diamondsilkies
Songster
A little while back, my flock was hit by a pretty bad case of lice. As a result, they had some feather loss, including my black australorp hen, who lost feathers under her vent, revealing a bare path underneath. I figured it was just something that looked weird because it had no feathers and didn't give it that much attention. I got rid of the lice and everyone started growing back their feathers. However, my australorp, Ellie, did not grow any feathers under her vent where she had lost them before. I figured maybe it was just taking her a little while longer. However, it's been a while, and feathers have still not grown back. She's also developing some scabbing on the bare patch, which worries me, because it really doesn't look good. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, which is why I've taken a little longer to reach out for help, since I thought it would resolve itself.
Besides this, she has no other symptoms. Sometimes her poop can be a little runny, but not all the time. Her eyes are bright and alert, as is she. Her feathers are shiny, her comb is bright red, no signs of cold, and she's been laying eggs except for the past month or so, but not many of my girls have been either. She eats well and has an empty crop in the morning.
Besides this weird scabbed swelling, she shows no signs of illness at all. I've inspected the scabs, and they don't really seem to go deep, the skin has just kind of created a thin scab. The swelling/bare patch (I can't tell if it's swollen or just looks weird because it's bare) isn't hard or soft, it's just kind of soft firmness. The scabbing can change from day to day, but it's never too severe. I'll include some pictures below of a kind of normal day. They're not super graphic but it definitely doesn't look good, just a warning for any squeamish people out there (myself included).
So, does anyone know what this is or what caused it? I never see her picking at it or rubbing it, which I have with chickens who had tumors or infections. It baffles me because she doesn't seem bothered by it at all. If I need to, how should I treat it? Thanks in advance!
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Besides this, she has no other symptoms. Sometimes her poop can be a little runny, but not all the time. Her eyes are bright and alert, as is she. Her feathers are shiny, her comb is bright red, no signs of cold, and she's been laying eggs except for the past month or so, but not many of my girls have been either. She eats well and has an empty crop in the morning.
Besides this weird scabbed swelling, she shows no signs of illness at all. I've inspected the scabs, and they don't really seem to go deep, the skin has just kind of created a thin scab. The swelling/bare patch (I can't tell if it's swollen or just looks weird because it's bare) isn't hard or soft, it's just kind of soft firmness. The scabbing can change from day to day, but it's never too severe. I'll include some pictures below of a kind of normal day. They're not super graphic but it definitely doesn't look good, just a warning for any squeamish people out there (myself included).
So, does anyone know what this is or what caused it? I never see her picking at it or rubbing it, which I have with chickens who had tumors or infections. It baffles me because she doesn't seem bothered by it at all. If I need to, how should I treat it? Thanks in advance!
Picture:
