Red butt and loss of feathers

[Chicken-newb]

One of my birds had similar symptom, although probably for a different cause. She had a mite problem and ended with a semi bald abdomen & butt area for about a few months. I treated her with poultry dust twice.

About a month ago, she has started molting. This was her 3 weeks ago:

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I have boosted her feed protein content by adding milk powder to her feed, sometimes skim, sometimes full cream. On top of that, I am giving my chickens prawn heads, meat scrap and fish every day or every second day.

This is her, picture taken today:

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Also my chickens are free ranging, from my experience, free ranging eliminates a lot of the pecking problems. The perpetrators may still try to peck, but it gives the potential victims plenty of space for them to distant themselves and great chance to run away.

Just curious. I have a hen that looks like yours did in the first pic. Did you see the mites or how did you know they had mites? I can't see any on my chickens but not sure if I should treat them anyway. After a long amount of no new feathers, I finally just sprayed the coop and the chickens with a permetherin spray, twice (7 days apart). Now I'm not sure what to do as they are young (about 6mo) so I'm not sure if they will molt this year and I'm worried they might be bald until next fall as that is when I understand they may first molt.

 

[chooki]

Just curious. I have a hen that looks like yours did in the first pic. Did you see the mites or how did you know they had mites?

The picture was taken few months after the mite infestation. There was no visible mite on her when the picture was taken.

During the infestation, I saw both live mites and their eggs on my chickens.

It takes time for the chickens to complete recover from the damage done by a mite/lice.

 

[chooki]

This is her two months after started molting: