Droopy sagging bottom bald vent area.......

[PeppermintHen]

My Brahmas have droopy saggy bottoms, and the vent area is missing feathers. The feathers went away when winter came, I thought the molt, but they never came back. The bottom under the vent is saggy and droopy. Like a baby's diaper that needs changing, but it's clean though. No poopy butts, laying regularly, eggs look great, they are eating and solid stools, perky and happy, it just looks bad. What is causing this? Thanks

 

[chicmom]

How does the skin look back there? Red and irritated? Or nice and flesh colored?

Two thoughts come to mind......

1. Could you have a feather puller? If you just hang out with your hens for a while, (watch a little chicken TV LOL), you might actually see the guilty party pulling feathers. If they've been cooped in a bit more than usual due to bad weather, they sometimes get bored. When the hen bends over to peck something on the ground, the naughty one pulls a feather from it's bum! Quite a nasty habit. One thing you might notice is, if it's just one hen doing the pulling, she will have perfect feathers.

OR:

2. Could they have lice or mites?

 

[PeppermintHen]

The skin is a healthy pinky fleshy hue. I'm thinking mites. What do I use to get rid of them?

 

[nurse_turtle]

I'd look for lice too. Check the bases of the feathers to look for white eggs and the adults are fast, but appear an off white color about the size of a small grain of rice.

 

[PeppermintHen]

I have been observing for feather plucking for quite some time and don't have any so I'm thinking mites. What are some recommendations for getting rid of them. Is this a specific mite that hangs around the rump area?