Bare bottom chickens! idk what is causing it.. Please HELP

[ashleyb0510]

I just got these 6 BR hens. Not sure if it is a protein def or molting or lice or what. Ive never owned chickens before, so im new and just want these hens to be happy and healthy! They are active, and cluck. Ive saw one hen pick & eat feathers but I dont know if the others are doing it to, maybe that could be causing it. Heres a pic, any opinions would help! some bald spots on the back end and some are a little bigger

Above are a few of the hens


The hen on the left is bald but growing feathers back.
Oh and they are 11 months old

 

[Fred's Hens]

We dust our birds every 3 months. A followup dusting is required within 8 days of each dusting. We also have used DE in the nesting boxes, but I am unsure as to how to evaluate its effectiveness.

Feather pecking is often a sign of craving more protein, especially animal protein. With all the commonly sold feeds going "vegetarian" these issues sometimes arise.

 

[ashleyb0510]

Oh thanks! what are somethings i could give them for protein?

 

[Judy]

Really, most any meat, though I would avoid much of anything salty like ham. I buy a can of canned mackerel now and then for mine, because it's relatively cheap and they love it. Table scraps are good. If you fish and clean the fish, just nuke the scraps and feed them. If you roast a bird, give them the carcass. A few scrambled eggs are convenient.

Some people use cat food but the problem with this is methionine, which cats need but chickens definitely don't.

Here is the BYC treats chart, with a note at the bottom about cat food.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

Feather picking can be difficult to break, once it starts. Here are a couple of good threads:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/517547/peepers-removed-and-no-feather-picking-d/0_20#post_6586027

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking/0_20

 

[bucky52]

One of my Americana hens has had a bare bottom since December of last year.i just though she was moulting.after ,a few months went by she was still bare.i bought her in the house and soaked her in a warm Epsom salts bath.and than after she dried.i duster her with sevin.and cleaned all the nest boxes and dusted them also.after a few weeks,i noticed that her bottom was some what covered in feathers.than a couple of days later she was bare again.i have cleaned her and dusted her bottom and to this day she still has a bare bottom.all the rest of her flock mates all have feathered bottoms.i have noticed that she will have dried poo stuck to a few pin feathers.i clean her often.i 'am puzzled as what is causing this..