Rough dry bare skin, feather loss

Mowglimommychick

Songster
May 9, 2018
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My sister (central Virginia area) has a spacious covered coop and run. It is clean and well-maintained. Her birds don't free range. All of them are about 2 years old or younger.

Recently there has been feather loss that I felt was likely molt, but on looking more closely, I'm not sure. Some areas are completely bald, the skin looks red and hot, some flaking too. One hen is fully feathered except her entire "butt" and lower abdomen have no feathers and bright red. At least 2 of her hens look similar and her roo looks bad too. He has very roughened patches of red skin as well and no tail. And his comb has black patches. It looks dead to me - maybe frostbite? Though with the mild winter we have had in Virginia doesn't seem to be a cause to me. Or fowl pox, or something else?

She did have mites a few months ago and did an inch by inch treatment of EVERYTHING and her birds. We don't see any more evidence of mites, except one bird had rough raised scales so I advised she treat everyone for scaly leg mites. What is going on with her birds?
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Do these birds roost or lay down at night?

What does she feed?

For the comb, I would work in a bit of oil to see if that helps. Looks like there's a bit of scabbing from injury or pecking.

Do the birds dust bath? Are they pecking at their skin?
 
Hello my sister posted for me. I am a true novice to chickens. My birds roost in a coup at night. They were eating pellets from tractor supply but now eat pellets from Southern States. I have other friends who feed from Southern States. They do have a dust bath available but yes I have seen them pecking at one another’s source areas.
 
Do these birds roost or lay down at night?

What does she feed?

For the comb, I would work in a bit of oil to see if that helps. Looks like there's a bit of scabbing from injury or pecking.

Do the birds dust bath? Are they pecking at their skin?

Hello my sister posted for me. I am a true novice to chickens. My birds roost in a coup at night. They were eating pellets from tractor supply but now eat pellets from Southern States. I have other friends who feed from Southern States. They do have a dust bath available but yes I have seen them pecking at one another’s source areas.
Do these birds roost or lay down at night?

What does she feed?

For the comb, I would work in a bit of oil to see if that helps. Looks like there's a bit of scabbing from injury or pecking.

Do the birds dust bath? Are they pecking at their skin?
Hello my sister posted for me. I am a true novice to chickens. My birds roost in a coup at night. They were eating pellets from tractor supply but now eat pellets from Southern States. I have other friends who feed from Southern States. They do have a dust bath available but yes I have seen them pecking at one another’s sore areas. I appreciate any help to get my birds healthy!!!
 
If they’re pecking at the problem areas I would cover with some blue kote to keep the others off and give them a chance to heal. Also increase protein if you’re feeding them a layer feed and see if that helps. I assume you’ve done another round of checks for mites?
 
If they’re pecking at the problem areas I would cover with some blue kote to keep the others off and give them a chance to heal. Also increase protein if you’re feeding them a layer feed and see if that helps. I assume you’ve done another round of checks for mites?
For bare areas like their butts, backs and top of wings where they attach to body, I have used blue kote. I have scrambled eggs and feed to my chickens. I give healthy table scraps at times, mostly pellet feed, some scratch and also meal worms. I thought they were molting and tried not to worry but as you see in the pictures they have dry skin, inflamed and bare butts, and my rooster looks so sore and feather bare. My hens have payed well all winter (which has been mild) and I have not used a light to keep them producing. My sister said their legs look like the scales are standing away and maybe I need to treat for mites. I don’t free range because of outdoor cats and I’m afraid of hawks but at this point I am afraid for their health. Why dry flaky skin? Why sore butts? Why leg scales? One is showing possible prolapse issue ( came out but back in). A few months ago I treated for mites (cleaned coup, raked out run, sprayed everywhere.) So I don’t see little mites in their skin but they look terrible. What am I missing? Again see photos my sister posted.
 

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