Missing feathers on bottom and belly

[HSGrandma]

Three of my chickens have bare bottoms and bellies. I have 5 golden sex-linked, 2 Rhode Island Reds and 2 Americanas. One of each has a bare bottom right now. I feed them Layer pellets with grits and oyster shell mixed in. They get meal worms most every day as a treat. I clean the coop weekly and put down fresh pine shavings. They are laying well and seem fine, but I noticed their bottoms today. My granddaughters noticed it earlier this week. The poor Americana is really bare and the temps are below freezing here at night.

Since I clean the coop weekly, I don't see how it could be lice, but I haven't found any other posts suggesting other ideas besides plucking by another chicken. Is it possible one other chicken would be plucking these three?
Thanks for any help!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Can you post pics?

Lice and mites don't care how much you clean, they are part of the environment. While it can help to keep things in check... sometimes treatment is still needed. Red roost mites live in cracks of the wood and ONLY come out to feed at night. Very often won't be seen on the birds. And no matter how much shaving you change will NOT effect red roost mites. Lice live ON the birds, not the bedding (some lice or eggs may fall into the bedding and search for a new host). Northern fowl mites also live ON the birds. And depluming mites live IN the feather shaft and are invisible so they will NEVER be seen. It is easiest to check for these pests a couple hours after dark. Use a flash light and remove a bird from roost. Part the feathers near the vent and up the abdomen and look for crawlies running away. If you do have to treat for... Permethrin spray is the preferred product. It's easy to use, affordable, effective, and safe requiring NO withdrawal time for eggs when used according to directions!

Yes, pecking is a definite possibility. Especially if you have some who still look pristine. How old are your gals?

You shouldn't be adding the grit or oyster shell to your layer pellets. Making them available free choice would be more appropriate since layer already has 4% calcium. And too much calcium fed long term *can* (doesn't mean will) cause kidney issues including gout and failure.

Meal worm are a nice treat, with a good source of protein. But they are a bit high in fat. Make sure to keep any treats to 10% or less of their daily intake. I personally think they could do well on a grower or all flock with 20% protein (and 1% ish calcium) and the oyster shell/grit available to access on the side. Since my birds range... I don't supply grit. But I do have washed river sand (little pebbles) as my coop floor that suffices. Even before that I never used grit for free range birds with access to dirt.

So... how much space do you have them in? You have 9 birds... what is the size of your coop and run? Do they range?

Hope this is helpful.

 

[HSGrandma]

Thanks for the response: I will send photos in another post as soon as I figure out how The girls are less than a year. We got them last April. They started laying in August. The coop was brand new and here are the specifics:
The Rhode Island Homestead
Extra Large Chicken Coop
The run has a galvanized wire-meshed roof which protects your chickens from predators!

• 12′ Long Run
• Tongue and groove construction
• Made of top grade fir wood and is treated to be splinter free
• Two nesting boxes with 6 total compartments allowing your chickens to lay in comfort
• Front access ramp
• Inner door slides shut with easy metal pull bar
• Removable back panel for easy cleaning
• Secure latches (extra precaution to protect from predators)
• Pull out tray made of galvanized steel
• They will love the three internal roosts
• Two side vents for air circulation this mitigates against chicken respiratory issues
• The handles allow for easy mobility (we have now added handles to the run too!)
• Reinforced run panels to ensure stability and structural strength
• Instructions walk you through the simple process of assembly
• You receive a free gift with your purchase! (Choose an apron, #shirt or hen saddle... please include in the notes section at checkout!)
• Order before 1pm MST and we will ship the SAME day! If you order after 1pm we will ship your coop the next day!

Measurements: 12 ft. (143”) long x 5 ft. 8 in. (69″) wide x 5 ft. 7 in. (65.5″) tall *Width measurement includes nesting boxes

They only stay in the coop at night. Rarely have they been restricted to the run. We have a fenced area approximately 40' x 70' that they range in. In November, due to hawks, we reduced it to about 40' x 40' to cover it with netting to keep them safe from hawks. I will send photos shortly.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Can you describe how the roost is set up in there? How many feet in length times how many roost bars total and how far apart? What is the width on the surface of those bars?

I have a cute little coop, similar to that one and the roost bars are only about an inch wide and they were 4 inches apart, 2 of them. Which seems OK for bantams but not sure about large fowl. Just brainstorming here. Seems like that would effect most of them though.

The fact that your coop was new definitely helps mitigate pests. And I should also say not "the" preferred treatment but my preferred method when describing the spray. For some people that simply would not be a good option if they have freezing weather and such.

It sounds a lot like it could be plucking caused maybe by roost time antics (always the worst at my place) or a particular individual. Noting who roost where might actually clue you in a little to your offender may be. Those are tight sleeping quarters, but it can happen even with ample space.

Had a hawk watching my flock for a few weeks. It was a frustrating time and I was definitely considering more confinement. I got lucky this time though and didn't lose any flock members. I'm sure plucking the Silkies off would have been easy.