Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[clucky clarke's]

Please help....4 out of my 13 chickens have lost all of the feather below their vents. You know, the area that is always soft and fluffy. The skin now looks red and inflammed . I have asked advice from the person we brought our hens off and she says if it was mites, all 13 would be effected. Is this true?

 

We have put a tonic in their water, but the skin looks so red. Has anyone seen this before?

 

Please advise

 

Clucky clarke's

[Redwing]

Exposed skin apparently turns red as a reaction to the light rather than because its sore so have a double check

 

Perhaps one of the others is pulling the feathers out?

[clucky clarke's]

Thanks for your reply

 

Now i think about it, i did see wendy the welsummer eating feathers the other day and the feathers that the bald bottom ones are losing are never anywhere to be found. How do i stop them pulling each others feathers? Should i separate the ones with the bald bottoms to give them time to regrow?

 

What do you think?

 

Clucky clarke (soon to be a mummy to 4 pygmy goats!!!)

[Egluntyne]

You could spray them all with some vile tasting anti peck spray, or fit a bumper bit to the beak of the feather plucker.

[clucky clarke's]

If i use the anti peck spray can the still be eaten? Is there a brand you would recommend? I don't really know who is responsible for the pecking, so bumper is out of the question.

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

I was going to suggest that you put a bit on them all....till I saw your signature! :D

 

You can eat the eggs after spraying with antipeck spray.

 

Johnsons' 'Antipek' is favoured by many Omleteers.

 

There is also a product called Ukadex, which works well, is rather expensive and stinks to high heaven.