Bare bottom Brahma

[Wildlife watcher]

Can anyone tell me why my Brahma has a bare bottom? Actually I have two (out of four) that look like this. Originally I thought it was from one of my barred rocks who I had witness pulling feathers off the others so I re-homed her. That was two months ago. Neither hen has grown any feathers back on their rumps. They both act fine and continue to lay but I can not figure out why this is happening. I only have 4 hens (3 white Brahma and 1 barred rock) so I’m pretty sure it’s not from over crowding. Does anyone have any ideas what is going on with these girls?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Can you tell if the pin feathers I see in the pic are new pins or broken feathers? What is their age?

If they are new... then it's happening just slowly. The skin doesn't look angry which points away from parasites or possible liver/kidney issues that can present in this fashion.

Many times... feathers that have been broken or plucked will NOT regrow until molt.. and then only maybe if they happen to become part of the ones that got the signal since the birds don't always molt EVERY feather.

Sometimes feather picking can be a behavioral issue even without over crowding or nutrient deficiency.

For these large dual purpose ladies... I would suggest using a flock raiser or grower with 18-20% protein instead of layer if that is your current choice and offering oyster shell free choice on the side. 16% protein in layer is the MINIMUM needed to sustain a light bodied layer like leghorn. But dual purpose birds do best on not less than 18%. And feathers are made from 90% protein and it's amino acids.. so you will end up with better quality feathers. Being sure to avoid low nutrient snacks like corn or scratch which is about 7% protein but devoid of vitamins and minerals that are added into our formulated rations. Be just as wary of "nutritious" snack such as mealworms and scrambled eggs... while it's true they are high in protein they are higher in fat. Eggs are 34% protein and 64% fat, by energy (calories). So keep treats to less than 10% of the total daily ration.

I would probably still go out after dark with a flashlight or head lamp and do a parasite inspection just to be safe. This is when it's easiest to see them crawling away from your light. Checking below the vent and on the abdomen are good locations with feathers parted all the way to the skin.

 

[Wildlife watcher]

Wow, thanks for your response. Lots of great info. I believe they are pin feathers rather than broken feathers, however they just don’t seem to grow. The hens were 1 year in March. I wondered if I would see things improve once they go thru a molt, which they haven’t done yet. I am feeding them layer pellets rather than a grower, but I will remedy that tomorrow. I am guilty of feeding mealworms frequently, mostly when calling them back into the pen after free ranging for several hours. They get a lot of other stuff as well including melon rinds, kitchen scraps etc. I need to pay more attention to the amount of protein obviously. Thank you again for your input, I have found it e trembly helpful.