4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[GreenTara]

Hi there,

 

I am new to posting here but have been lurking and reading for over a year since getting my three girls. I haven't needed to post until now as everything has been great with them.

 

However, bramble, my black rock hybrid has a very red crop. It is also bald and as far as I can tell there are no new feathers growing in. All my girls are the same age and they seem to be moulting a little just now but now too much. Bramble has always been the smaller of the three and is bottom in pecking order, but they don't ever fight, just she gets the food last. She is laying alright just now.

 

I have tried purple spray but it doesn't seem to have helped any. Hoping someone here can help otherwise I think I'll have to take her to the vet, but I want to avoid that as I think she will find it rather traumatic as shes quite a nervous soul.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Plum]

Losing feathers in that area seems to be either moulting, pulling them out herself because she is broody or rubbing them on something, perhaps reaching into the food. It's strange there are none growing back

Perhaps some tonic like lifeguard may stimulate some new growth. The skin will be red because it's exposed to the air and cold or red because she's superheated being broody but you would see change in behaviour if that was the case.

 

Apart from the feather loss and being smaller than the others is she healthy?

[GreenTara]

Yes, she seems fine in herself. She has always been a bit of a lone wolf and goes to bed after the others, but general behaviour seems fine. They free range during the day and have a paddock, dung heap and lots of garden to rummage in and she always runs off in the morning to the dung heap to scratch around in.

 

She is laying fine so don't think she is broody-none of the typical behaviour. She did used to lay soft shelled eggs but that seems to have resolved now. It just looks sore for her, and I really want to avoid the trauma of the vets (plus I don't think they will really know all that much about pet hens...)

[Plum]

Don't know that the vet would do anything. She's not ill as such.

 

Perhaps try giving a supplement like poultry spice or lifeguard and maybe a bit extra protien couple of times a week such as cat food or tuna to stimulate feather growth. She may just be putting her energy into laying and not have enough protien etc., left for feather growth. I'd keep an eye on her when laying to see if she pulls feathers out. Otherwise you could put a bit of cream like sudocreme on her crop to protect against the cold air if you feel its sore.

 

Anyone else any ideas ? .