New Hens - Tail Problems - Pictures (gross)

[katiek]

This might be a dumb newbie question.

My other-half brought home two new hens. We don't know much about their history, but I was giving them an inspection and noticed that one hen (we'll call her hen#1 for now) had scabs on her back right above her tail. There were also feathers that seemed to have been broken off. There was also a big red bump above her tail.

Also, the other hen (hen#2) seemed to have no tail at all. Can that be?

Here are pictures. Maybe this is simply from being pecked at by other chickens or roosters. Or maybe this is some kind of disease or serious injury.

Hen #1 with broken feathers and red bump

Another picture of hen#1

Hen #1 in the foreground and Hen #2 is in the background. Notice the difference in their tails.

Closeup of Hen#2's "tail"

Let me know what ya think. Thanks!!!!

 

[LAChick]

It looks like a roster or other hens pecked out their tail feathers and there is new feathers starting to grow back; the bumps and slightly larger pin cushions are the new growth. Enjoy your new birds! They will have a better home with you by the looks of where they came from!

 

[CrowinKing]

If ya didn't see any lice or mites I'm gonna say a rough rooster.

 

[katiek]

Yeah, no lice or mites.

Does it look like the other hen as no tail? Or do they just come in all shapes or sizes?

Will her tail grow back?

 

[joanc]

When my girls went through their last molt, I noticed that 2-3 of them lost all of their tail feathers. They looked funny for a couple of weeks until the feathers grew back in. Now they're looking good.

As far as the red bump..rough rooster or pecking?

 

[CrowinKing]

I'm gonna say yes it'll grow back I got some in the summer and they had no tails and they grew back!

 

[Opa]

Unless you saw bugs don't worry. Those are just new feathers growing in.

 

[rooster-red]

The red bump is the oil gland, it supposed to be there. they may have gone through a light moult, I can see the new pin feathers coming in, they will be refeathered in no time.

 

[katiek]

Very Cool!

Thank you so much for the advice!


That's great news.