Help! Balding under wings and injury at base of tail..*PHOTOS ADDED*

[johnniecourtney]

Hi,

My Americana is going completely bald under her wings, and keeps pecking and rubbing her beak against it. Also, at the base of the tail it looks inflamed and raw. Does anyone know what this is?


*Edit* Also, incase this helps, she's about 2.5 months old.


Thanks,
Courtney

 

[threehorses]

First, check the bird carefully for any signs of mites/lice. Look especially carefully around the vent as parasites love the moist warm environment around that area. The mites/lice and their eggs are nearly microscopic so you'll have to look very carefully. Try doing it on a white sheet - some people say that helps.

If you find them, let us know.

Otherwise is it possible that her oil gland above the base of her tail (I assume you mean on top) is clogged? If so, try putting a very warm rag on top of it. Then use antibiotic ointment (neosporin, nothing with hydrocortisone in it) on the spot.

Sounds to me like she might be over grooming for some reason? I'd suspect parasites first, so I'll wait for your reply.

 

[johnniecourtney]

Thanks, I'll check.

 

[johnniecourtney]

Okay, so I finally caught her! I looked close, and didn't see any mites. I did clean out their coop though and spread some DE all over under their shavings. It looks like she's been pecking herself. The tips of many of the feathers are still in her skin. So I put the warm wet rag on her and let it sit awhile, and then put on some Neosporin. I had hubby snap some photos after. It's all shiny from the Neosporin.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Courtney

 

[Uppity Peon]

To me it looks like what you see when another hen or rooster is bullying her. Have you seen her pulling her own feathers or do you have other chickens that could be doing it?

 

[johnniecourtney]

I've seen her picking at herself, and rubbing her beak against it. I did see another hen peck at it once. This hen is usually the kinda mean one, so I'd be surprised if another was bullying her, but maybe.

I'll keep watching her, and see if anyone else is picking on her. Maybe she just got scratched and now is picking at it? You think it'll just heal if I keep cleaning it and applying Neosporin?

Thanks!

Courtney

 

[threehorses]

When you see her rubbing her beak, likely she's doing it a bit further back on her oil gland. That's how chickens waterproof (to a certain extent) their feathers.

Interestingly, this is also how they convert vitamin D to vitamin D3 (for calcium absorbtion). The vitamin D is in their fats and oils as it's an oil based vitamin. They preen it onto their feathers. Exposure to sunlight converts it to D3. They preen it off their feathers and ingest it! A strange little avian factoid for ya.

Anyway, the oil gland is usually further back. I think she probably overgroomed and now she (and perhaps others) are just pecking at it because it's red, and because it probably itches.

If you could get blu-cote, I'd put some on it to make it less red. That will also serve as an antibiotic coating. Otherwise, continue to use the neosporin instead. It'll heal. You just want to keep watching it daily to make sure no fly finds it.

What is her diet by the way? Maybe there's something there that can help? She's going to need a little protein to help the feathers that were fully plucked to grow back. the ones that were simply broken off at the skin (the follicle still being attached in the skin) will come back during the next molt. So she might be naked back there for a while.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

I would say she needs some good means of using what calcium she i eating and Vit Dnow that is by doing this

for all the chickens
2 tbsp of applecider vinegar to gallon of water
do this every day unless giving medication
the ACV helps with the absorbing of the calcium and vit D

ALSO DO THIS
buy some Vetrx and apply daily the vetrx to all areas of the body with out feathers and on the oil gland and under the wings
also put the vetrx on her whole head and eyes
and give her 1/2 tsp of vetrx daily
also add 1 tsp to the water with the ACV

this is a good thing to stop what ever is wrong with her feathers
I would say it is a dried or pluged oil gland

the vetrx will help it to work

now with all that said do this
feed to whole flock
just multiply the amt for each bird by number of birds feed the wetmash with vit's


natural probiotic recipe is :
for each chic fed this

3 TBSP of dry crumbles
4-1/2 tbsp of milk, sweet, sour, or buttermilk or a mixture of all or some
1 tbsp of non flavored yoguart ( no artificial sweetmer)
mix good
after putting the vit's in mix good and add
1 tbsp of apple sauce so they will eat it

NOW THE IMPORTANT INGRIEDIENT FOR EACH CHICK FED
and add 1- 1000 mg of Vit E by cutting the end off the vit E capsule for each chick fed this wet mash
1 vit B complex crush and add to mix
putting it in the wet mash

this for each chick your treating
so for each chick use 2 tsp of mixture and 1-1000 mg of Vit E

1 Vit B complex crush pill and add to the wet mash also
twice a day for them till the manure is solid


Feed what they will clean up in 20-30 minutes
then clean wet feeders and restock dry crumbles

do this twice a day for a week

then quit the Vit E and Vit B complex
make just the wet mash probiotic
then once a week for life

if not medicating the birds use
Apple cider binegar in waterers
do not use ACV with medication


2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar per gallon of the chicken water so their gut flora wil be regulated
they should have this at least 3-5 days a week

the vit's are neccessary to clean up the damaged gut problem


email me any questions so you are not confused

 

[threehorses]

Glenda's advice for supportive nutrition is always the advice I had followed and learned from since I met her years and years ago. It served my flock well and still does.

 

[tingryphon]

I have a RIR hen doing this too and I'm at a loss. Two huge bald spots on her abdomen, one on her crop, big one on her back, wings look raggedy. I've been on bedrest and hadn't realized this was going on til now; she has been hiding when my teenager goes out to feed and clean up. Looks self inflicted, no mites. I've read that vaporub is painful, and camphor is poisonous. Can I use peppermint oil or rosemary oil instead?