Bald Booty

[kyle7630]

I just picked up a few new chickens yesterday and the GLW has no feathers around her but. She is grown and laying. The rest of her looks great, just bald on the rump. Could this just be molting on something more serious? How long would it take the feathers to grow back under normal circumstances?

 

[mypicklebird]

Quote:
Where did you get them?
If she had/has mites- she may have plucked herself or whoever sold her may have pulled out lice egg laden feathers. Do you know what lice look like? Does she have diarrhea? Someone cleaning up a chicken for sale might remove stuck feces from diarrhea as well. Does the skin look healthy or irritated/plucked?
Feathers can grow back in a few weeks, or months- or longer. Depends on if the chicken is molting or if her feather follicles are all 'resting'. Or if she is otherwise healthy.
If she was confined with any aggressive chickens, they may have pecked her- but you would probably see damaged skin or bloody feather stumps if it was chickens pecking at each other (cannibalistic).
I would inspect all chickens closely for lice under the wings and vent area- and watch for diarrhea. Jess

 

[kyle7630]

The guy said that the other chickens did it. There were 5 I think in that particular run and two had the feathers gone on the rump. I was more than around the vent though, and it appears as if they are trying to grow back. I will check for the lice and runny poop in the morning. What do I do if I find lice or runny poop?

 

[mypicklebird]

If you find lice (they are large enough to see- about the size of a flea, pinkish/greyish, fast moving, scuttling around the feathers above and below the vent), or eggs- (clumps of grey small balls at the base of feathers in the area)- you need to kill them with an insecticide. You can use dusts such as sevin/carbaryl or pyrethrin poultry dust- applied to the vent area more of the bird, repeated every 2 weeks or so. Remove any feathers (cut or pluck) that have clumps of lice eggs. There are other non insecticide treatments (DE, garlic ect)- I don't personally think they work, but some swear by them- if you like alternative treatments- look those up and give them try if you want. There are also many people that use off label systemic meds like ivermectin, it works, but the withholding time for layers is not published, so therefore it is a no no if your chickens or their products are used anywhere beyond your own table.

If you find runny poop- see if it is still there after a few good days on a good quality layer ration, consider probiotics ect. If it is still there (do you know what normal chicken poop looks like?), then you can either get a diagnosis of a parasite (or not) by taking a fresh sample to a vet who will work with poultry or take a guess and try to treat with meds from the local feed store.
Jess

 

[kyle7630]

Ok, thanks. I will give her a good once over and see what I can figure out. I have been feeding medicated feed from SS since I got my first batch about six weeks ago. Maybe that will help too.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

One of my EE hens has had nekked back/bum forever. That's what happens in a hen house when your the favorite of the roos.

 

[kyle7630]

Checked real close, didn't see anything that looked like lice or eggs. Poo is a lillte loose but not really runny. Feathers are growing in. Roo is not really interested in her or any of the others. Any more thoughts?

 

[nakactress]

Quote:
I don't have a rooster but one of my EE's also has a nekked bottom...lol
She had a caked bum of poo. Her poo would get stuck in her feathers and it was getting gross so I cleaned her off and she's never regrown any feathers.
She's fine, lays eggs and has never been sick or ad any issues with mites etc...