Bald butt

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labradors
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Bald butt

Post by labradors » Tue May 01, 2018 10:05 am

One of my four chickens has a balding butt and looks thoroughly dishevelled which I think is due to others pecking her. I have witnessed the others giving her a little peck a few times and I'm worried that it could escalate and that she could be injured. Poor baby is the lowest on the pecking order and spends a lot of time away from the rest.

What can I do to help?

Linda
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WLLady
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Re: Bald butt

Post by WLLady » Tue May 01, 2018 11:14 am

i would separate her for a while - but where the others can see her but not get to her (like a separate but adjacent pen, or a large dog crate) and make sure that it's actually because they are pecking her and not that she's molting. I would also check her over and make sure she doesn't have mites or lice-if other birds see them on her they may peck at her trying to get them.....otherwise if they aren't hurting her, and it turns out that she's molting and not being pecked you can always put her back with the flock if they have been able to see her in the meantime.
the other answer is to get another chicken lower on the pecking order than her....but that might be aiding chicken math.....
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Re: Bald butt

Post by labradors » Tue May 01, 2018 11:23 am

Many thanks WLLady, I just went to take a good look at the hens and noticed that another one has lost some butt feathers as well. Could they possibly be moulting? I bought them from Frey's last July as RTL. They are Red Sexlinks. I picked her up and inspected her and there's nothing obvious, in the way of insect life, although I didn't take a magnifying glass with me.

Linda
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Re: Bald butt

Post by labradors » Tue May 01, 2018 11:26 am

PS WLLady, I love the idea of getting another chicken, lower in the pecking order. I wonder how I would accomplish that, and suspect that I would have to acquire several more chickens in order to find one who would fit the bill! Chicken enabling seems to be alive and well here on PTO ;).

Linda
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Killerbunny
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Re: Bald butt

Post by Killerbunny » Tue May 01, 2018 11:35 am

To check for critters get a piece of scotch tape a wrap it around your fingers. Dab her butt with it and then check under a magnifier.
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Re: Bald butt

Post by labradors » Tue May 01, 2018 12:58 pm

Many thanks KB. I'll do that!

Linda
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Happy
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Re: Bald butt

Post by Happy » Tue May 01, 2018 2:34 pm

I have an old girl that is 6 and has been bottom of the pecking order her whole life. I had to separate my flock last winter into 2 flocks for other reasons so Miss Kitty went with the bantams and young girls. She loves life now. She has no fear, she has friends. She’s even the boss but in a gentle way lol. She over sees the nesting boxes lol. She’s about to be merged back to the main flock again since I have 4 birds leaving tomorrow so I’m hoping she will continue to do well. So the morale of my story is...get more chickens lol.
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Re: Bald butt

Post by labradors » Tue May 01, 2018 2:50 pm

More chickens! Will try to remember that :).

Meanwhile, I tried the Sellotape trick, took a magnifying glass out with me, and found no mites attached. Hooray! :).

Could someone please tell me if when they moult, they lose feathers there first?

Linda
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WLLady
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Re: Bald butt

Post by WLLady » Tue May 01, 2018 6:16 pm

I have ones moulting now. And in the middle of winter and in the summer....they seem to moult whenever they feel like it. If you are finding feathers sprinkled around on the groumd someone is moulting! Many will do it later in the fall...but its not set in stone.
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windwalkingwolf
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Re: Bald butt

Post by windwalkingwolf » Tue May 01, 2018 6:26 pm

labradors wrote:
Tue May 01, 2018 2:50 pm
More chickens! Will try to remember that :).

Meanwhile, I tried the Sellotape trick, took a magnifying glass out with me, and found no mites attached. Hooray! :).

Could someone please tell me if when they moult, they lose feathers there first?

Linda
Yes, sometimes, it depends on the individual chicken. Generally though, chickens lose feathers front to back rather than back to front, so losing feathers bum-first is usually something else going on...a feather picker, her butt itches (and she's plucking it) or internal pressure caused from too much fat, ascites or internal laying can also make them scratch at their own backsides. It's rare for chickens to moult when days are getting longer rather than shorter, and generally when they DO, it's a result of some sort of stress--fear of a predator (including other chickens lol), a change in diet, a change in pecking order, an illness, or even something as seemingly simple as forgetting to turn the coop light off one night...though these "fragile" chickens, again, usually have other issues with nutrition or health, it's not usually just one trigger that causes feathers to suddenly disappear outside of regular moult. Birds that are low on the pecking order are generally there for reasons that only the other birds know, and they're generally right. A hen will also usually go through a minor moult after being broody. Can you get pictures of her behind?
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