Rash on hens belly?

[Themellowyellows]

Hi guys! I feel like summer always brings problems to my flock. Ugh. Anyways, I have a RIR hen 1 year and 3 months old, who seems to have a rash. I notice this when I was going to dunk them in water because of how hot it is here. I have a few pictures of it, but it seems to be by her leg and raps around to her other leg as well. Anyone have an idea what this is? Is this parasites? Her poops seem fine and she seems fine also.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Do you know where she lands in the pecking order?

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

Also do y'all have a rooster?

 

[Themellowyellows]

Do you know where she lands in the pecking order?

Right now the pecking order is messed up. Everyone pecks on everyone. There are a couple that are harsh with her and do peck on her super bad, could that be why? I ordered her a chicken apron and also no, we do not have roosters.

 

[D Uccle Uncle]

You need to check for mites and other tiny crawlers. Here is an article from this site, and many youtube videos showing what to look for.

On a related topic, a hazard using water during the summer to keep the birds cool is that a water can wash-away the benefit that a dust bath provided. I wet the ground multiple times per day, and when the temp is over 110 I often have the mister string turned on. To date I've not had a problem, but I always worry about skin problems.

Does the rash on the skin seem like one large splotch, or are there also little red spots apart from the big red patch?

 

[Themellowyellows]

You need to check for mites and other tiny crawlers. Here is an article from this site, and many youtube videos showing what to look for.

On a related topic, a hazard using water during the summer to keep the birds cool is that a water can wash-away the benefit that a dust bath provided. I wet the ground multiple times per day, and when the temp is over 110 I often have the mister string turned on. To date I've not had a problem, but I always worry about skin problems.

Does the rash on the skin seem like one large splotch, or are there also little red spots apart from the big red patch?

Not sure. Ill check later. Ill check her for mites tomorrow morning, meanwhile I will be studying how to treat her. She is the only one with a red belly so if she does had mites does that mean only she has it???

 

[D Uccle Uncle]

You've first got to know what you're treating before you can study how to treat it. A red rash is a symptom, not a disease. Examining her more thoroughly first would help guide your research.

To answer your question regarding mites, if she has mites, many people would dust/treat the whole flock, sometimes multiple times, in addition to cleaning/treating the coop. But I wouldn't do all that if I didn't have evidence that there was a mite problem.

On a side note, it's important to maintain an area favorable to dust bathing, some spot(s) with dry loose dirt or sand.

 

[Themellowyellows]

You've first got to know what you're treating before you can study how to treat it. A red rash is a symptom, not a disease. Examining her more thoroughly first would help guide your research.

To answer your question regarding mites, if she has mites, many people would dust/treat the whole flock, sometimes multiple times, in addition to cleaning/treating the coop. But I wouldn't do all that if I didn't have evidence that there was a mite problem.

On a side note, it's important to maintain an area favorable to dust bathing, some spot(s) with dry loose dirt or sand.

Alright thanks. How do mites look like? Are they hard to spot?

 

[Themellowyellows]

Im not sure what to look for, I checked but didnt notice anything. Aren't they really small?
@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous

 

[coach723]

Lots of info and images here on identifying lice and mites:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
Skin that is exposed to light will often be red, doesn't mean there is a rash. If it's on her underside it could be feather picking by others, rubbing on a roost while roosting, sleeping in bedding or on the ground. If it's on her back, you may have a hen that is mounting like a rooster, it can happen, particularly if there is not a rooster in the flock. A dominant hen will sometimes take over. If you have a lot of birds pecking each other then you may not have enough space for them. Over crowding is a very common reason for feather picking.