What happened to her butt?

[Jakico]

Her feathers in this area have always been a little ruffled looking. However, in one day I came home to her bald little back. I don’t have a rooster. I sprayer her with some blu-Kote thinking I’d find the suspect with a blue beak, but no luck. How can I help her? I have a chicken cam and have not found the culprit in video or through a blue beak. Should I put an apron on her? I’m scared she’ll get tangled while I’m at work. What has everyone else done???

 

[FeatheredRaptor]

I really would have suspected rooster treading. Not sure how only hens could result in the feather loss. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable comes along. If I remember correctly, there is some that say blue kote requires a lifetime withdrawal of eggs.

 

[Shezadandy]

View attachment 2720641
Her feathers in this area have always been a little ruffled looking. However, in one day I came home to her bald little back. I don’t have a rooster. I sprayer her with some blu-Kote thinking I’d find the suspect with a blue beak, but no luck. How can I help her? I have a chicken cam and have not found the culprit in video or through a blue beak. Should I put an apron on her? I’m scared she’ll get tangled while I’m at work. What has everyone else done???

Sometimes they'll start this up on the roost - if you have more than one single roost bar, consider moving the bars far enough apart that they can't easily reach to start picking feathers. Then of course it continues in other areas because ... why not. Sigh. Blue Kote isn't going to fix this unfortunately. As long as nothing is bleeding, there's not much to be done except wait for her to molt. Do check and make sure there are no mites that might have started her itching herself.

I've had good luck with Hen Saver saddle/apron- though I have roosters which is my primary reason for using them - but I've never had a hen injury from the Hen Savers and have about 30 wearing them right now, 24/7 in a large area including bushes and trees they climb around in. Only a couple of mine (out of 100+) refused to wear them over the years- a couple are really good at taking them off. Their size Medium fits just about every bird in my flock and I have no bantams - the smallest chicken I have is a leghorn - they usually take a small.

If you do get an apron take care that it doesn't make contact with her tail - eventually it will rub those feathers out if the saddle part is too long. I use ONLY the "single strap" kind which loop over the wing only. Personally I would never use anything that fastens around the neck. The best way I've found to introduce it is waiting til dark - putting it on, making sure the elastic isn't bunched up under either wing- then returning the hen to the roost. Usually they get used to the feel overnight and go on about their business as usual in the morning.

 

[Jakico]

I really would have suspected rooster treading. Not sure how only hens could result in the feather loss. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable comes along. If I remember correctly, there is some that say blue kote requires a lifetime

 

[tripletfeb]

Blue kote is a topical spray or liquid you dab on, it has no effect whatsoever on eggs. I would check all your chickens for lice or mites. Treat with permethrin if you see any. She could also be getting bullied. How many chickens do you have in how big of an area? What are you feeding?

 

[Jakico]

Def don’t have a rooster. I have a very dominant hen that engages in what I like to call “prison yard lesbian assault” however I have never seen this gal the victim of such actions. We have used blu-Kote on our Brahmas that has bloody feet with each molt and still eat her eggs. Didn’t know that I shouldn’t. I’m not dead, but don’t know what tumors are growing currently

 

[Jakico]

Blue kote is a topical spray or liquid you dab on, it has no effect whatsoever on eggs. I would check all your chickens for lice or mites. Treat with permethrin if you see any. She could also be getting bullied. How many chickens do you have in how big of an area? What are you feeding?

She’s the only one that looks like this. I have 8 chickens, they sleep in a coop 8x6 foot from dark till about 6 am. Then they get the run which is probably 10x30 they are in there from 6 to 3, they free range from 3:30 to 9 pm. Then they put themselves to bed and go back in the coop. I clean it fairly regularly, I check them for parasites pretty regularly.

 

[tripletfeb]

She’s the only one that looks like this. I have 8 chickens, they sleep in a coop 8x6 foot from dark till about 6 am. Then they get the run which is probably 10x30 they are in there from 6 to 3, they free range from 3:30 to 9 pm. Then they put themselves to bed and go back in the coop. I clean it fairly regularly, I check them for parasites pretty regularly.

She could be the only one being bullied then. If you are positive it's not lice or mites, then assume she is a victim of bullying. Again, what are you feeding them, including treats? You might want to consider giving them things to do in the run, maybe areas for her to hide. Think stumps, hay bales, extra perches. Also make sure she is getting her share of food and water. To fix her feather loss, you could try an apron, pinless peepers(on the chicken doing the bullying) or pine tar. I've found pine tar to be very effective, it's really sticky and the hens usually don't like to peck it, therefore they leave it alone. Make sure your girls are getting lots of protein in their diet, feathers are mostly protein, so they needs lots of protein for feather growth

 

[Jakico]

She could be the only one being bullied then. If you are positive it's not lice or mites, then assume she is a victim of bullying. Again, what are you feeding them, including treats? You might want to consider giving them things to do in the run, maybe areas for her to hide. Think stumps, hay bales, extra perches. Also make sure she is getting her share of food and water. To fix her feather loss, you could try an apron, pinless peepers(on the chicken doing the bullying) or pine tar. I've found pine tar to be very effective, it's really sticky and the hens usually don't like to peck it, therefore they leave it alone. Make sure your girls are getting lots of protein in their diet, feathers are mostly protein, so they needs lots of protein for feather growth

They get high proteins beaver layer...and few handful of worms everyday or two. They have some perches in the run. Perhaps i need some better hiding spots. I’ve never actually seen her being picked on in person or on their webcam. She seems free of parasite and is still laying. I feel bad for her raw little bottom. We do have a bully but she spends her time harassing the speckled Sussex more than poor Vindaloo.

 

[tripletfeb]

They get high proteins beaver layer...and few handful of worms everyday or two. They have some perches in the run. Perhaps i need some better hiding spots. I’ve never actually seen her being picked on in person or on their webcam. She seems free of parasite and is still laying. I feel bad for her raw little bottom. We do have a bully but she spends her time harassing the speckled Sussex more than poor Vindaloo.

Beaver layer?