Sooo much pooping

[emmaw298]

following my previous post a few days ago, i did a health check today and on 2 of my 3 hens think I have spotted red mites around the vent area - they look like tiny specks of bright red/orange dots around the base of some of the feathers around the vent. there aren't loads of them but they are noticeable. do you think this is red mite?? I always cover the inside of the eglu in red mite powder and not noticed them before or on the eglu.

the other worrying thing is the 2 girls who have them also have very messy vents and both have a large lump (about the size of a ten pence piece) with what looks like an ingrowing feather right at the base of their back where their tail starts. i havent noticed this before either! it looks raised and angry and has a spike about 1cm tall protruding from it that looks filled with pus. its so strange that they both have the same thing in the same place!

on the whole they seem well, are eating and faces and comb still bright red but there is still this reduction in egg laying which may be related.

has anyone else ever seen such a thing?? what should I do? trip to the vets do you think?

[abwsco]

Emma, the "boil" will be the preen gland. As far as the red/orange dots they could be lice as redmites don't live on chickens they only feed on them at night.

[emmaw298]

thats what i thought, but they really look like them! couldn't see any evidence of grey eggs or the 'tan' coloured lice, just these tiny red flecks...

hmm, what is the preen gland? how come the other one didnt seem to have one???

[emmaw298]

aaah, have just read about the preen gland! seems it is rather normal, if not a little weird looking

phew, at least that's one thing not to worry about!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

There have been quite a few posts during my year on the forum from people not realising it was a preen gland - so you're not alone!

[Egluntyne]

Strange feeling of deja vu here. Have replied to this in another post.

[Sheilaz]

Well spotted Egluntine. I've just deleted the identical topic where you had kindly posted, I suspect the duplicate was an error.

[abwsco]

Well spotted Egluntine. I've just deleted the identical topic where you had kindly posted, I suspect the duplicate was an error.

 

I reported the duplicate post last night before it had any replies. Did the report not get through

[emmaw298]

hmm, am confused... duplicate?? where is it and what was egluntine's reply, I'm interested..!

[Egluntyne]

You had two identical threads going. You must have pressed submit twice accidentally.

 

I said that it was nowt to worry about...just the preen gland.

[emmaw298]

thanks egluntine. egg laying back up to normal again now so maybe was the weather / de-worming helped... and no more worries about that weird boil thing!

[Egluntyne]

[urbanchick]

If you think you've got red mite, shine a torch in the house when it's dark. They will be crawling towards the hens for a feed.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

. Just as well they're tiny - that could be a scary sight .