Very red, sore looking skin on breastbone

[kathyd]

Hi again

I've found that one of my chickens has a patch of very red skin along both sides of her breastbone underneath her. There don't appear to be many feathers on this area, but I think it's too low down for her to have pecked them out herself (plus I've never seen any signs of being broody). She appears to be in good health apart from this, and she doesn't appear to be depressed or anything. If she has lice like some of the others, it's not a bad infestation on her - I've not seen anything crawling (yet!). Any ideas please?

Thx

[chris]

I have one the same - which I put down to her dust bathing in firm earth. Mine are free from nasties, and the other two are fine..

They can preen them selves pretty much all over though, so if they really wanted to pluck from the chest I'm sure they'd be able to

[kathyd]

Hi Chris - of course, I never thought of that! They've been dustbathing frantically because of the lice, mostly in the roots of a big conifer with very hard dry soil underneath, so it could well be that. Mind you, now they've discovered my polytunnel which is warm all the time and full of lovely soft compost, her skin may improve! She's going to hate it in a few weeks when I kick them all out .

[RichmondHens]

Does she roost on a perch or sleep on the floor? Sometimes if hens sleep on the floor they can get a type of burning from sitting in the droppings, but I doubt your floors are that dirty tbh. I suspect it is a result of frantic dustbathing. Once the lice problem is resolved she should start looking better.

[kathyd]

Hi RH - I'm honestly not sure where she's sleeping at the moment. She used to perch, but they've all changed their habits recently and mostly seem to sleep in a big fluffy bundle on the floor of the coop and stopped using the nest boxes. I clean out the coop every day, and although there are always little bits of dried poo left amongst the wood shavings, I can honestly say it's not really dirty or smelly or damp, and I always throw a layer of fresh wood shavings down on top anyway. I emptied the whole thing out yesterday to clean it properly, so everything's new in there now. So I think you're right and it's the over-bathing that's caused the problem. Not much fun being a chicken really, is it?

[RichmondHens]

They're funny old things chickens but believe me they do bounce back. And don't feel bad about the lice problems. There isn't a chicken keeper on the planet who doesn't get them from time to time.

[kathyd]

Thanks RH

[Falkirk Bairn]

I've noticed a couple of my chickens are red underneath and I was wondering what you would suggest I put on it to help soothe it (if anything at all).

[kathyd]

Hi FB

I ended up buying some pure almond oil for babies and rubbing it in gently at night. It was't too sticky so didn't get muck stuck to it, and it was nice a runny so didn't have to rub too hard. Didn't use it for long though, just a couple of applications to help things along a bit.

[jessmorris]

Have you checked for mites at all kathyd? hate to mention it, but if they're avoiding their perches and nestboxes could it be because of this? (and my girls have had lice, red mite and northern fowl mite just for the record!)

[kathyd]

Thanks Jess . However, it wasn't me who posted the question this time for once! I did ask the original question, but that was some time ago. The most recent one was from Falkirk Bairn, and I was just responding to it .

[jessmorris]

never mind - it was in response to your post about them abandoning their nestboxes and sleeping on the floor...

[kathyd]

Oh sorry Jess, didn't read it properly . It was last year that they started doing that, I still don't know why. At the moment, 6 of them prefer to sleep on the roof of the coop - it's secure, and we've put a flat perching bar on there so the pointy bit won't damage their feet. The other 2 would never make it onto the roof, so they still sleep inside. Neither perches, one because she's disabled and would probably fall off, and the other because she's lazy at a guess. And yes, they've had lice, and scaley leg mites. Not found red mite yet, but I'm sure we will at some point.

[jessmorris]

they are strange creatures. My d'uccles liked perching in the trees, even with their feathery feet.....