Solitary chicken - need advice

[sharon539]

Hi

 

My chickens seem to have very bald belly and chests the skin also looks red and dry (this could be normal as normally they are covered in feathers so don't really know what it should look like)

is this normal molting or could it be something else

 

When I touch the skin they do not seem to find it uncomfotable or anything I am just a bit worried

 

2nd problem is I went away for a week and my girls were fed and watered by a neighbour but they did not free range at all

I think it may be due to being in the run all week but they have had lumps of mud etc dried onto the end of each toe

I use aubiose in the run and it was clean and dry before I went away

 

I thought if they freeranged a bit when I got back it would come off by itself but it hasn't

I can't pull it off as it would really hurt them as it is well and truly stuck

 

it is now making them have trouble walking

 

All my chickens seem ok in themselves and are eating drinking running about (if a bit strangely) etc

 

Any ideas on either of these problems please

[poachedegg]

For the mud balls, dip their toes in a bowl of warm water for a little while and when it softens you will be able to massage the mud off.

[Redwing]

To get rid of the mud stand them in a bowl of warm water to soften it then ease it off with your fingers or scrub with an old toothbrush

 

 

Chickens that spend a lot of time lying down can get bald tummies so lazy chooks that rest a lot in the run (like table birds that are typically less active) or chickens that sleep on bedding rather than roost may get bald tummies, as long as the skin doesnt get sore or broken I wouldnt worry too much just ensure they don't have any bugs or arent being bullied

 

Of course they could just be going in to their normal moult

[sharon539]

Thanks for the replies

 

I had thought about soaking their toes in water but hoped there might be another way as my girls do not like water and I mean really do not like it

Looks like I am going to get very wet

 

The skin on their bellies does look red but not knowing what colour it is normally it is hard to tell if it should be red but they don't seem worried about it

 

I wonder if then it could also be due to them being in their run alot when I was away as htey would have been sitting down more as they would not have had so much sapce as when I let them freerange

 

Thanks for the help I don't post on here very often but whenever I do post with a problem there is always someone ready to help whih is good as i don't know anyone else who could help

 

Thanks Sharon

[sharon539]

Another problem I seem to be having at the moment is I keep finding broken eggs in their nesting box as if they are pecking them

It is only ever one of the tree egss taht are broken

 

any ideas

 

Thanks Sharon

[Gamebird]

Another problem I seem to be having at the moment is I keep finding broken eggs in their nesting box as if they are pecking them

It is only ever one of the tree egss taht are broken

 

any ideas

 

Thanks Sharon

It might be that the shell is too soft and gets squashed when the next chicken goes into the nesting box to lay. Every now and then that's what happens with one of my girl's eggs.

 

Maybe some limestone flour in their feed might help