Several problems and worries

[Goldenpheasantlover]

I have three hens at the moment, I lost my roo a few months ago to what we think was a cat, but this isn't really to do with that.

This morning I found one of our bantam hens sitting in the nest box, I didn't think it was unusual but she didn't come out all day. I picked her up and put her ontop of the house so I could get a better look at her, and the area under her tail and between her legs looks a bit swollen but not red or sore. I am worried she could be egg bound, and what would I do about it if she is????

Another thing is that the other two hens (they are both black so it is more noticable) seem to have a fair number of white flakes ontop of their feathers, I had read about red leg mite or something like that and wanted to know the symptoms.

And a final thing (I worry about my girls is all

) the two black hens mentioned above seemed to have very strange faces. They are normally a nice red colour but seem to have gone very pale and in places loom slightly green, could this be a symptom of something.

I need help, I am very new to all of this

 

[Judy]

The FAQ page has some links to some good info on eggbound hens. For the other problems, it sounds like you need to treat for mites/lice and for worms. Here is a good thread on this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=123057

 

[zazouse]

Sounds like they are just molting

 

[Goldenpheasantlover]

Thanks, I'm not sure if she is egg-bound or not though because today the area that looked a bit swollen has gone back to normal, but she still refuses to come out of the nest box. There aren't any eggs so I don't think she would be broody, but when I open up the back of she gives me an angry look and makes this 'wrrrrrr' ing noise as well as lowering her head and fluffing her tail feathers up. Could she just be cross or something?

And for the other two, thanks, I need to get some more treatments for them now anyway.

 

[mypicklebird]

The growling hen is probably broody- she doesn't have to have eggs under her to be broody (though she would like some).
A closeup photo of the odd colored chicken faces would be helpful. Green is probably bruising. If the combs are just strunken and pale- this is either an out-of-lay bird, or possibly ill. Flaky feathers- can be material from their dust bath, molting & pieces of pin feathers, possibly lice problem. Closer inspection of the area(s) should be done. Pin feathers are readily identifiable. Lice can be seen with the eye attached to feather shafts & moving around. Other lice species are found at the base of the feathers on the skin.