as well. But mites really require work finding them and work killing them.

Also, what are you feeding the birds?

 

[mistylady]

Thank you everyone!

I feed Dumor layer feed 16% protein and they have oyster shell and go outside everyday where I throw them grass clippings, weeds and other veggies stuff at least once a day. Right now we're trying to figure a way to make a temporary fence for the chickens to go outside and eat grass and weeds during the day while I'm outside. They also get hardboiled eggs twice a week and yogurt very now and then. I can up the eggs to more times a week easily. And if there is something I can give them that is protein rich please let me know! I love my feathered babies!

The roo is the only one with the problem. The hens are all feathered and fine. He acts okay just looks bad. I'll check him for lice tonight. Great idea One Acre Wonder Farm on getting him while he's on the roost! Thank you! Would the hens have mites also?

I did see one hen pick a fluff feather off him the other day but he probably deserved it. He was being more than his usual amourous self and pestering the hens. 9 hens and one roo. I wish I had room for more hens.


Again thank you everyone! (((hugs)))