[thechicken]

I have 2 bantam white leghorns which I have had for 5 weeks. One of them appears to have lost quite a few feathers around the comb area. It does not seem to bother her but i was wondering whether there was something I could do to assist the growth or at least stop the loss.

Prior to coming both had been with a cockrel and one of them has very dirty feathers around the bottom area which dont seem to be getting any cleaner - is there something we can do to help or will it sort itself out in time? The dirt on the feathers under the chin are improving as the weeks go by.

Thanks in anticpation 

[joyfull]

they go through several moults before they get their true adult feathers so this could account for the hair loss. I am assuming here that you have checked for lice and mites of course. If they are not young birds then it could be the damage caused by the cockerel and they should grow back when they next have a full moult (usually over the winter).
As for their rear end you can either soak the mess off with warm water and a damp cloth or carefully wash it off using a very mild shampoo such as baby shampoo. Towel dry them and whilst it is sunny they can go back out to finish off or dry them with a hair dryer on a warm setting. When was they last wormed and what medication was used. Flubenvet is the best one to use.

[thechicken]

Thanks for your help. We cannot see any mites - presumably they would be visible?

With regard to the rear - she is a very nervous chicken so not sure that catching her and washing would help her nervousness so might leave mother nature and time to sort but thanks again for all your help! 

[Sassy]

Lice would be visible but you do have to look carefully. Red mite do not live on the bird but in the hen house and feed off the birds at night. You can check the house by folding up some white paper and slotting it into cracks and moving about. If it comes out red you likely have a problem.

If you choose not to wash off their bottoms  - many chooks actually relax whilst this is being done and enjoy it - if it is faeces soiling their behinds you need to watch out for blowfly which lay their eggs in the dirty feathers and the hatched maggots start to eat the chicken. This is obviously very painful and most undesirable.

[splash101]

mine are very difficult to catch as well. I wouldnt say they were nervous but they have never been one to come and eat out of your hand so you could grab them then.

If i need to inspect them i take them out of the coop one by one in the morning and do it then. Also if you carry them backwards there seems to be less flapping. i took it under my arm, head facing backwards, bum forwards, i dont mean i walk backwards, that would be just silly 

 They dont mind being washed but they seem to love the hair dryer afterwards (on coolest setting)

[jhub]

, i dont mean i walk backwards, that would be just silly 

but very funny