My bare bottom Barred Rock

[4 Sweet Chicks]

Hi everyone,

I have had my girls for about a year now and one of them developed a bald spot over the winter. The fluff has grown back a bit but I have noticed that when she makes noise, a bump above her vent emerges. Is this normal? I only have three hens and they lay great and get out in the backyard everyday. My LH has a smaller bald spot on her bum now too but the Buff Orpington has no such bald spot. I had assumed that the Buff was pecking at the others so we used some Rooster Booster on the reddish skin. I guess I have a few questions...

What do you think the bald spots are from?

How do I treat them?

How do I prevent them from coming back?

I have 4 new chicks to introduce to the girls next month and I want to make sure that we have healthy living conditions for everyone. Please help!

Thanks so much.

 

[Chick Charm]

I would check for Lice & Mites.
"If" she has them, treat with coating her in DE. Put Vaseline or olive oil on her legs and put Vet RX in the water for her to drink.
Check her for worms. Treat with your medicated preference or battle it with DE & Garlic. ACV does not work as a dewormer but the acid contributes to killing the weak worms and contribute in many ways to overall health.

This is what I would do for starters.

 

[4 Sweet Chicks]

Thank you! I will check her for the above. Do you think I should be worried about the bump above the vent. It just sort of pops out when she makes noise. Could it be normal but since it's bald, it's more noticeable or do you think it is something more serious?

 

[Chick Charm]

Not an expert here by any means. I think she and others may be pecking due to mites or lice. I have seen the bumm of a chicken move/pulse whenever they chirp or squawk or whatever. So I would check the bump out for sure but I'm thinking its bugs. Or she may be pecking at her bumm because of worms inside.

I wouldn't worry but she needs some treatment.

 

[4 Sweet Chicks]

Was there something that we should have done to prevent this? We clean the coop every week, scooping it out and replacing the bedding.

 

[salt and pepper]

Check for lice mites, and worm her. I use permethrin when I have issues with bugs. Is it red/ irritated? or just bald? If it's irritated, then someones pecking her, if it's just bald, the it's something else. You can prevent lice/ mites by cleaning regularly, but sometimes even the cleanest coop will get bugs.

 

[4 Sweet Chicks]

Thank you! I am such a newbie but I checked some images online of mites and worms and I don't see anything on the chickens. How do you check for lice, mites and worms?

 

[Queen Effie]

Have you noticed any wounds, cuts of any kind, or blood? Other chickens think those things (especially blood) is interesting and will peck at it. If that's going on then remove her from the rest of the flock until she heals. If the spot is dried up then you can rub Vaseline on it. Moisture might help it. GOOD LUCK!!! Things will get better

 

[Chick Charm]

You can actually see the mites and lice. Also you will see egg sacks. If there are bugs on her, looking closely you can see them. Worms cannot be seen as they are internal. Sevin kills bugs dead. If you want to go that rout.

Does she have irritated spots or is she just bald?

 

[Chick Charm]

Hopefully she gets better. Maybe an early molt.

I just did some research on bald butts and came up with some info. If the bald butt swells to a big ball it could mean that is a ovarian cyst (for which there is no cure from my understanding, even surgery will not cure) that continues to grow. These big bald butts generally start at about a year old and continue to grow until death. Most say that their hens continue to eat and lay but overall health diminishes slowly. In the case of leukemia lekosis or whatever it was, there also is no cure. And the symptoms are the same big bald butts.

Wish the best. All I know is that I hope none of my hens come up with a bald butt. Depressing finding out all the things that can go wrong with a chicken.