Very red belly photos included

[JensHens1987]

My Rhode Island Red has a very red and irritated looking belly. First noticed in early October. She is just a year old so assumed it was from molt, but looks worse now. No noticeable mites... the rest of the flock is happy and healthy (aside from a few bumblefoot issues). I put some Vaseline on it just because it looked so sore, but doesn’t seem to bother her.
Could this be a contact dermatitis?
Pecking/Plucking?
Allergy?
Mite or bug? If so how should I treat?

she is otherwise happy, active, eats and drinks well. Good egg layer.

 

[JensHens1987]

The first picture is from October when I was thinking it was her molting. The second more irritated photo is today.

 

[Shezadandy]

The first picture is from October when I was thinking it was her molting. The second more irritated photo is today.

Hm - that is quite red. Do you have snow right now? If so I'm thinking sunlight reflected off snow to give her a sunburn- that's what can happen to cow udders. If you can keep her in for a couple/few days without impacting flock dynamics, see if being inside improves the situation. Bare chicken skin will turn red, often times overnight the redness goes away then returns when they go back outside. I just don't know that I've seen an underbelly that red- then again ... I haven't gone looking either.

Maybe bag balm?

 

[coach723]

Has this bird had bumblefoot? I would check her on the roosts at night, see how she's roosting. It may be getting rubbed on a roost, or she may be laying in bedding. Birds with bumblefoot, or other leg/foot problems will often not roost correctly which can lead to irritation and feather loss from rubbing, and in severe cases can end up with breast blisters, which is like bumblefoot but on the breast. Also some heavy birds will do it habitually since they are so heavy, it's easier than holding themselves up all night. If she roosts in the same spot all the time, then padding the roost may help. Just make sure it's nothing that can be pecked and eaten. An old bath towel wrapped around the roost works.

 

[JensHens1987]

Yes, she currently has bumblefoot. In fact, 3 of our 7 chickens had it this summer. One is completely healed. We changed our roosts out this summer thinking that was the issue- they originally had 2 inch roosts and now have 4 inch roosts, which seems to have helped. She had bumblefoot in both feet and since we did this, one is completely healed. I’m assuming we had some residual infection in the other foot as that one is still not healed. I could re-examine the roosts and wrap a towel around the one she sleeps on. It has now snowed and we are having freezing temps so I am concerned about her belly.

Has this bird had bumblefoot? I would check her on the roosts at night, see how she's roosting. It may be getting rubbed on a roost, or she may be laying in bedding. Birds with bumblefoot, or other leg/foot problems will often not roost correctly which can lead to irritation and feather loss from rubbing, and in severe cases can end up with breast blisters, which is like bumblefoot but on the breast. Also some heavy birds will do it habitually since they are so heavy, it's easier than holding themselves up all night. If she roosts in the same spot all the time, then padding the roost may help. Just make sure it's nothing that can be pecked and eaten. An old bath towel wrapped around the roost works.

Has this bird had bumblefoot? I would check her on the roosts at night, see how she's roosting. It may be getting rubbed on a roost, or she may be laying in bedding. Birds with bumblefoot, or other leg/foot problems will often not roost correctly which can lead to irritation and feather loss from rubbing, and in severe cases can end up with breast blisters, which is like bumblefoot but on the breast. Also some heavy birds will do it habitually since they are so heavy, it's easier than holding themselves up all night. If she roosts in the same spot all the time, then padding the roost may help. Just make sure it's nothing that can be pecked and eaten. An old bath towel wrapped around the roost works.

Has this bird had bumblefoot? I would check her on the roosts at night, see how she's roosting. It may be getting rubbed on a roost, or she may be laying in bedding. Birds with bumblefoot, or other leg/foot problems will often not roost correctly which can lead to irritation and feather loss from rubbing, and in severe cases can end up with breast blisters, which is like bumblefoot but on the breast. Also some heavy birds will do it habitually since they are so heavy, it's easier than holding themselves up all night. If she roosts in the same spot all the time, then padding the roost may help. Just make sure it's nothing that can be pecked and eaten. An old bath towel wrapped around the roost works.

 

[coach723]

Then the bumblefoot is probably the cause of the red belly since she is most likely resting on the roost. Once it's resolved and she can roost properly hopefully it will clear up. I would try to pad the roost and see if it helps for now, at least to minimize any further irritation. The feathers may not fill back in until she molts.

 

[JensHens1987]

Then the bumblefoot is probably the cause of the red belly since she is most likely resting on the roost. Once it's resolved and she can roost properly hopefully it will clear up. I would try to pad the roost and see if it helps for now, at least to minimize any further irritation. The feathers may not fill back in until she molts.

Thank you for the advice, I never thought the bumblefoot could be causing this. Padding the roost will be easy enough. Thanks again!