Three of my ten hens have bald rear ends. One older one moulted and refeathered a few months ago and has lost hers subsequently, the other two are youngsters and have not yet had a proper moult or been in full lay (they were the first to lose theirs and they have been bald for two months or so).
I muck them out once a week, use Virkon to disinfect, sprinkle louse powder in the nest box weekly and also mite powder occasionally. There's no sign of red mite in the structure of the hen house or the behaviour of the hens, they are all wormed and look perfectly happy and healthy in every other respect. Close inspection has not shown any signs of infestation at all ,not even minute, the skin is a healthy colour to red.
I know one of them refuses to roost on a perch, she has done all her five years but she's not had a problem before. I really can't think what is causing it.. the cold, wet weather we've had? A bacterial infection? The other hens seem fine... one thing that might be pure coincidence, they are all three dark feathered birds.
I'm pretty sure it's not down to the activity of the other hens, the older of the three is 'head honcho' and none of them would dare to pluck at her butt!
I just wondered if anyone could shed any light on this... I'm stumped! Picking one up to take to the vets will be a last resort, they don't much like being handled but I think without any enlightenment I'm going to have to soon.
I muck them out once a week, use Virkon to disinfect, sprinkle louse powder in the nest box weekly and also mite powder occasionally. There's no sign of red mite in the structure of the hen house or the behaviour of the hens, they are all wormed and look perfectly happy and healthy in every other respect. Close inspection has not shown any signs of infestation at all ,not even minute, the skin is a healthy colour to red.
I know one of them refuses to roost on a perch, she has done all her five years but she's not had a problem before. I really can't think what is causing it.. the cold, wet weather we've had? A bacterial infection? The other hens seem fine... one thing that might be pure coincidence, they are all three dark feathered birds.
I'm pretty sure it's not down to the activity of the other hens, the older of the three is 'head honcho' and none of them would dare to pluck at her butt!
I just wondered if anyone could shed any light on this... I'm stumped! Picking one up to take to the vets will be a last resort, they don't much like being handled but I think without any enlightenment I'm going to have to soon.
