Red butt and legs?

[MaeM]

So, my rooster has bright red skin in his butt, legs, and elbows (see up his legs where the feathers start).

He was neglected before he was rescued and he was exposed to mites and lived in a cage, which I think explains this, but now... I've had him for three months in much better conditions and the redness doesn't go away.

However he doesn't roost, he's too used to sleep in a sitting position. And he chose an old drawer as his bed so I put some bedding material on it and he sleeps there (inside the coop). I change the bedding regularly to make sure it's always dry and clean.

Could this be a long term reaction to the mites he had or some sort of skin infection from sitting on a cage for too long? He doesn't seem to be in pain for this but he does scratch those parts with his beak so I guess they're itchy. Anything I can do to give him some relief?

Ps: I checked for mites and I found some red mites on his previous bedding so I changed it and poured diatomaceous earth in the coop and let him bathe in ashes. I have a veterinary powder for this but I wasn't sure to apply it on that red skin so I went for more natural options. I haven't seen red mites since then.

 

[MysteryChicken]

View attachment 4308568
View attachment 4308569

So, my rooster has bright red skin in his butt, legs, and elbows (see up his legs where the feathers start).

He was neglected before he was rescued and he was exposed to mites and lived in a cage, which I think explains this, but now... I've had him for three months in much better conditions and the redness doesn't go away.

However he doesn't roost, he's too used to sleep in a sitting position. And he chose an old drawer as his bed so I put some bedding material on it and he sleeps there (inside the coop). I change the bedding regularly to make sure it's always dry and clean.

Could this be a long term reaction to the mites he had or some sort of skin infection from sitting on a cage for too long? He doesn't seem to be in pain for this but he does scratch those parts with his beak so I guess they're itchy. Anything I can do to give him some relief?

Ps: I checked for mites and I found some red mites on his previous bedding so I changed it and poured diatomaceous earth in the coop and let him bathe in ashes. I have a veterinary powder for this but I wasn't sure to apply it on that red skin so I went for more natural options. I haven't seen red mites since then.

It's common for roosters to have red in that area especially if they're actively breeding hens. Skin could be irritated due to mild feather picking which is also common.

The red lines you see on the legs means his hormones are flowing. This normal.

 

[MysteryChicken]

View attachment 4308568
View attachment 4308569

So, my rooster has bright red skin in his butt, legs, and elbows (see up his legs where the feathers start).

He was neglected before he was rescued and he was exposed to mites and lived in a cage, which I think explains this, but now... I've had him for three months in much better conditions and the redness doesn't go away.

However he doesn't roost, he's too used to sleep in a sitting position. And he chose an old drawer as his bed so I put some bedding material on it and he sleeps there (inside the coop). I change the bedding regularly to make sure it's always dry and clean.

Could this be a long term reaction to the mites he had or some sort of skin infection from sitting on a cage for too long? He doesn't seem to be in pain for this but he does scratch those parts with his beak so I guess they're itchy. Anything I can do to give him some relief?

Ps: I checked for mites and I found some red mites on his previous bedding so I changed it and poured diatomaceous earth in the coop and let him bathe in ashes. I have a veterinary powder for this but I wasn't sure to apply it on that red skin so I went for more natural options. I haven't seen red mites since then.

Diatomaceous Earth does nothing for Mites, or Lice. I missed this part.

If you want to get rid of them, use a product like Permethrin spray, or dust?

 

[MaeM]

It's common for roosters to have red in that area especially if they're actively breeding hens. Skin could be irritated due to mild feather picking which is also common.

The red lines you see on the legs means his hormones are flowing. This normal.

Thanks for your answer.

I ended up taking him to the vet because he couldn't poop and turns out he does have a skin infection but only around his vent (and it's related to constipation which I didn't know he had until I saw him struggling to poop).

The rest of red skin I see is just his skin tone! Like a birth mark! I was blown away when the vet told me this.

His treatment will be 20 days of oral antibiotics and vitamin A-based cream on his vent. No treatment was needed for constipation because the roo saw the vet and literally shat himself

As for the mites, the vet gave me a cipermethrine dust so you were right about that!