MY HENS BUTT IS RAW AND RED, WHAT IS IT?????

[Cherishedchicks]

[My 8 1/2 mth old ri red has a red, raw butt. I don't know why or what to do. She is eating, drinking and acting normal. I am also the one in the previous post that subject line is "please I need help". Thanks, Terri, itty, bitty and gritty:cd

I have one chicken in a flock of 25 that has had a very red raw butt for awhile. I dust their food lightly with DE, as well as the nest boxes and coop. None of them have mites. I have treated her for yeast. She does not like yogurt. I have tried Desitin, and after about a week there was no change. I have now discovered from googling that it may be a fungal infection. I have started bathing her once a week, and applying athletes foot cream twice a day. It has been about 2 weeks and her feathers are finally growing back for the first time in a long time. She is starting to relax more during the baths, and loves the blow dry that follows.

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

I'm with Katy too. But I wish my hen was too so Katy could look at her and tell me what the heck to do!! <G> When I was rubbing the paste on her, her butt actually looks and felt like it was filled up with water, like a small water ballon under her skin. Do you think its like a diaper rash type thing? IAnd its not just a little red, its beet red, almost scabby looking. Shes still eating and drinking. Thanks everyone for trying to help. I feel so bad for her, wish I could do something.

Are you still here? Did you ever find out what the issue was? How did it turn out? I'm having the exact same problem, watery belly, hasn't laid since the end of January, otherwise fine, EXCEPT for a red, raw butt.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Are you still here? Did you ever find out what the issue was? How did it turn out? I'm having the exact same problem, watery belly, hasn't laid since the end of January, otherwise fine, EXCEPT for a red, raw butt.

OP has not been on in a year so they may not answer you.

Please post some photos of your hen. How old is she?


A red raw rear could be from getting poop or urates on the skin if the abdomen is swollen. You can apply a barrier cream like Hen Healer or Nu Stock to help with irritation.
If she the symptom Ascites (Water Belly) and has not laid eggs for months, then she likely has a reproductive disorder.

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

OP has not been on in a year so they may not answer you.

Please post some photos of your hen. How old is she?


A red raw rear could be from getting poop or urates on the skin if the abdomen is swollen. You can apply a barrier cream like Hen Healer or Nu Stock to help with irritation.
If she the symptom Ascites (Water Belly) and has not laid eggs for months, then she likely has a reproductive disorder.

Thanks. I think you've actually responded to me before. Since I've done everything and tried everything imaginable under the sun, I keep coming back hoping somebody has some answers.

We got her last July (2020), as a ready-to-lay, with 9 other hens, so she's about a year and a half old.

It's been MONTHS that she, since early last Fall, (and now others, since mid Spring) has had a red, raw, butt and aside from not laying, is showing no other signs of illness or injury.

She is the only one not laying and hasn't since the end of January.

I've pretty much ruled out everything, because anything else would have killed her by now.

The deepness/darkness of the red comes and goes, sometimes several times a day, from pale pink-ish to bright, vibrant red.

She eats, poops, plays, maintains her spot in the pecking order and otherwise seems fine.

I have noticed on a couple of occasions that she sits in a nesting box, and just this morning I described her calls and sounds as, "mournful and lamenting", she did NOT seem stressed though, and didn't lay an egg.

Her belly feels, "jiggly," more like something thick, like jello or rice, than water. She doesn't flinch when I massage her belly.

I've soaked her repeatedly in Epsom salts and had her separated for a time. Any ministrations seem to aggravate it and her.

Her bottom isn't, and hasn't ever been poopy or dirty, just red and raw looking. I don't know if that rules out vent gleet, but I treated for that, to no avail.

I know I should just leave it and let it play out since she doesn't seem bothered, but now other hens bottoms are starting to look like hers.

We've DEEP cleaned the coop twice since February, treated the hens with Ivermectin pour-on 5%, and dusted occasionally with DE. I tried a homemade plantain salve that did nothing as well.

My latest research has been into Preparation H, Zincofax and/or Tinactin. (And I just made homemade yogurt to try as well).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks. I think you've actually responded to me before. Since I've done everything and tried everything imaginable under the sun, I keep coming back hoping somebody has some answers.

We got her last July (2020), as a ready-to-lay, with 9 other hens, so she's about a year and a half old.

It's been MONTHS that she, since early last Fall, (and now others, since mid Spring) has had a red, raw, butt and aside from not laying, is showing no other signs of illness or injury.

She is the only one not laying and hasn't since the end of January.

I've pretty much ruled out everything, because anything else would have killed her by now.

The deepness/darkness of the red comes and goes, sometimes several times a day, from pale pink-ish to bright, vibrant red.

She eats, poops, plays, maintains her spot in the pecking order and otherwise seems fine.

I have noticed on a couple of occasions that she sits in a nesting box, and just this morning I described her calls and sounds as, "mournful and lamenting", she did NOT seem stressed though, and didn't lay an egg.

Her belly feels, "jiggly," more like something thick, like jello or rice, than water. She doesn't flinch when I massage her belly.

I've soaked her repeatedly in Epsom salts and had her separated for a time. Any ministrations seem to aggravate it and her.

Her bottom isn't, and hasn't ever been poopy or dirty, just red and raw looking. I don't know if that rules out vent gleet, but I treated for that, to no avail.

I know I should just leave it and let it play out since she doesn't seem bothered, but now other hens bottoms are starting to look like hers.

We've DEEP cleaned the coop twice since February, treated the hens with Ivermectin pour-on 5%, and dusted occasionally with DE. I tried a homemade plantain salve that did nothing as well.

My latest research has been into Preparation H, Zincofax and/or Tinactin. (And I just made homemade yogurt to try as well).View attachment 2774474

Ah. Yes, I see now. I've responded to 2 of your threads so far.
She's being plucked. Feathers are worn and those won't be replaced until she molts.
Skin turns various shades - if it's going from pale to red, then that's very likely hormones. Even if she's not in lay, hormones can still play a role.
Skin looks ok and intact. I think I would leave her be. Do check periodically for lice/mites like you have been, but if treated with Ivermectin recently, they really shouldn't be an issue.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/whats-wrong-with-my-chickens-butt.1441174/page-2
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-is-this-mareks-disease.1469465/page-2

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

Ah. Yes, I see now. I've responded to 2 of your threads so far.
She's being plucked. Feathers are worn and those won't be replaced until she molts.
Skin turns various shades - if it's going from pale to red, then that's very likely hormones. Even if she's not in lay, hormones can still play a role.
Skin looks ok and intact. I think I would leave her be. Do check periodically for lice/mites like you have been, but if treated with Ivermectin recently, they really shouldn't be an issue.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/whats-wrong-with-my-chickens-butt.1441174/page-2
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-is-this-mareks-disease.1469465/page-2

Thank you. That's the first comforting thing I've heard in months!

It looks like it's starting to happen to some of the other hens as well.

Is there anything I can/should or shouldn't do? I'm thinking supplements or certain foods.

Thank you so much for all your time. It's certainly overwhelming sometimes when you're new at something.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you. That's the first comforting thing I've heard in months!

It looks like it's starting to happen to some of the other hens as well.

Is there anything I can/should or shouldn't do? I'm thinking supplements or certain foods.

Thank you so much for all your time. It's certainly overwhelming sometimes when you're new at something.

The plucking can be a bad habit.
You may need to increase protein to see if that helps resolve the plucking. If it's only a couple of birds causing the problem, some folks use pinless peepers.

Feathers won't be replaced until they molt.

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

The plucking can be a bad habit.
You may need to increase protein to see if that helps resolve the plucking. If it's only a couple of birds causing the problem, some folks use pinless peepers.

Feathers won't be replaced until they molt.

Oh it's a horrible, nasty habit!

I have been supplementing their feed and eggshell supply with chick peas, some mealworms (I'm cultivating my own and it's a slow process), scrambled eggs, etc., and I'm going to try baked beans this week. Maybe changing the source of their protein will help.

I've got Pinless Peepers on the most aggressive of my, "pluckers," but they quickly learn to jump on and peck their victims.

Just this week I've tried anti-chew spray and putting socks on their necks like turtlenecks.

I'm terrified I'm going to go out one morning and find they have cannibalized each other!

If some of the other hens are showing similar signs, does that mean they may all have reproduction problems?

Thanks again for your time and advice!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

They may not all be having reproductive issues.
The plucking makes the lower abdomen seem more pronounced at times.

Poor girls! They are being plucked. I don't like separating birds, but you may need to try separating the most aggressive ones to give the others some relief. Likely what they are after is the new pin feathers coming in, do you see them eating the feathers?

 

[Herrdiane]

Just want to add, I have DE and will dust bedding tomorrow. I've never done that. Thanks Terri and girls

What is DE?
I am having the same problem with on of my checkens