Older broiler hen with a bald butt

[moukoyui]

I have a broiler hen that I got from our Ag program at school... the students suckered me into it. She is now over a year old and an absolute doll. I know that her life expectancy will be much shorted than her egg laying sisters, but so far her quality of life is pretty good. She is HUGE (over 20 lbs) but walks ok, lays eggs (usually double yolkers) and bosses my dogs around (she is the only hen who free ranges).

This fall however her bum feathers have fallen out and not grown back in. I usually bathe and treat her bum (as she has trouble cleaning her self) for mites once a month and that has kept her pretty clean and healthy so far, but I am worried about her growing these feathers back so my other hens don't peck her. It is time for her monthly bath, so if there is something I can do differently to help her I can do it all at once. I usually soak her in warm water and epsome salts until any poop or dirt is softened. I then scrub her with dawn, rise, and blow dry. Is there anything I can add to our routine to help her out?

Is there something I should add to her feed?

I just want to keep her healthy for as long as possible as she is totally my favorite chicken, and such a sweety.

 

[BYCforlife]

She could be molting, but sorry, I have no reccomendations.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Could also be vent gleet... or yeast infection. Worth looking into.

 

[moukoyui]

How should I treat for vent gleet or a yeast infection? Would treating her hurt her if she doesn't have them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @moukoyui Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of your hen and her bum?

It sounds like you have done well to keep a broiler hen alive for over a year and she's still moving around at 20lbs.

It may be time for her to molt. If she is a decent egg layer, she may lose a bit of feathers around the vent from being in the nesting boxes - if she is very large, she may be rubbing some of them off.
Without seeing it, it's just hard to know. Vent gleet can be a possibility, but I don't see you mentioning a whitish discharge from the vent.

If you add anything to her diet - I would think poultry vitamins a couple of times a week, you wouldn't want to change her diet drastically since she is a meat bird.

After you give her a bath and dry her, apply a little BluKote or similar to help hide the redness.

We look forward to seeing your photos

 

[moukoyui]

I couldn't figure out how to post pictures from my phone so here are a few links to her at her bath tonight. No white discharge. No real anything by her vent, some stuck on poops and dirt on her "underneath feathers" which is because she sits a lot. The picture in her bath bucket is with my 30lb dog for size - she is a big lady.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4rGNbGFIOZiMVZMNjAzeFloOUE/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4rGNbGFIOZidkFVMktSZmlZYW8/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4rGNbGFIOZiZHREd3ktdklIRGc/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4rGNbGFIOZiOHk3RXZoOFJnU2s/view?usp=sharing

She also lays eggs more frequently than I thought she would. She usually lays huge double or triple yolkers 4 - 6 times per week. Maybe she just isn't getting enough protein?

 

[Chickassan]

Ok I'm going to suggest something unconventional. That's a big girl and even if her feathers start growing back the friction on her bottom is likely going to rub them off.My suggestion is vagasil on her bottom to make it where her bottom glides instead of drags.This won't hurt her one bit and will definitely make that rear end more comfortable.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Those look like pin feathers.

Is the skin that red all the time or is it from the bath?

What do you feed her.. protein percent and calcium, treats and supplements?

If you are feeding layer, as in 16% protein... she would likely need a bit more, IMO. Feathers are made of 90% protein, and the amino acids there in.

 

[moukoyui]

She eats Southern States Layer crumbles and 3 grain scratch. The other hens have free choice oyster shell and grit, but she is a bit dumber and can't remember where to find it, so I mix a little in with her scratch grains. All my hens get weekly fruits/veggies and grass clipping. What would be the preferred way to add protean to her diet?

I use her butt color to tell me when she needs a bath - when it is red I bathe her. It will go back to pale pink in a day or so - usually once I can get the others to stop pecking at her. She is big enough that they usually leave her be once she is all clean again. I might try the blue-cote but I didn't want to cover up anything thing for the pictures.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Awwww....she is a big girl!

Those feathers are broken off. Notice the shaft is still in the skin.
Most likely because she is breaking/rubbing them off - I don't see anything that makes me think they are being plucked out. If she goes through a molt, she should grow new ones in.

I see a slight abrasion or two on the skin, so keep watch on those - I don't think it's from picking, probably from the skin breaking down a bit. Red skin can be a target for other chickens, so applying Blu Kote or Pick No More just to cover the skin may be helpful.

Since she is a meat bird, excess protein may be a big no no for her, but you can try offering her a little extra as a treat - like chopped egg, tuna, meat, etc., but I'm thinking she survived this long because of having a lower protein feed. Adding a poultry vitamins once a week would be o.k.

Just my thoughts. Keep us posted.