Bare butts

[cembry1]

3 of my iso,s are bare and red around the base of their tails, no is pecking them and they dont have any bugs I checked, and they dont seem to be pecking themselves, its not bloody or raw just red and bald. Any ideas, I tried to get a picture , will have to get a volunteer to help hold them still !!

 

[foreverlearning]

Feel the area to see if it feels like a water balloon, if it does than it would be ascities. It is also the time of year for a molt. If you get them near roosting time they will hold still for a picture as they are tired. Let me know how it feels and I can tell you more.

 

[cembry1]

Doesnt feel like balloon just bony chicken butt i will try and get a pick tonite cause they r roosting earlier lately

 

[cembry1]

 

[cembry1]

 

[Eggcessive]

They could be molting, but I would suspect feather picking. Most of the time this is do to crowded conditons, too little protein in the diet, or boredom. They need a minimum of 16% protein in the diet which layer feed has , but I prefer 20% flock raiser and putting crushed oystershell on the side for calcium. Spray their rear with BluKote and it may cover the red where they will quit picking. Beware that some mites only get on the birds at night, so you might check them once after dark.

 

[cembry1]

I watch them almost constantly sounds wierd but its my day. They dont pick each other or themselve. they arent crowded have a huge yard and theirs only 8 of them everything is cleanand i use de in the areas most used. i have a special blend food 18 percent and several supplements just cant figure it if its molting never had them look this bad

 

[foreverlearning]

You said no pecking and it doesn't feel like a water balloon, correct? This leaves me to believe one of two options: Molting as it is the time of year, and lice/mites. If you want to be on the safe side get some poultry dust and dust them (for lice/mites). When they molt they need extra protein like yogurt or meat to grow the new feathers. Most owners and birds love the yogurt.

I personally think it looks like a molt. It even looks like new small feathers coming in on the butt in that picture. I know they say that when they molt they start at the head and work towards the tail, but my birds didn't get the memo. All of mine started at the tail/butt area and worked up. Yours looks exactly like mine did. Molts range from 1-4 months. Just make sure they get the extra protein they need.

 

[cembry1]

Its been about a month now to this point. im going to get some dust tomorrow just in case i am quite a nut so i did pick thru their feathers with a magnifying glass i know u can see all bugs some are micro scopic but seen none i do use the det earth everywhere too it kills all kinds of bugs

 

[fly lady]

I apologize for being so long. I have 13 hens - 17 months old of various breeds.

I do not have pictures tonight but several of them for quite sometime have had some degree of bare rumps which I first attributed to my rooster but he "moved" back in the winter. The bare bottoms never seemed to be an issue other than unattractive.

Now to my horror some of the bare rumps have small size sores: some of them are draining!! and I noticed at least one rump has slightly smaller than an eraser- red spots on rump as well.

They were never vaccinated. I have worked at being attentive in care and cleanliness ac vinegar and DE etc. They have been fed organically.

Almost 3 wks ago my feed source lost the distributor of Natures Best organic pellets/ they now carry Coyote ? Only comes n mash-

Hens went from laying 9-11 eggs day to 3 -5. At first they refused to even eat the coyote brand but that has improved since now mix w/ yogurt or water.

They all seem healthy and happy but what is going on.
They have not been wormed. Is this a nutrition deficiency this quick?