Feather loss, lethargy, red butt, please help!

[HenMama101020]

Hey everyone!

My Australorp(?) hen is about 1 year old, and is housed in a coop with 5 other chickens of different breeds. They have plenty of space, she roosts on the bar every night, and she doesn’t seem to be the bottom of the pecking order.

About 3 months ago, I started noticing feather loss to her butt, below her vent. She would lose a few feathers here and there. I assumed it was from preening as the others weren’t losing any feathers and it was not time for her to molt. The flock seem to get along fairly well and we have no roosters. As the weeks went on, the feather loss became more severe, and she also started to have redness to her bottom/stomach below the vent. (See photos). This week, she’s been more lethargic, and will only eat or drink when hand fed. She also hasn’t laid an egg in 2 days (not normal for her). We’re in SC, so it is hot here, but they have water, sometimes with ice, at all times. I also keep a small fan in their coop at night for ventilation.

I haven’t seen her bullied, but removing her from the flock at night doesn’t seem to make a difference. I’ve applied topical antibiotic spray for chickens for the last 2-3 weeks. I’ve cleaned the coop and nest boxes more often. I’ve looked for mites and lice and haven’t found any critters or pests. She hasn’t been attacked by any predator. There doesn’t seem to be any open skin or broken skin. I haven’t seen any abnormal drainage from her vent. None of my other hens in the flock are losing feathers at all. She’s the only one.

I currently have her inside, in her own container with food and water. I’ve checked for mites, etc. She only eats when I hand feed her and hasn’t pooped today at all.

Any ideas?

 

[peeper89]

she get ridden by rooroo! she need dress

@chickentrains @TheOddOneOut @LittleBrownie will help!

 

[chickentrains]

There is no rooster in the question.

Does your flock have enrichment? Maybe she's bored.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

she get ridden by rooroo! she need dress

@chickentrains @TheOddOneOut @LittleBrownie will help!

Seriously, I can’t help with medical stuff.

 

[HenMama101020]

There is no rooster in the question.

Does your flock have enrichment? Maybe she's bored.

They get out and free range throughout the day, and are only really in the coop at night and to lay. I can try to add some!

 

[HenMama101020]

she get ridden by rooroo! she need dress

@chickentrains @TheOddOneOut @LittleBrownie will help!

We have only hens

 

[peeper89]

We have only hens

you got pick problem

 

[Chicalina]

it does look like she has been plucked.

Is the red area very swollen and squishy, like a bag of water? It looks a bit like ascites.

 

[microchick]

That's just plain weird.

Ascites? AKA water belly? Could be some swelling there under the vent where the skin is reddened. She hasn't laid in two days? Put your hand under her and feel. Does her 'belly' fill you hand and is it soft and squishy like a water balloon? If it is then that is ascites. Ascites is caused by either an infection in the reproductive system or by internal laying. Both could cause laying to stop and swelling along with infection in the abdomen.

BUT there is feather loss above the vent and at the 'saddle' region above the tail. No rooster to blame. Have you treated for mites/lice? There are different types of critters they can get and that treatment is easy peasy. You can dust them with Seven powder or what I use is liquid permethrin a few drops on the skin between their wings. I had a rooster develop feather shaft mites some time ago. His skin looked like that. I couldn't see a single mite on that bird and tried everything till I read about feather shaft mites. I put a large dose treatment of the permethrin drops on him and he started to grow feathers back within the week.

I'm going to tag @Wyorp Rock @casportpony @azygous for assistance.

In the mean time you can safely offer her some scrambled eggs and add nutridrench or add. rooster booster probiotics and electrolytes to her water.

 

[Chicalina]

That's just plain weird.

Ascites? AKA water belly? Could be some swelling there under the vent where the skin is reddened. She hasn't laid in two days? Put your hand under her and feel. Does her 'belly' fill you hand and is it soft and squishy like a water balloon? If it is then that is ascites. Ascites is caused by either an infection in the reproductive system or by internal laying. Both could cause laying to stop and swelling along with infection in the abdomen.

BUT there is feather loss above the vent and at the 'saddle' region above the tail. No rooster to blame. Have you treated for mites/lice? There are different types of critters they can get and that treatment is easy peasy. You can dust them with Seven powder or what I use is liquid permethrin a few drops on the skin between their wings. I had a rooster develop feather shaft mites some time ago. His skin looked like that. I couldn't see a single mite on that bird and tried everything till I read about feather shaft mites. I put a large dose treatment of the permethrin drops on him and he started to grow feathers back within the week.

I'm going to tag @Wyorp Rock @casportpony @azygous for assistance.

In the mean time you can safely offer her some scrambled eggs and add nutridrench or add. rooster booster probiotics and electrolytes to her water.

Ascites is primarily a heart/liver problem, and it can cause laying problems. Hens can live with it for years, and it is usually an older hen problem. It's not curable, but it is treatable.

Sevin has been withdrawn because it can cause cancer. Permethrin is good.

Feather shaft mites are a possibility. The areas look so cleanly plucked though, rather than with ragged broken chewed off feathers, which says chickens are the culprit to me, but treating for mites anyway is a good idea.