[yellowmatress]

I think Ruby may have a compacted crop. She has is a large, squidgy lumpy area to the side of her breast and there are missing feathers and red skin on her front. Why would she lose feathers?



The feather loss isn't immediately apparent without looking closely but is quite central down her front.

Forgot to say she seems well in herself - eating and being top hen in the flock. (We have just got 3 new hens this week as out other one died last week and she was on her own)

[joyfull]

is the squidgy lump there all the time? Have you smelt her breath? Squigyness sounds more like sour crop.

[yellowmatress]

ok. I have checked her this morning and her crop seems to have good back down. Could she have just eaten loads because of the new birds and she was dominating the food? ↲It doesn't explain the feather loss though?

[carolbriar]

Her crop will fill up during the day as she eats and then by the following morning it should be down ready for her to fill up again.   

[joyfull]

when it is really full it will stretch the skin often making the hens feathers look really sparse 
Now the crop has gone down does she still look threadbare?

[yellowmatress]

Hi, thanks for the replies so far. Her crop has gone down today and is normal this evening. I think she over indulged yesterday.

However, there are definitely feathers missing and leaving a blad patch. I have attached some photos - the green tinge is vetinary ointment which I applied yesterday and it has reduced the redness of the area.

[joyfull]

check for mites, lice etc and treat with frontline or similar. Check to see if she is getting her neck stretched out through any wire in an effort to get some grass/plants etc as this will wear her feathers away, check to see if any other hen is plucking her and eating the feathers (you may have to watch all day for this - it's a tough job but somebody has to do it  ).

[compostqueen]

could it be a neck moult?  Mine has had one. It was her first moult but I was concerned as it was just her neck. I asked the breeder about it and he told me about neck moults

I would deffo check for lodgers though 

[yellowmatress]

It's definitley not others attacking her - the other hens are currently petrified of her. It may be stretching but I think that's unlikely.

Perhaps it's mites but the house has been cleaned thoroughly (dismantled and sprayed with jeyes) and subsequently powedered and sprayed with poultry shield.

I'll take another look tonight - she's getting used to the daily routine now!!!

[yellowmatress]

I have checked her again tonight and the area is getting more bald. I have smothered it with vet ointment again.

I couldn't find any obvious mites or other nasties on her. Wouldn't they be really obvious?

Although I didn't see it, she has been pecking at herself in this area.

Help!!