Red, scaly skin, taking forever to grow feathers back.

[HeidiN]

I have one year old, Plymouth Rock hen that isn't well. A little history. We had lice or mites early spring, which we treated with permethrin, 3-4 times, every 7-10 days. No bugs now. She has been feather picked, then we had a rooster for a short time that was a little rough, mainly because the hens wouldn't submit, so he'd grab their necks while trying to do his thing. So she got a bite wound to her neck, her saddle feathers broken off and somehow in the process, hurt her leg. She limped around for a week or two, but she still isn't right.
The bare skin where feathers are gone is bright red (do chickens get sunburn?) and some of the skin is scaly/scabby. There's not much sign of new feather growth yet. She's been keeping to herself a lot, and a bit mean to the pullets (they're all together in coop and run now).
Then tonight, instead of roosting, she went to sleep in the nest box. There's ample roost space, of various shape/size choices (round, flat,narrow, wide). She went from being a faithful winter layer, to one or two eggs a week. But I don't think she is egg bound. I brought her into a cage in garage, gave her vitamins in water, high protein broiler food and grubs, and applied a multipurpose salve on the red skin areas.
Any thoughts as to what could be going on, if anything? Worms? Some other parasite? Maybe still recovering from the rough last two months?
Will try to upload pictures in the morning.

 

[dawg53]

I think you're doing all that you can do for her as it is. You can buy Nu-Stock at a feed store and apply it to the red skin, wear disposable glove when applying it. It will heal it in no time. Feathers will regrow during the next molt.
Keep her caged mainly due to the limping. This will limit her ability to further injure her leg. She needs rest and relaxation in order for the leg to heal. This is why she was in the nest box, it hurt to roost.
Continue to provide her food and water and keep the cage as clean as possible. Leg injuries take time to heal. Remove her from the cage in about a week and see if there's improvement in walking, if not, recage her for another week. Then hopefully she should be healed.

 

[HeidiN]

 

[HeidiN]

First picture is under tail, above the vent. Last picture is her crop/chest area. The reason it looks shiny and greasy is the ointment I put on her last night.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks for the pics. It looks like rooster damage if she was his favorite hen, poor girl. Young roos are the worst.
The redness on the rear end is probably due to poopy butt, the uric acids causing redness.
Nu Stock will clear it all up, it is persistent.

 

[HeidiN]

Thanks for your reply. She has never had poppy butt. The kids handle the chickens daily, and this one never has had any issues with that. I have some “corona multipurpose ointment” I got for bumblefoot surgery a year ago. It’s lanolin based. Would thAt do same thing as nu stock? Not sure I will be near the feed store till at least Monday. I checked the farm section of hardware store today, and they didn’t have any.

 

[dawg53]

Here's a pic of Nu-Stock, it comes in a tube and should be in the equine section at a feed store. You can look up the ingredients and read what it's used for if you wish.
I think it costs around $12.95. I have a tube, but it's been awhile since I bought it.

 

[HeidiN]

Update. After a couple days in the garage we put her back with the flock. She was doing ok, till the weather change, and got cold (30s at night) again. Since she has hardly any feathers to stay warm, she was just hanging in the coop. So we brought her in, bathed her and put bag balm (haven't been able to find Nu-stock locall, will order online) on the inflamed skin. Scrambled eggs, meal worms, and sunflower seeds with her food, and she's eating pretty most of what we give her. She doesn't seem to be drinking a lot Though. We gave her water with vitamins and electrolytes by syringe today. Not sure how much we should give her.
I'm wondering if she could have a mild case of vent prolapse? The upper lip of the vent is swollen and red. But it doesn't look like the pictures of prolapse I can find online. I've been spraying vertericyn on her several times a day, so she looks drippy.
I don't know how long I should keep her inside. She lonely and I don't want the flock to reject her when we put her back. They seem to wonder what happened to her (we've gotten rid of 3 adult chickens out of 6, and introduced 7 pullets, in the last month, so I think they are on alert for changes in population)

 

[micstrachan]

What is the temperature like duri gvthe day? I think you should keep her with the flock if she’s warm enough, at least during the day. If they peck at her, you could keep her in a dog crate inside the run (or do they free range?)
I would check her closely under the wings for more serious rooster injury, just in case. I hear young roosters can be quite clumsy and slash their hens’ sides. If she’s declining, I would just try to be sure there’s no injury that could be getting infected. Good luck!

 

[HeidiN]

It’s been in the 50s and low 60s. But today it should start warming back up. Freezing temps last night. Don’t see damage under wings. I just don’t want the others picking at her red skin.