[DannyBoy230]

Hey guys and gals, I was hoping for some advice please. I have 5 chooks in my back garden and they've all been fine, happy and given me no cause for concern. No bullying, all active etc.

However, tonight when I was giving them there good night cuddles, I noticed that one of them had something which caused me concern...

In what I can only explain to be the chickens "armpits" the feathers were all crusty, matted. My first thought is lice, however there was no issue getting her to bed in the coop, off she went with the rest of them when told.

Any ideas/suggestions/advice is very warmly welcomed... thanks very much.

[Foxy]

have a good look at her vent too. Does it look sort of white and crusty? That would be lice-the eggs are laid at the base of the feathers.

[JuneFR]

Also check the scales of their legs, if they appear to be raised it could also be mites.  (they will also infect the house if you walk or sit on furniture from your clothing). 

[poultrygeist]

Have you had a look at our info section Danny ?

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=5250.0

Rob

[DannyBoy230]

Thanks guys, however her legs and vent seem to be fine...

It's quite hard to describe, and even harder to get a picture - but if you imagine holding your girl, spreading her wing, then it's on the underside where the wing meets the body (what I call the girls ampits).

There's no other scaly anything, anywhere else...

[cathangirl]

Hello DannyBoy,
Is it under both wings, or just the one?
If under just the one wing, could she somehow have got some broken egg remains under there?  The rest would have been devoured.   Or even a squashed slug if she's been free ranging and dusting.  Their slime would go hard.
cathangirl

[DannyBoy230]

That's an interesting point... Squashed egg!!! I didn't even think of that! However, it is under both wings... maybe I'll give her a wash later and see if it 'comes off'

[Sue33]

Dannyboy, one of my girls had exactly the same thing but she was pretty poorly at the time and I put it down to her not cleaning/preening herself, the feathers were kind of matted,she would sit for ages while I tried to de-tangle it - reminded me of when I was a kid and mum used to get the hairbrush out