oh no - bare bums!

[marge2]

Hi chicken experts,

We've had 6 chickens since September, all fit and healthy happy and laying all through the snow and cold and everything. They are in a run say 10x10m approx at the end of our garden which is in the woods. It is pretty muddy and trashed now. They get layers pellets and mixed poultry corn with some crushed oyster shell. They always seem to leave the layers pellets though.

The problem is that within a week or two, they have suddenly developed bare bottoms. They don't seem sore or red, the chickens don't seem bothered by it and are still laying. I have looked in some books but they are not giving much help.

What is going on and what do I do about it??

several things: moulting (it'll be lop-sided and usually starts at the bum); pecking (but you'd see evidence if it were); or they're sleeping in their poo.

moulting, they wouldn't lay as much: give them cat food for protein while they're moulting.
pecking, get some purple spray and spray their behinds. (you can get it from farm retailers) they don't like the taste so it should stop.
sleeping in their poo, they aren't perching at night (it happens a lot in the winter because it's warmer to be all huddled) make sure there's no draft at the bottom of the coup and once they're all tucked in for the night make sure they're on the perch (it's quite funny to lift them onto the perches as they go all floppy! but they'll stay therre once put on.

hope that helps.
can't think of any other reasons...

thanks for that Nickelbabe. Thought it might be lice or something?. Is that a possibilty? How high does the perch need to be - we have two - one only about 2 foot high in the coop and one only about 4 inches off the floor. There always seem to be 4 chooks on the top one, but the other two don't really seem bothered enough to get on the low one.

Thanks again.

unlikely to be lice: but it could be red mite.
you can get a dusting powder that you should apply every couple of months.
it's just called Red Mite Powder.
you should do that as a matter of course anyway.
it doesn't matter how high the perches are: but no higher than your top one, as they'll find it hard to get up there.
the two that don't get on the perch - are they the ones with the bare bums?

They all have bare bums. Some more than others, but the worst one is the biggest one and always seems to have a perch.

mmmmm.

it's more likely to be moulting, then, i think.
the biggest one is the top hen, i take it?
it's not likely to be pecking if that's the case.

very odd.

definitely put the mite powder in, though, to rule that out.

have a look down at the bottom of their feathers. if it's lice you'll see the eggs.

also, i'd give the coup a through wash out with jeyes fluid (scrub into the corners and then rinse well)