Red-butted chicken! Help! UPDATE: PIX INCLUDED

[i_am2bz]

One of my chickens has lost all her feathers on her rear-end (around her vent)...not sure if she pulled them out herself (seems kind of a reach), whether one of the other hens did it, or there's something else going on. I have inspected for creepy-crawlies, but didn't see anything. The skin appears very red & inflamed.

For some reason, in the far reaches of my mind, I seem to recall someone else on the forum having this problem, but I can't find the thread now.

If someone knows the thread I'm talking about (if I'm not imagining things) & can point me to it, great. If not, anyone have any idea what would cause this & what I should do?

EDIT: I've added a couple of photos we took this afternoon, about 4 posts down.

 

[patandchickens]

Is it really feather loss or is it swelling of the naturally-bare area just around the vent.

Diarrhea or other causes of a "gunky undercarriage" can cause this, which can persist even after the cause is over and the feathers appear reasonably clean.

The redness can be treated with zinc oxide ointment (I have used Penaten (sp?) diaper rash ointment) after washing and thoroughly drying the area.

If it is swelling, being eggbound or internal laying can cause that; but if it is just redness and chapping and perhaps actual feather loss, the above should help a lot.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[i_am2bz]

Well, it appears to be both feather loss AND redness...I mean, I can see where some of the feathers have broken off at the skin. It feels hot & a little swollen to the touch. I'm just comparing her to the others, who seemed to be completely feathered in that area, altho another one does have a small red area there. It makes me cringe just to look at it; I would think it really hurts!

Can I use just any diaper rash ointment with zinc oxide, or does it have to be Penanten (sp)?

 

[patandchickens]

IME with human (baby) bottoms, Penaten works significantly better than plain store-brand zinc oxide, b/c it has some extra ingredients; I have never done a comparative study of the two on *chicken* bottoms so I couldn't say for sure

If you have one or the other, I'd say use that; if you're going to actually buy something, IMO Penaten is worth it.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[i_am2bz]

Thanks Pat. I have some generic ointment that I used on my dog (don't ask!) but the active ingredient is petrolatum, not zinc oxide. Do you think that makes a difference? If I have to go buy something, is the Penaten available at regular grocery/drug stores? (Sorry, I've never heard of it, but I never had [human] kids so it's not something I had to keep around.)

 

[i_am2bz]

I hope these come out okay, I've never inserted pictures before.

Does this help at all with trying to figure out what's wrong with her?

 

[FarmerDenise]

That does look awfully sore. I would definitely put somethin on it. I prefer not to use petrolium jelly, because it is not good to eat. Chickens can definitely reach there and may ingest it. If you have an aloe vera plant, you can put that on her. I have also made calendula ointment with lard. You could just put lard on there, it would at least protect it a bit and it also helps healing. I think any ointment that is safe for a human baby would be ok for a chicken. I just prefer more natural products.
You might also isolate the chicken, so the others don't peck at her redness.
I have a hen that regularly gets red sore skin. I usually put my homemade calendula ointment on her and she does eat it too.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

True raw honey application and isolate, would be my rec.
I also give drops of raw cod liver oil for healing.

 

[i_am2bz]

Thanks, FD. Being a vegetarian, I don't keep lard around () but would be willing to get some if it makes her feel better. The ointment I used is a Vaseline product meant for babies, so you'd think it's safe, but...Hey, whatever works.

I do have some Blu-kote, does anyone think that would help?

Oh - BB, just saw your response - how much cod liver oil? Not sure where I'd get raw honey aound here...:/

 

[Denim Deb]

Not really what you want to see when you're eating pizza.