Tail feather question

[annas orps]

We've got a new black australop pullet and she doesn't seem to have any feathers where her tail should be and it looks red. I've attached a picture. Other than that she seems to be healthy and has a very good appetite. Any advice on what we should do about it? Thanks in advance!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Is she molting? Are the others pecking her?

 

[Eggcessive]

Make sure that her vent looks normal, since we can't see it in the picture with the inflamed tail area. Check her closely for mites and lice. Then I would temporarily spray BluKote on the red skin to disguise it from peckers. Get some Nustock or Bag Balm, or another bad tasting ointment or anti-pick lotion, and put on the tail area for several weeks until the feathers grow back in. Chickens will peck at a hens tail feathers sometimes to the point of injuring the vent, and cannibalizing, so she may need to be separated, or better, separate the pecker for a few days. Increasing the protein to 20% or giving some gamebird feed for treats may help with pecking. She may have been kept with hens in too small an area before.

 

[annas orps]

Thanks for the replies. I've checked her vent and it appears to be normal. She has little while dots on her feathers - would this be mites/lice or something like that? She isn't molting. We only got her yesterday and I'm not sure what exactly where she was kept/how many chickens were in with her/what she was fed before we got her - but she's now in with five others (four pullets and a cock) none of them are trying to peck her - and I haven't noticed her pecking it herself. I will try and get some BluKote today. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Eggcessive]

Lice eggs sound a bit like what you are describing. A picture may help. Sevin dust or permethrin can be used for lice every 10 days as needed to get the lice, the get the larvae after they hatch. Here are 2 good links to read about lice and mites with pictures: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[annas orps]

Okay, I will try and post a picture later. We're going to the farm supply store this afternoon, is there any harm treating her for lice even if she doesn't have them?

 

[Eggcessive]

No, it shouldn't hurt. Many people routinely treat with products for lice and mites whether they have them or not, but to me that is a good way for the lice to build up resistance to the product. Bedding should also be changed, and the coop treated whenever their is an infestation. Sevin dust is commonly found in garden centers of WalMart, farmstores, and permethrin powder is also called Garden Dust, and also comes in concentrated liquid called Permectrin II, which can be used with a garden sprayer.

 

[annas orps]

Well I've managed to get two photos. The first one is of her feathers (I don't know if you can make out the little white dots on them?) and another of by her feather shafts/skin.

 

[annas orps]

Sorry, I don't think the photos worked! I'll try again...