Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[Surfnirvana]

Hi there,

 

All 4 of my chooks over the past 4 months have very gradually been loosing feathers either side of their breast bone. The skin there is now bald with no indication of new feathers growing back. Betty and Louie's skin is now getting to be rather red and flakey.

 

I've checked them over for mites and can't see a thing. I've dusted them anyway and their cube. I was advised to put some sudocrem on the inflamed skin which hasn't really done much - they just bend down and pick it off!

 

I wondered if they may be allergic to the Aubiose that they have on top of the concrete base where their pen is, so I changed it to wood chip - no difference. I do use straw in their nesting box where Doris and Rose sleep overnight and of course all of them lay their eggs their - could they be allergic to that?

 

Today, I noticed that Rose - who is also going through a malt and has arther bald patch on her neck - has rather pinky legs as if they are irritated too. The other three chooks seem to be OK on the leg front.

 

Apart from all this, they are all very well, eating, drinking, laying and doing normal chickeney things.

 

If anyone has had a similar experience and could perhaps point me in the right direction I would be very grateful.

Many thanks

[Squawk]

Hi

 

One of my chickens has a similar problem. She has lost most of the feathers either side of her breast bone and on the inside of her legs. There are no signs of mites and she is otherwise healthy and eating and drinking as normal. She is smaller than my other chickens and feels a bit skinny.

 

Does anyone have any advice?

[Chuckov]

One of my hens also has the same problem. Has also lost feathers around her face and crest, giving her a bit of a receding hairline! But am particularly bemused by the bare breast and again the red skin with no suspicion of mite activity

 

I am wondering if the link is as you suspect nest box materials, as we put bark chips in the run but wood shavings in the nest box. If they are sitting overnight on the wood shavings (or straw) could it be irritating the skin anbd causing long term feather loss?

[Redwing]

Two of my hens have bare chests and in the absence of any bugs etc.. I have put this down to the fact that they press up against the wire mesh of the run and move sideways along it - they always have to be able to see whats going on!

[Plum]

Mine are the same between chest and legs, I wondered if it was just their way of cooling down in the summer.

You can't see it except if you turn them upside down. No soreness though.

[Clur]

I have one exactly the same too and she doesn't seem at all worried about it. I suspected it was the auboise in the nest box and changed to straw for a while, but it's still the same.

[Surfnirvana]

Gosh, well it seems there are a number of us out there that have this problem with our chooks, but I don't know if anyone has an answer or suggestions?

 

If anyone can recommend what we can do to help, that would be really useful

 

Thanks so much

[joegg]

I with have one with identical symptoms the other chook (before she passed away unexpectedly) had gorgeous feathers so i dont think it is contagious. Either overheating or allergy?

 

We use straw, clean the house with pressure washer and Johnsons pet disinfectant spray and dust with red mite powder.

They are fed on Smallholders layers pellets and mixed corn and kitchen (veggie) s"Ooops, word censored!"s sometimes add poultry spice and limestone flour.

Have been wormed with flubenvet and sprayed with Johnsons mite spray.

 

My feeling is it could be areaction to the mite powder as i dust the bedding with it.

 

After Layla passed on i gave Maggie a good spraying with Johnsons mite spray and there does seem to be some regrowth happening.

 

But ultimately i dont know but seems strange that so many seem to have this problem.