So I work for an accounting firm, and I've been working crazy busy hours the past few weeks. Consequently I haven't been able to spend much time with my chickens. It's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home.
When I went out to let them out this a.m. I noticed one of my silkies had a sore spot on her back. I was able to catch her to further investigate the sore, and I was appalled with what I saw! She has a huge sore covering a large part of her lower back by her tailfeathers. I can't figure out what the cause is. I don't think it's mites because I didn't see any when looking and none of the other chickens have similar symptoms. I'm wondering if the other chickens might have done it to her. I noticed one little hen laying under the droppings pan in the coop for a few days this week. I assumed she was going broody like 4 of my other silkies have done recently, and as I had someone coming in just a few days to buy her and 3 of my other silkies, I didn't want to put her in a broody pen in case they didn't want to hatch out chicks, so I left her. I'm now wondering if she might have been laying there to "hide" from the other chickens. I haven't noticed any of my chickens picking on the silkies, but my work schedule is so crazy right now, I wouldn't be home to witness it if they were.
Do you guys mind looking at the pics and letting me know what you think it might be? If it is some sort of mite (and I've never had an experience with mites before) I want to nip it in the bud before it spreads to my other chickens.
Should I keep her separated from the other chickens? I put some blue kote on her sore this morning, and put her back with the rest of the flock. I didn't see anyone immediately start pecking at her hindquarters, so I felt okay leaving her with them. I'm just kinda stumped because my peeps haven't had any health problems before. Of course, I've only had them since July, so I'm still learning.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Do you guys mind looking at the pics and letting me know what you think it might be? If it is some sort of mite (and I've never had an experience with mites before) I want to nip it in the bud before it spreads to my other chickens.
Should I keep her separated from the other chickens? I put some blue kote on her sore this morning, and put her back with the rest of the flock. I didn't see anyone immediately start pecking at her hindquarters, so I felt okay leaving her with them. I'm just kinda stumped because my peeps haven't had any health problems before. Of course, I've only had them since July, so I'm still learning.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
