red butt chickens...HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fratmor]

my 8 month olds girls have been picking each other /themselves. They have missing feather above and below their tails. the area that is missing feathers looks red and irritated .I have checked them bugs I don't see any .I'm also always touching and petting them if they had bugs I would think they would crawl on me too. i haven't seen any on me either nor have i been itchy after being with them. what could be causing them to have this condition?

 

[onafixedincome]

Get a spray can of Gentian Violet and spray the red areas. The darker color that results should help discourage further pecking/picking.

I'd also treat them with Ivermectin just to make sure they aren't itching from some bug I can't see; my own chickens get a tenth of a cc of 1% cattle ivermectin injectable under the skin once, then again in 2 weeks, about once a year.

The other thing I'd do is make darn sure their diet is sound and complete to cover all the bases.

Hope that helps!

 

[fratmor]

do you have to stop eating eggs ,if you us Ivermectin and for how long.Also if it was a bug wouldn't all the girls in the coop have them . only about 8 out of my24 girls are like that.