Help please hen w/ bad ongoing skin condition.

[sarahannecloud9]

My other post messed up. I think I overloaded with pics. Cochin of unknown age. Harmony came to us a cpl months ago in poor condition. She has never had feathers from chin to vent. Now she has this thick flack pealing skin. It's getting matted into the feathers. Evereyone just went through treatment for scaly leg. They came to me this was and it spread! The coop is spotless as is the run. They free range during the day. I noticed during treatment she was extra flaky. Her feathers have turned from blue to almost brown. She needs a good moult. The feather are not trying to grow back. I sat for an hour removing skin. On bald spots it peeled like sunburn, but dry, feathered aread were built up and nasty. Could she not be preening? Skin disorder? Could she have had mites before the ivermectin tx? please help me help her. they deserve happyness! She is the only one like this. I do have another one of the cochns that doesn't have feathers in this same area, but no skin issues. I thought she was broody for too long? I gave her a good scrub with selson blue as it's all I could think of. She's running around with the others now. Looks better.
Some pics:
After picking the flakes off.

See the flake.

Under.

Front.

Current color.

Color before.

TIA!!

 

[gritsar]

I could swear I still see a few mites. How long ago did you treat with the ivermectin and did you use the pour on?

That doesn't look like a normal molt to me, could be wrong. Upping protein would help. The highest protein egglayer feed you can find and high protein treats - cheese, plain non-fat yogurt, small helpings of dry cat food, even scrambled or chopped boiled eggs. Also, black oil sunflower seeds.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

I could swear I still see a few mites. How long ago did you treat with the ivermectin and did you use the pour on?

That doesn't look like a normal molt to me, could be wrong. Upping protein would help. The highest protein egglayer feed you can find and high protein treats - cheese, plain non-fat yogurt, small helpings of dry cat food, even scrambled or chopped boiled eggs. Also, black oil sunflower seeds.

I never saw mites? Just wondering if that could be what this is, the after math of them? Oh, do you mean the scaley leg? Well, I treated them all when I got them, aprox 3 months ago??? I noticed the scaley leg going on last month I think, I'm beyong horrible with dates. They got treated (pour on) and then again 10 days later. Legs dipped twice at the same time. The whole coop and run was stripped, sanatised, and treated at the same times as well. This girl is the only one thta looks anything like this. Now the other cochin has the feather pulled underside too. I assumed she was broody before we got her.

As for the food. They all eat the same. Hand fed pellets, free range daytime. Eggs, shells, pumpkins, greens, kitchen scraps, a little hand fed high protein feed, a small amnt of cracked corn mised with that. I also cook for them, backed bread on really cold days, hot oats, whole grain bread mixed with a high quality yogurt, and they also get a little dry cat food now that it's cold. The variety of ther food is huge, lol. They were just so thin and pale when we got them, they deserve this.

I truely appriceate the help here!

 

[gritsar]

Some of the feather loss on the belly and breast could be from broodiness. But, look at the 2nd pic. See the little white specks around the vent area?

Easiest way to check for an active mite infection - go into the coop at night, after the birds have gone to roost. Using a flashlight, check around the vent area for any tiny little creepy crawlies moving around.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

Oh, pic #2 a wing pic. The specs are all the dander. Some spots are huge flakes, others I massaged the skin and it was just like dandriff. I spent an hour before these pics, didn't have the cam, picking and rubbing. The tiny pieces of skin were stuck all in the fluff. I looked her over again today and it's better, but no change since the bath. Just better than before. I have checked her, and others, vents quite a few times and found nothing. It sounds like them though. I'm so confused. How could only one hen have this? I'm so dang stumped. It's like it's some genetic thing with her skin. Ahhhh. I'll check her vent again tonight. When i checked today it was like 9 am?

 

[dracoe19]

I would say all the flaky skin and damaged feathers are from the poor nutrition and condition they were in before you got them. The brownness is normal. My blue cochin hen turns brown when she is ready to molt. I would agree in double checking for mites and lice. Sometimes they really hide well. I will admit I have missed it on my hens before because they hide very well. If there are no mites or lice I would say the skin condition is something that has just not resolved from her being neglected. It may take a few more months to start seeing the skin condition go away. Sadly stuff like that can be caused in a short time but take 3x longer to resolve. I think you are doing a great job so far and taking her health very seriously. Try looking for a lotion to put on her. If you can't find a specific poultry lotion try cetaphil lotion. I think that would be best to try because it has no dyes, added perfumes, and is used for super sensitive skin. I know it is not specifically for animals but it could be worth trying on a patch of skin to see what happens. I hope she gets better soon!

 

[cafarmgirl]

Could she have a fungal infection called Favus? It causes white plaque growths on the skin along with flaking, peeling skin and feather loss. It often starts on the head and progresses to more of the body.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

After researching, I'm pretty sure it's not favus. I'm glad I looked it up though. I like to know what I can if the need for the info ever arrises.

Perhaps it is a nutritional thing. She is the smallest of the cochins in that tiny pen. She prob had to fight for food. he only feed they ever saw was corn. They were terrified to leave the coop/run. They are finally roosting, some of them. It was just soooo bad. You are prob right about the nutrition. The younger of the chickens just flourished when they came to us. They were 7 month old br's and the size of 4-5 months. I about fell over when they just started laying. They fattened up so fast. It took about a month for their color to come back. Now all red faced and lovely. The brahama and itty cochin took a while. We thought they were only 3 months. They are the size of the big girls now though. That is living proof of how important nutrition is!

Thanks again everyone for all the help.I was so worried about her. I'll find the lotion and start lathering her up. It couldn't hurt!

 

[gritsar]

I do a once a week mite check in my chicken coops; rarely in my waterfowl coop. Because I check so often I did manage to catch an early infestation on one hen and no one else in her coop had any. She was run down at the time, making her more susceptible to parasites.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

This was the most rundown little girl. She may have had mites and the ivermectin killed them. That would explain why it does appear like she has them. No mites ever detected, but the skin is sooooo simular. Either that or just so ill for so long she is healing? I don't know. I do appriceate all this health. I guess I can take a breath now. You gals have been so wonderfull helping me brainstorm and toss all possibilities out there. I'll continue to give her good exams, cream, more treats, and mite checks. I really like her. And just the perfect patient! Just lays there for me. Not even scared, just a little bit nervious. A real sweet heart! Wish the whole flock was as sweet. We'd never eat chicken again though, lol.