Red Skin/ LOsing Feathers on Belly & Chest

[CovertChicken]

Ok, I appreciate the help. It sounds like it is nothing to woory about. Thanks again. This website will be a great resource! Thank you all!

Brian

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would still check at night with a flash light just to be sure it's not mites especially since another is the same way, just my 2cents.

 

[Tomcoll67]

I, too have a 9 month old Chicken, 1 of 10, that has this problem of missing feathers on back and abdomen and the Abdomen is red.
I had to bring indoors during the last cold snap as -30 was too cold in my estimation and their current habitat while sufficient for them in normal times is too small if I have to shut them in (we are working on building a much bigger coop and yard). This chicken was not like this 2 days ago. I am concerned that either this is cannibalism, egg bound, or a mite issue that I do not know how to treat or discover what it is. I am attaching photos.
I thank you for your help.
Treatment suggestions are helpful.

I separated her into an indoor large cage/run 3.5' x 8'. I am giving her water with ACV (1TBSP/qt)Should I Vaseline her vent, ABD and back? When would be a good time to send her back out? Do I wait for full feather growth or wait until spring so the temp variance will not hurt her?
Could this be molting?

 

[peaceneedslove]

I have the same problem with one of my hens, a big white one, Big Burtha. So what is goin on????

 

[romea]

this is esmeralda:



and this is her bare bottom:





so, i basically have the same question:
do some birds go partially 'bald' when they are molting?

 

[Lilyput]

this is esmeralda:



and this is her bare bottom:





so, i basically have the same question:
do some birds go partially 'bald' when they are molting?

Did you ever get any good advise on this; I now have a 1 year old buff orpington with the same symptoms. Last week my Australorp looked the same and died. Both acted healthy in every other respect; australorp kept laying; orpington not laying. Thanks.

 

[romea]

no, i didn't. with that being said, she never developed any problems and was otherwise healthy. some feathers also grew back - eventually - but not all. and there were these rows that remained.
i am using the past tense here, because she 'went missing' about a week ago and my husband eventually found some feathers in a wooded area in which the birds forage. i trust they belonged to her so i conclude that she has fallen prey to a predator - which i did not expect since we have a dog with them. then again, he is not right next to them all the time and at one of those times...

i am quite sad as she was extremely personable. :-(
on the other hand, my silkies have hatched some lovely birds that grew up in our living room while i waited for the outdoor temperatures to raise well above freezing. some of these birds have become very tame. they let me hold and pet them and climb on top of my back when i crouch down. pretty funny...

 

[seminolewind]

Quite a few of mine get naked under their vent for unknown reasons other than the acidic poop affecting the area. I've never bothered with it. If her underside is bare like her abdomen, it could be that she is pseudo-broody. Broody hens usually pull the feathers out so their skin is touching the eggs. With modern breeding, they breed broodiness out of hens but sometimes partial traits come out I think.

 

[Lilyput]

Thanks for getting back to me. She is a buff orpington. Probably my favorite girl. Laid regularly even through the winter, but hasn't laid now in since the end of April. Good luck to you and your silkies.

 

[seminolewind]

Buff Orps are egg laying machines. But they do go broody and stop laying while they are.