Hen Bottom Issue

[MarshyRooster]

My hen has a bit of a bottom issue- I don't know if this is natural or an injury, but I really want a way to help my hen. She's very special. My hen, Rockett, has a weird bottom issue where her feathers stick out and look like they're ripped. I can see her bottom- some of it doesn't even have feathers on it. I know she's always been a bit of an underdog, with messy feathers, but she's never looked like that before. Are one of the other birds in the coop hurting her?

(1 aggressive male Silkie, around one year old, one hen, around one year old, mystery breed, who loves to bite, one Rhode Island Red rooster, around one year old, can be hotheaded, two golden-laced wyandottes who ganged up on the Silkie when he was little and five ducks, three around one year old and two others moved to the coop today).

I know the bottom isn't a good spot for a chicken to be pecked. Please help!

 

[MarshyRooster]

I just caught the mystery-breed biter nipping at my Rhode Island Red rooster's bottom. Is she going to hurt him? Did she hurt Rockett (she's the one with the bottom issue)? Please tell me if you have any ideas! Rockett really deserves some peace. She was a real survivor when she was little, and I doubt that was very easy. Please tell me if you have any ideas!

 

[coach723]

Can you post some pictures of the bird in question so we can see what it looks like?

 

[MarshyRooster]

I really wish I could, but this computer is REALLY old, and pictures won't work on it. I'll keep trying, but I'm not sure I can do pictures with this computer. Do you think it's something dangerous? Should I try giving her a bath?

 

[coach723]

Without pictures to try to see what's going on, I can't really say if batheing or soaking would be a good thing to do. If you have a known bully, that is picking other birds, I would separate that one out, where it can't see or hear the flock, for a few days. That may reset the pecking order. If that bird continues to be a bully, then I would consider not keeping that one. Space may be an issue also, how many birds in how much space? Over crowding and boredom are often the reason for birds picking on each other.

 

[MarshyRooster]

The coop is a really big one. We have a lot of birds in it, but there's still more than enough space. The run is even bigger. And the bully... well, she's still more of a suspect. I can try seperating her and putting her in the time-out coop. Would it be okay to move Rockett away from the coop for a bit too, to check on her more (with gloves)? It's hard to get a good view through the mesh, we just know something's up.

Actually, I'll also try to move my BYC account to a different device for a bit. I might be able to get pictures onto that one, and then I might be able to help Rockett even more.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Do you have any other device you can go on?

 

[MarshyRooster]

Just this computer and then my mom's. Although, it's been a while since I posted this thread, and her issue has been resolved.