Any idea what is up with this girls belly?

[fullhouse]

Quote:
If treatment is the same on chickens as people you treat with draining, removing any foreign objects, antibiotics, pain meds if needed.

 

[atkinsonfive]

Yes, she is a Buff Orp. It just doesn't look like a scab, but I will keep soaking her every couple of days and see if it softens any. They have just plain ol' straw in their nesting boxes. I have 23 girls and no one else has a belly like this. It almost looks like a sunburn. It didn't feel hotter than normal chicken skin. Maybe it is an allergy to straw. Is that possible? She hasn't been broody at all. I have one girl that all she does is sit and sit. She is so light because she never wants to leave the nest to eat. I try to chase her out to "play" every morning, but she's back in the box within 20 minutes. She'd love to hatch some babies, but alas we have no rooster to help her out!

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
You can get hatching eggs at MSU

Seriously though, if she were broody she might have lost her belly feathers that way. If you can't take her to a vet or don't want to I would probably isolate, change bedding, and use an oral antibiotic to see if the inflammation goes down (and continue antibiotic for the cycle if it does in a few days). I have NO clue on how to take a chickens temp or I would try that to verify infection first. Maybe google it if your not squeamish

 

[silkiechicken]

Belly feathers probably plucked on her own due to broodyness. However, that abscess is not normal. It looks like a breast blister which is often by roosting on thin roosts or roosts with sharp corners. It may have gotten a splinter some how, and then after constant roosting, got infected, swelled, and healed a bit and scarred to what you see now.

The naval on chicks is usually completely gone and flat by the time they are a month old. As a chick you can blow at the rear a bit under the vent and see where the scab was, but it soon falls off and then blends in to the rest of the chick. If for some reason the naval did not heal as a chick and it grew up with a scar where it was, it would be an inch or two below the vent.

 

[hinkjc]

Does this chicken roost to sleep at night? It appears to be a common condition in broilers which cannot roost. Their bellies get bare and sometimes raw and breast blisters are common from this. Any idea how heavy she is? She may not be able to fly to roost and you will want to offer lower ones for heavy hens. She very well could be sensitive to the hay - just like people they have different issues depending on the bird.

She does also have bumblefoot, it appears. That is a staph infection and should be treated, as it can become systemic and kill her. FYI..it is transmittable to humans, so I would recommend wearing gloves when handling her and touching her feet.

Jody

 

[atkinsonfive]

She is able to roost fine. We have one roost that has several different heights, made with one inch wooden rails. It is not sharp at all. I suppose it could be from a splinter. Also, as far as the thing you are seeing on her foot...what is it from and how do I treat it? Would the other girls get it? Is is like plantar warts that you get from showers? Would I get it through an open wound? Your scarying me a bit. I have messed with her several times, not knowing or seeing anything wrong with her foot. I gave her a bath and had my hands in the water. Of course I washed up, but...what, am I now going to have to watch for something?

 

[coffeelady3]

I found this info about bumblefoot on the University of Florida poultry disease page:

Staphylococcus
Synonyms: staph infection, staph septicemia, staph arthritis, bumblefoot

Species affected: All fowl, especially turkeys, chickens, game birds, and waterfowl, are susceptible.

Clinical signs: Staphylococcal infections appear in three forms -- septicemia (acute), arthritic (chronic), and bumblefoot. The septicemia form appears similar to fowl cholera in that the birds are listless, without appetite, feverish, and show pain during movement. Black rot may show up in eggs (the organism is passed in the egg). Infected birds pass fetid watery diarrhea. Many will have swollen joints (arthritis) and production drops (see Table 3 ).

The arthritic form follows the acute form. Birds show symptoms of lameness and breast blisters, as well as painful movement (see Table 3 ). Birds are reluctant to walk, preferring to sit rather than stand.

Bumblefoot is a localized chronic staph infection of the foot, thought to be caused by puncture injuries. The bird becomes lame from swollen foot pads (see Table 3 ).

Transmission: Staphylococcus aureus is soil-borne and outbreaks in flocks often occur after storms when birds on range drink from stagnant rain pools.

Treatment: Novobiocin (350 g/ton) can be given in the feed for 5-7 days. Erythromycin and penicillin can be administered in the water for 3-5 days or in the feed (200 g/ton) for 5 days. Other antibiotics and drugs are only occasionally effective.

Prevention: Remove objects that cause injury. Isolate chronically affected birds. Provide nutritionally balanced feed.

Here's the link to the page. It's got some good info on it.:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044