Bald and red butt. Help please! (With picture)

[ethanzhu]

Hi All,

I've been reading posts here for several months but this is the first time I'm posting. Hello everyone!
Please see the attachment for the pictures.

My girls were all fine yesterday, but this morning I noticed that one golden laced wyandotte has the problem shown in the picture. She is kind of special among the flock, so let me introduce her a bit.

1. She is about 16~17 week old now.
2. She was on the bottom of pecking order when she was young, so I had separated her for 2 weeks. (But now no one is really pecking her constantly)
3. She always has very few down feathers on her back, the other golden laced wyandotte used to have the same problem.
4. She barely has any contour feathers on her tail; the other young chickens at the same age I have all have almost fully grown tails.
5. Sometimes, she pecks her own 'infected' area shown in the pictures (as I observed this morning).

Any suggestion is appreciated.

Thanks.
Ethan

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

My first thought would be lice or mites. If you can give her a closer inspection and try for a closer picture. It looks like her tail is missing. I think I see the preen gland. (Why closer pictures might be helpful.)
She is pretty red back there.

 

[staceyj]

Welcome to BYC Ethan.

I can’t zoom without losing resolution. This is her lower back/rump correct, that I’m looking at?

Maybe you could clean it up and get a close look at it.
Post a closer picture.

After you get some more photos you might want to spray her with blu-kote or something similar and some antibiotic ointment (without pain reliever)
Be sure to look carefully for evidence of lice , mites, and this time of year, and maggots due to fly strike.

Things to rule out:
Paracites
Bullying
If so why?
Over-mating


Hope this helps you narrow down the causes.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

My only concern with Blu Kote is she will be blue. Like Stacey said clean it up and get better pictures. If things get ruled out and it seems to be picking then Blu Kote would work.

 

[staceyj]

My only concern with Blu Kote is she will be blue. Like Stacey said clean it up and get better pictures. If things get ruled out and it seems to be picking then Blu Kote would work.

I agree and a word of caution , I read all the time about blukote to cover the redness of wounds but recently ran across a post where the OP said their experience was that blukote seemed to draw attention rather than camouflage and a number of people agreed with the OP. So...

 

[ethanzhu]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I've been very busy seen I posted this question; I will try some methods mentioned here and update later.

Thank you once again.

 

[FarmerGirl101]

Welcome to BYC! If there is a cut then I would flush it with Saline and put like some neosporin

 

[Evelyn's Mom]

I have two buff brahmas in this exact situation... it was from being penned with lots of other birds, including some turkeys who were bullies. My friend said it should grow back with the next molt. I can't wait to see them all pretty and feathered but for now they are pretty bare and red, I guess a little sunburn...I don't see any blood, so that is good. Mine have been this way since March when I got them and don't seem to have gotten any worse. And they are the sweetest girls Let's hope they all grow back! good luck!

 

[ethanzhu]

I have two buff brahmas in this exact situation... it was from being penned with lots of other birds, including some turkeys who were bullies. My friend said it should grow back with the next molt. I can't wait to see them all pretty and feathered but for now they are pretty bare and red, I guess a little sunburn...I don't see any blood, so that is good. Mine have been this way since March when I got them and don't seem to have gotten any worse. And they are the sweetest girls Let's hope they all grow back! good luck!

Thanks for your reply. I guess you are right; it doesn't seem to have gotten worse.