Why do my hens have inflamed red hind ends?

[tresjolie]

Hello Worthy BYC Folks,
I just inherited a small flock of mixed breeds (comprised of 11 hens and one rooster). They are all supposedly about a year old. The rooster is a leghorn. The hens are araucana types, New hamphire red types, barred rock types & one runt a leghorn who, I affectionately call Peggy (For Peg Leg because she has only one foot). I got them in a dilapidated state so I immediately got them clean water and lots of Layena, or layena/scratch mixture sometimes mixed with oyster shell. I also sometimes serve them a bit of farmer cheese, crumbled hard boiled eggs and cracked up egg shells. Also they now have free range privileges in safety so they're getting bugs and clean grass. As a result I went from 3 eggs a day to everyone laying! Yahoo! Oh and I gave them more room in the coop. Basically doubled the coop size from 6 x 12 to 12 x 12. Next I'm going to improve the nesting boxes and roosts. The only thing I haven't been able to nail down is why do they have such red featherless butts? Around their vents (and this is especially the barred rock types) there are no feathers or only sparse feathers and red inflamed looking skin. I could not see any evidence of lice or mites but maybe I'm blind. Honestly I never saw lice of mites before. I looked on the internet so I think I know what I'm looking for but yet nothing could I see. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

could be someones or possibly more than one is feather picking, if they were in such bad state when you got them it probably started long before you got them, feathers are protein and most likely that is what they were craving. so try to up their protein more. this along with good quality feed. and oyster shell everyday on the side so the girls will have it when they need it. You can supplement for protein with , good quality canned cat food, tuna, salmon, ,mealworms, cheese, yogurt, even good quality chicken also. this no more than once or twice a week, hopefully they will stop but it might be more of a habit now, so you'll have to watch them closely. I had one of my Brahma hens get plucked in the bottom back in late winter, I think her buddy a cochin bantam was just at eye level to do this, so I trimmed her feathers some and sprayed Blue-kote on her bottom, the bluekote will disguise wounds or feather picked areas. so maybe you can get this under control with a little added work, all the best and

p.s. also might want to worm them if they have never been wormed.. and congratulation on your new flock sounds like they have found a great home..

 

[alaskapalo]

I would also dust for mites just to make sure.

 

[Miss Lydia]

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:atzohf6gEh0J:www.healthybirds.umd.edu/Disease/Deworming%2520Birds.pdf+http://healthybirds.umd.edu/disease/deworming%2520Birds.pdf&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiwLilQSVzmufCruZ6ya6fERs0ZFbYn1iUc8Pc1701a57X19Nqav1B8nI8XHvKMpNS8jxqP9l8OBZf281e6qm6HTOfSYdCevD-SNcIn8Fuw1RT7K-MCrbgnSEOdeuX8Pbk8cZso&sig=AHIEtbQjrfmGRxDw5B_UrnbGKxNg1QMpTQ

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[tammye]

I have the same issue and have seen the feather plucker in action. the skin seems to turn red when exposed, not sure why that happens and that bulge is just normal anatomy, like a fat sack. touch the others there and you will see they all have that bulge.

 

[chicmom]

Well, that's great that you've rescued them and they're doing so well.....I also would dust them for mites or lice.....They're very hard to see. The mites will hide and come out at night, and the lice are a very very pale tan color. If you do dust them, repeat in 10 days to kill any eggs that may hatch before they can mature and reproduce.

If they were unhappy and crowded at their former place, they may have pecked eachother's feathers out. Sometimes, you can sit down and watch the flock, and you can actually see the one hen that is doing the feather pulling.....Believe me, it takes one bully hen to peck a whole flock bare arse naked!

If there is a hen or two with their butt feathers intact, then she is probably the one pulling the feathers.......

Good luck to you, I'm sure they will heal up nicely. Oh, one more thing, you can spray their butts with Blue Cote spray, and that will help them heal.....Plus chicken aren't as attracted to the blue coloring like they are a nice red bottom!

 

[tresjolie]

You guys are wonderful! Thank you SO much! Yes, there is at least one maybe two that aren't bare arsed so I will watch and see. I have seen at least one go for feathers but that time was just on another's back. They are VORACIOUS for earthworms so I think you guys may have something there. I will also dust (Sevin?) for mites and lice. What the heck. Couldn't hurt, huh? I will up their protein a bit more than I have. (2x a week). Try the Blue Cote. I have some for my horses. Then I'll give it some time and see what happens. I really really appreciate your responses.