Red skin and feathers are disintegrating

[charden]

Our hen's skin is red and the feather are disintegrating on her bottom. We think it may be vent gleet (thrush) a fungal disease. In reading the "Backyard Poultry" magazine, they suggest using betadine as a treatment. Does anyone have any experience with this?

We have her on antibiotics now because the roster scratched her really bad. We think the gashes are healing but now notice the condition I talked about above. We will go to the drug store tomorrow and try to purchase some spray betadine (iodine treatment). Anyone with this type of experience?

She's an excellent layer and produces one egg every day or every other day.

 

[MissJenny]

I have no experience with this at all... but I believe I've read on here that if you use betadine it needs to be diluted. And I am pretty sure betadine and iodine are not the same thing. How is that for not very helpful?

Jenny

 

[charden]

Thanks for your thoughts...I'll dilute the betadine and see if that has any affect. We sure love our chickens and hate when any of them are hurting!

 

[Barrett Farm]

The bright color you see is probably the reaction chickens experience when their skin is exposed to sunlight.

The fungus can be treated many ways. The easiest would be to spray Blu-Kote on her exposed area if the fungus is isolated. I looked up the ingredients for this product. The ingredient that makes everything you spray purple, gentian violet, can kill ringworm and fungus. If the fungus is all over her body, you might want to treat internally with Collidial Silver (I use Super Silver which is sold by mail through International Health). Increase her probiotics bacteria like acidophilus, so her immune system can build up the good flora you just killed with the antibiotics. I use a capsule called Jarro-Dophilus EPS with 5 Billion Organisms. You can get this OTC at Whole Foods or a health food store. I have never treated my hens with internal antibiotics. I only use Neosporin topically so I can still have the eggs. These animals are very hardy and can recover with minimal intervention from man.

Have you looked closely to see if there are mites or parasites damaging the feathers? If you have mites, then you need to treat it differently. Get out a bright light and a super strong magnifying glass. Look under the wings and back around the cloaca.

Anybody else have suggestions?

Not a doctor, just playing one on TV