? Molting or something else near vent

[racefanz]

So I am going to try to add this picture to this and see if it works.

The dirtyish areas are down by the shaft of the feathers, brownish really. I didn't see any white or anything moving when I checked her yesterday. I am wondering if the red area below her vent and where her tail feathers would be is just irratated due to constant poo buildup. Kinda like a baby with a wet diaper gets diaper rash. I will check her out one of the next few nights to see if I can spot anything moving.
I usually throw them scratch 1x per day. I try to give them a lil something else as well. What is the deal with oyster shells? I see alot of people giving their chickens oyster shells.
Thanks again!

 

[racefanz]

YIPPIE it worked!! I got a pic on here for you to see!

I put another pic of her for you to see. She has been molting since April as well, or so I am told that is what is going on with the feathers on her "back".

 

[threehorses]

I think that the bare area under her vent is due to the pasty buildup, just irritation from it. Poultry feces are quite irritating to their skin - indeed just like any would be. They can also get secondary irritations of the skin there and yeast issues. It's not uncommon to treat the area with a Lotrimin creme, for athelete's foot. Just make sure it's rubbed in well.

The second one looks like it could be a molt. But the way to tell is if there are any feathers coming in (pinfeathers, new feathers in their casings, new feathers in the area to the front of that area, etc). Or are there broken feathers there, in which case it could be irritation or plucking by other birds.

A little additional protein in their diets wouldn't hurt.

Oyster shell: its' for laying hens. All hens should get it. Laying feed is designed for a scientifically average hen after a whole lot of research by feed designers. It's designed with something like 4% of the diet being calcium, and a calcium to phosphorus ratio of around 6:1 (6 = calcium 1 = phos).

However, in "real life" flocks, some healthy hens can need as much as 15:1 cal/phos. if feed manufacturers tried to accomodate those hens in the laying feed, they'd cause a lot of problems for the average and lower calcium-need hens. So instead it's up to the poultryman to provide a good bioavailable source of calcium that will be readily available and easily given to hens without overdosing everyone. Oystershell has been the standard for that for ages. The crushed oyster shell easily falls apart into powder when crushed in the gizzard. Some people try to feed egg shells but they aren't as bioavailable.

Hens know instinctively that oyster shell contains calcium; they self-supplement. Sometimes I put some of the "flour" from the oyster shell (the smallest particles, which are just like a flour) in the feed if I have new layers, or recommend doing so the first time you offer oyster shell or to hens who aren't picking it up and still need calcium.

The vitamin D and phosphorus are sufficient in feeds, generally. Phosphorus definitely so as it's cereal based (grains) and more often over-provided rather than under-provided. Vitamin D sometimes is less available, but can be easily supplemented and is more easy to overdose to it really isn't that often needed to supplement. Just in early laying hens sometimes, special cases where there might be a need for quick calcium or an adjustment to the diet.

So I always recommend feeding oyster shell (Crushed rather than pelleted) in a separate bowl. I use the cheap two-hole cat feeders from a dollar store as they don't tip, are easy to clean, and are only a dollar. I put the granite grit in one side, oyster shell in the other.

 

[racefanz]

Thanks so much! I will stop at the Feed Store and see if they carry the Oyster Shell stuff. You're awesome!