[bexy]

Hi all.
I am a bit concerned with my Beryl.......she will peck me to death if she knows i am telling the whole chicken world this but.....

She still has no feathers on her bottom
All the other ladies are now wearing fluffy french knickers,well some look a bit thread bare but there you go.

Beryl is a very cheeky bossy little madam,she is by my side all the time chatting away,she eats the most,the others don't get a look in when it comes to worms and slugs,as soon as i put the garden fork to the soil she is on it waiting for it to lift before diving in!!!
In fact i had to pick her up to day to give her a good talking to!!!

My worry though is will she ever get these feathers back or not....if not then it looks like i will have to get my knitting needles out for when the weathers turns

My hens are ex battery and was totaly bold all over when i got them apart from their heads.

[jo40]

Hi Bexy

What do you mean when the weather turns
Someone once said to me you are only a true chicken keeper once youve got through your 1st winter, ha! UK summer I think they meant

Anyway, I have a bald bottom chuck, due to chicken lice. She is taking ages to re-feather as she is 'under the weather' I have been advised to supplement her feed with poultry spice and high protein feeds to promote re-growth. I also spray her back end with anti peck spray to stop any of the others taking a fancy to her back end :blink:

If it doesnt work can you forward me a hand knitted bottom warmer please I cant knit

Jo

 

[SMD66]

she will most likely re-feather when she moults.  I has a light sussex with a bare bum for months after another hen had plucked her, (the offender went to a new home) the poor lady stayed bald till she moulted in the autumn,  now she has french knickers like the others

[matilda duck]

Some of mine have bald bottoms.  They have lice again .
 They all look like they have forgotten to put their frilly french knickers on    They do grow back eventually

[SarahJC]

Mine are growing their feathers back after having a feather pecker peck their botties bald  Lettuce the pecker has a beak bit now, which sorted it out. Anyway, I digress! The feathers are growing back, though in some parts there is no sign of any. I give mine soaked cat biscuits to 'up' their protein intake, with some cod liver oil in and also some garlic powder. I've read somewhere that cod liver oil can help with feather growth.

Hope that helps in some small way 

[jo40]

Will they take the cod liver oil or do you syringe it in.
I kept my mouth firmly shut when my mother tried to give me a spoon full of the stuff.. and could always taste it no matter what she tried to hide it in 
Dont suppose the capsules would work either
Jo

[bexy]

Hi Guys.Thanks for the replies

Just another note to add.....Beryl's skin is also quite red and when i picked her up she was very warm...warmer than i expect a chicken to be but then again it's the first time i have picked one of them up
Is the red skin normal?hope it's not sunburn

She is very active and loves to have a run around so i don't think she is ill in anyway.

[jo40]

Hi
I hadnt noticed maggie to be particularly warm, her skin is pale almost white, getting slightly pinker as she is starting to recover.
Sunburn You will have to knit her a big hat
Just a thought, I am a novice, but the anti peck spray is black and would give her skin a coating, might be worth a try  
Jo

[hillfooter]

SMD has got it right don't bother with all the witchdocters potions she'll grow em back after a moult.  Giving her extra protein before hand will just delay the process which is probably why with her avarice for slugs and worms she's the last to moult and grow them back.  However having said that there's something to be said for inspecting for lice which can eat feathers.  Red skin is pretty normal for hybrids so no problem there I think.  Feed her a staple layers diet and give her time.  She sounds lively enough so don't fuss and all will be well.
Regards

[bexy]

Hi All
My poor hen as still got a bare bottom which is quite red and lumpy looking
I was thinking of tryinging to rub some E45 cream on her to see if it helps,any ideas on this please?
All the other girls are now fully feathered or there abouts.

[raeburg]

Is she perching.  Sometimes the redness can be because they have nested where there are droppings and it can burn the skin.  One of my ex bats has only just regrown her knickers, a full year after we got her.  It took until she moulted again to make them grow.  A little caftood as extra protein might be a help.

[bexy]

I clean their run and house out every day without fail.
She is the most active one and i think she is now at the top of the pecking order.
She eats the most and follows me everywhere,even sits next to me when i have a sneaky sit down

This morning when i left here she was walking up and down the run next to the wire and making noises as if to say she didn't want me to go the others just tooked into the left over scraps she didn't want!

I am thinking could it be sunburn? we have had very sunny hot weather here for a long time now.After the girls have had their 2 hours run around and feed they then sit in the sun with their wings stretched and she sits with them.
Is it also possible for chickens to have eczema?

[smileysal]

Bexy I wouldn't worry too much it's just that some take longer to feather up than others. One of our ex bats still has a bare bum 8 months on but all the rest are now fully feathered. I'm hoping she'll get them back eventually but she doesn't seem too bothered!

[Debz]

One of my girls got pecked in February and still has a bare bottom and her bottom is quite red too.  Last week I ordered poultry spice and she is also on cat food to up her protein levels.  I also realised that there is a bit of red mite too which wont be helping.  The girls and the house are being treated accordingly and hopefully she will start to grow a new batch.  I would quite like her to look frilly again although she was always the most untidy hen of the three.

[Sassy]

I cannot answer your query but an observation from my own Light Sussex hens who have had bare backs all summer due to a now departed over amorous cockerel is that I have panicked several times due to very red areas of skin and a few hours later the area is a nice pale pink again. I don't know the reason but they are both very happy and laying well.