What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[jackian]

My new girl Eva (had her a week from omlet) had a really pooy bum.I managed to bath her this mornnig and hew bum has no feathers ,it is quiete oven ready. It really amazed me as there were no feathers in the bathing water and there does not seem to be any soreness etc.,

We have had 2 eggs in a week and both were DY ... As she is only just POL I wiould have not thought it was moulting .I have not noticed any feather pulling and she is eating and drinking fine.....Surely this is not right ,what should I do ?

[Duncan08]

I am no expert in chicken health but will share what I have picked up.

Dirty bum can be associated with mites or worms, has she been powdered and wormed. Or she could just be unsettled from the move. My two newbies have had dirty bums, otherwise OK, and they have both been powdered and the Flubenvet is on order for next week. I have put it down partly to the change in food and accomodation, I havent bathed them as it isnt causing a blockage, just a bit unsightly and I didnt want to stress them straight after moving in.

 

My girls are all still a bit young for a moult, but Pepper pulled out her feathers from her belly when she went broody in the summer and ate them. The others ate any she missed. My Bluebell had a small patch of feathers missing from her belly, again none in the run, I have heard that this can be a need for extra protein so gave them some extra mealworms. Chilli has a little bare patch on her throat, but this is where she rubs it when she hangs over the drinker, so I have moved it lower.

 

Bluebell still has a naked patch at the base of her tail where she was picked on when she first came. If she is getting pecked by one of the others you may find that the skin looks sore aswell?

 

Feather pulling can also be caused by stress or boredom, so again, it could just be down to the move and she is taking time to settle down.

 

I would give Omlet a call I think and see what they say, they have always been very helpful when I have contacted them in the past.

[Olly]

Is she eating, drinking and generally looking perky?

 

If you've only had her a week, she may still be unsettled by the move - I'd withhold any treats for a day or two so she's just eating layers pellets, and see if her tummy settles down. It's unlikely that she is moulting.

 

I'm afraid a bare behind usually indicates that her best friend and beloved companion is pulling the feathers out, you may never see them doing this, and she may not be pecking so there won't be any soreness - just bald spots! It can be due to boredom or stress, but sometimes it just happens and it's very hard to cure.

 

As long as she's looking healthy, laying and generally looking 'busy', she is ok. Provided her skin isn't broken or bleeding, then I'd leave them to it - it doesn't seem to bother the hens as much as it bothers us. My bottom-of-the-pecking-order hen always has a bare backside, I hate it but have learned to accept it.