Baboon Chicken Problem....need advice...pic included!

[LittleHouseDreams]

Hello,

I have two hens who feather picked in winter. I got them to stop picking each others feathers and the wounds to heal but the great bald behinds will not fill in with feathers and its been over 4 months! I believe they got a bit of frostbite from being bare ( I could kick myself for not seeing the potential problem) and now I am asking if you think they will ever grow back their feathers? Some feathers have tried to grow but nothing ever stays. Now I am wondering if I should cull them if you think the skin is too damaged to grow feathers. I live in northeast Ohio and we have a very long and cold winter and I don't want them to suffer. Please take a look at the picture and tell me what you think.

Thanks for your input.

 

[crtrlovr]

Even if they don't regrow feathers in a previously picked area, why would you cull them if they're otherwise healthy? If you're afraid they'll be too exposed when they roost, replace your roosts with wide boards where they can settle down on them completely. That way they can settle down on their feet AND their bums / bellies and won't get too cold.

 

[LittleHouseDreams]

They have always had a wide board to roost on and I'm worried about them remaining healthy all winter long, day and night. We got 40inches of snow just for January this year. The bald area on my hens is not exactly underneath them but rather behind them just below their vents and little underneath them.

 

[mudhen]

Don't stress out. The feathers will probably grow back after their next molt.
As long as they are otherwise healthy, don't cul them.

 

[LittleHouseDreams]

Mudhen,

Do you really think their feathers will grow back after molting? Their skin seems rather tough and of course it's red/pink when the breed I have is supposed to have white skin ( I have Buff Orpingtons.) I hope you are right. Someone suggested that the follicles (sp) could have been damaged from the cold and they may never grow back

 

[LizzyJo]

Quote:
Now I remember why we moved from Alaska!

 

[LittleHouseDreams]

Yeah, January was not fun....or Feb, March...we have beautiful summers though.....well that's what I keep telling myself in the winter anyway.

 

[Judy]

I am wondering whether the skin is red because it is being sunburned. If so, they need a covering, not sunscreen.

 

[LilBizzy]

I'm absolutely no expert, not even close. I'm just throwing out thoughts....
Maybe it would be good to slather the area with bag balm or something similar to soothe the skin. If the feathers dont grow back before it starts getting cooler, maybe you could fashion some fleece bloomers for them. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it would keep their litte behinds from getting cold.
If it were me, I'd wait to see what winter brings, and not worry about it yet. Then, if they were still bare-butted when it got colder, I'd make them a special roost, almost a shelf, and cover it with a cheap bathroom carpetfrom big lots...Of course I would have lots of spares because it would have to be changed every day and washed. I would also figure out a way to make them little bloomers..
I wouldn't cull just for bare butts..

 

[Judy]

I do agree, I would not cull for bare butts. Chickens are pretty resilient creatures.

If you really start feeling desperate, I suppose you could try inducing a forced molt. It is not a nice thing to do to them, involves limiting food and I don't even know what else, but I'd do it as a last resort, before I would cull.

However, they may do just fine all winter with their bare bottoms.

You can make a simple apron or saddle with just scissors and a scrap of fabric; polarfleece works great. It would not actually cover the whole bare area in your case, but you could cut it so that the area stayed shaded, and in winter it would provide some protection from cold. Scroll down on this site to see how:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=167

I have one who has worn a shortened version of this for months. I only put wing holes in hers, because her bare spot is on her mid back. Keep waiting for her to molt and grow new feathers....