Red, swollen,bare butts??

[missedi]

I have not gotten on this in a while. I have about 34 chickens of various breeds....love them all!
My newest girls that I got last spring, are laying well but lately they have been looking pitiful in the hind-end area. There is no sores or broken skin, just red and sort of swollen looking. My older girls don't look like this but are older and in a different pen. I don't know what to do, they are otherwise laying and eating and drinking normal. I wanted to add that I have no rooster in the pen, or that has access to the pen.
Can anyone tell me what it might be?
Thanks for any info.

 

[bayouchica]

Hello, You might want to check them for mites or lice. If you find any you'll need to throughly clean their coop& nestboxes & dust your birds. The best way to check them is at night while your birds are roosting,get a flashlight and check around their vent area. I think mites are easier to see, lice are way smaller.Mites are small, round brown or clear looking.Not certain about what lice look like.
Those pests can kill your chickens if left untreated.
Here's a link to Miss. State,scroll down to extrenal parasites...
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/dissymp.htm
I hope that helps you & your birdies out,

Miriam

 

[laura877]

Sounds like lice to me too. I just life their feathers and look for critters moving around and also if there is any scaley/flakey skin. If DM Earth and put some DM Earth whereever they are taking dust baths.