My bald ‘Whitey’

[Duckfarmer1]

Hi there, awhile back I posted a thread about Whitey , my Leghorn, having a very, ummm, yucky bumm. A friend who is a pigeon owner suggested we put iodine in her water. I checked on here, it was recommended that we simply trim her bumm feathers. We did that, and she had no problems. Today, I was out, checking everything, and we’ll...I suppose I hadn’t been dilligen enough with her. Poor girl has picked herself bald? Or someone else has? I checked her all over for mites or lice...not a one. Checked a few others for it too...didn’t see anything. Now, I’m wondering how to treat her...why she’s like this? How to keep her warm..we live in a verrrryyy cold part of the US....other than this...she’s acting totally normal...still laying, everything..., but her bumm is clearly yucky again...

 

[azygous]

Poor Whitey. I think she could have internal parasites from the vent filth and the lack of feather thriftiness. To be sure, it's a simple thing to collect a fresh stool sample from her and take it to your vet and get it tested for worms and coccidia.

If you rule out internal parasites, Whitey could have a more serious problem such as reproductive disease that is bombarding her system. How old is she? Has she laid any eggs recently?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there.

First.she isn't a Leghorn as indicated by her red ear lobes and not yellow skin, more likely a Rock.

I had a girl with constant dirty vent feathers... fecal floats came back negative time after time and considered it a genetic weakness, really after a lot more research feel as though it may have been liver related. Felt terrible about the dirty eggs and sent her to freezer camp instead of another home to ruin more eggs.

Are those pin feathers or broken? What is her place in the pecking order? How old is she and what do you feed on a regular basis including treats and supplements? Can you post a pic from farther away that shows the bald area please?

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I will get better pictures tomorrow For sure! She is less than one year. A friend gave her to us because she laid her eggs all over place...but he didn’t have a proper coop. She’s been with our chicken since August. Never any issues with pecking order..in fact, she seems quite bold...she’s always the one flying out and gett into mischief...the first batch came to us with clipped wings. We won’t do that to our birds. What’s a rock? Never heard of that? Neither of the vets in this county do fecal float tests on chickens. I know this wrong, but I typically give a broad spectrum dewormer. If she had internal parasites...why don’t the rest? I’m pretty sure she’s laying..she spends a lot of time in the nesting boxes. I feed her a basic pellet form..of what we buy from our own mill, but the ingredients are comparable to Purina. 18% protein..we dropped back to 16% for a bit in the winter due to less egg production, etc. treats are limited actually. We have a large farm, so, everyone has to share. Today they got kale. The other day cabbage. It varies. But really..no junk food..we don’t eat it. sometimes scramblEd eggs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Poor girl has picked herself bald? Or someone else has? I checked her all over for mites or lice...not a one.

Can you post a photo of her standing up by herself so we can see how her wing feathers look?
Do you see her digging at herself obsessively?

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I can try to get a picture by herself like that
..I have never seen her dig at herself...nothing more, than a simple scratch, like we sll do. She doesn't isolate herself...she’s always in the mix of things. is there anything, in the mean time, until we figure this out, that I can give her for pain? all those kind of ointments...calamine too. Have children’s ibuprofens...What about putting bag balm on th sore spots? I don’t want her today pick more...separating might make her more stressed

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Ok, here are some more pictures..I cleaned her bumm..she was sooo good for it. I did use water..just trimmed with scissors. I think it felt good for her. I feel soo bad for her..poor Whitey

 

[Duckfarmer1]

A friend suggested that I put my finger up her vent to see if I could feel an egg...I felt an open cavity...felt ok..good. She has been in nest boxes..so I’m pretty sure she lays. I cleaned up her bumm and she liked it. My feral so said she could be getting nibbled my mice!? But I leave the feed in the coop at night...and I checked..she roosts...at least tonight...I’ll keep checking....I’m going to TS tomorrow morning..I plan to buy many things...stuff for mites and lice...??

 

[casportpony]

I see lice eggs. Have you treated her for lice with permethrin?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree, I see lice eggs. You should be able to get Permethrin poultry dust or spray at TSC.
I would be good just to go ahead and treat all your birds and the housing too.

You mention you've seen her in the nesting boxes and think that's she's laying eggs - are you getting any brown eggs? She looks like a White Plymouth Rock, not a Leghorn, so she would lay brown eggs. (She's a big gal - I have still have a WPR and they are good girls)