Hen with Bald Red Belly - what is it?

[Kirkland]

Hello,
My top-of-the-flock 1-yr-old hen has a red belly with almost no feathers. I haven't seen her pick at it. It is not bloody. The skin just looks really inflamed. She has absolutely no other symptoms. She's eating fine, laying fine, acting normal, etc. It flares up and down a little bit. I don't see mites or anything. All the other chickens are normal. She's had this red belly for 4-6 weeks probably.
Any ideas? Is she OK? Solutions?

 

[DTchickens]

Could be molting, and sometimes when a hen sets or lays she will lose the belly feathers. The red skin is just from the sunlight, the pale colored skin is what it should look like and she probably just recently lost the feathers there though it will turn red too in a little bit.

-Daniel

 

[lynxs1981]

Check where she's laying, make sure it's not moist or anything that could cause irritation.

 

[BeccaB00]

Oh my goodness I have a rooster just like that right now. It's not molting because it's been like this for months, but the erea is smaller than your hen's. but looks just like this. I have not seen him pick at his either. We have been trying to figure out what it is... I hope your hen gets better

 

[burquechick]

Might be a brood patch. Is she or was she broody recently?

 

[mconro]

Our cornish X look like that but I tink it is due to them alway slaying on their tummy. May be the same thing?

 

[Kirkland]

Thanks for everyone's replies. No, she's never been broody and she is laying on the same pine bedding she always has. I don't think it is molting, either because she hasn't lost feathers anywhere else. It's so localized. It does kind of look like sunburn, but when is that area underneath exposed to sun? Hmmm. I figure that as long as she acts happy, she hopefully is. I've been watching her closely and it's not getting better or worse. I suppose I could try changing out the pine chips for something else.
Thanks! I would definitely welcome additional ideas/experiences.

 

[burquechick]

It might help to change out the pine shavings then. Could be contact dermatitis if you don't suspect anything else.

 

[500592]

sometimes if the have lice or something like that they will pluck thier own feathers good luck

 

[Kirkland]

I think I finally found the culprit(s). What a mess! Just a few weeks ago I found a few white mites/lice at night. Never could find them on any of the chickens bodies, but did a complete decontamination of the coop, or so I thought. Been trying to see if they were still there since then, but couldn't find anything on the birds, eggs, or with a flashlight. Well, all of a sudden I can across this disaster:

I am sure they are what is responsible for the funny tummy. It looks like several different things to me. Recommendations for people's favorite approaches (most effective, least hazardous with respect to egg eating, other pets, kids, etc.) for getting rid of these horrible things would be great. I'll read previous posts and stuff in the learning center, too. Aside from the bare belly, I don't see any other evidence on the birds themselves. Are my chickens doing OK?