pekin cockerel with red shafts to foot feathers and inflamed

E

elmdene

New member
Joined
Oct 1, 2010
Messages
198
Reaction score
0
Basil, my pekin cockerel, has always had very red shafts to the underside of the feathers on his feet - you can see them clearly from behind when he is walking. He also has very inflamed skin around his vent area and to some extent on his tummy, particularly around the feather follicles and also along his breastbone. I thought the red feather shafts on the feet were normal but am now wondering whether the inflammation is related. He doesn't appear to have lice or any other crawlies - he has also been treated with PharmaQ Mite Treatment. He seems to be in an increasingly bad temper, which I guess is understandable with a sore bum, but he has also started attacking people (including me sometimes!) which is not good. I'm going to get some tea tree ointment to rub on his skin tomorrow but can anyone please advise on whether this may be something more serious that needs treating?
 
Red skin shouldn't be a problem, as long as he is healthy in every other respect.. and the skin is not excoriated/broken from loose droppings. Is he feathered up OK in his nether regions?? :shock: :D
 
yes his feathering is fine. It does look as if it ought to be sore round his vent though - it's quite red but not broken at all. And the skin where his feet feathers enter is bright red as if gorged with blood - is that normal?
 
Hi
Put some E45 cream on the red areas. should help him. The ex batts I had were very red, the cream soon sorted it out. Full of minerals and healing properties
 
Just got some aloe vera before I read this so am trying that for now. Someone suggested it is feather pecking but it's my cockerel and I can't imagine the girls pecking him. They all roost in a line so it would be difficult to do then anyway. Also he doesn't seem to be losing many feathers, just sore and red.
 
He's totally NORMAL - there is nothing wrong with him at all - I promise you - he has "coloured up" because he is a full blown male in the breeding season - this is especially noticable of heavily feathered legged and feet birds - all around the "working parts" of the cockerel SHOULD be red - even bright red and his legs as well .. and as for his temper - it means that he is virile and in full working order - just as he should be - I had a girl look after my birds last year and she rang me up frantic saying that one of my brahma boys had badly inflamed legs and they were so red she thought they were bleeding -but it is exactly the same as your bird - my cochins which normally have yellow legs are bright red at the mo as are the pekins and the brahmas . Don't worry - it's nature - and you're bound to get lots of full eggs as well - so no need to worry using aloe vera or anything else - just turn on another incy :)
 
Thanks so much for this - what a relief! As far as I can recall, his legs have always been red so obviously I have a very virile bird! Are you certain this goes for his tum as well though? - it does look very angry, especially around his feather follicles (if feathers have follicles? - where they enter the skin anyway). I have to say the aloe vera has made it look a bit better along his breastbone but it does matt his feathers together a bit so I think a bath is on the cards which I know won't go down very well! I have been giving him lots of cuddles so he is fine with me now - just a bit embarrassing when he attacks visiting small children!
By the way - what is an incy??
 
Just checked Basil out again yesterday and his vent area is looking really horrible now - very red and sore looking all over his chest and down to his vent which is now quite bald. It is particularly red and swollen around the feather follicles and the feathers are matted together. I can see that the red feet are possibly a sign of his virility but this looks like something else - I am wondering whether he has depluming mite? I treated him not long ago with Ivermectin drops but hear that these don't deal with this type of mite. Can anyone shed any light on this - I have read about sulphur baths which sound a bit dangerous to their health, or flea shampoo for dogs? Or carbolised vaseline, whatever that is?
 
I have a bald sablepoot - skin is rough and raw looking - I assumed it was his ladies that had done the deed - but it was the Normectin I use - having re-read the instructions they can cause necrose - don't really inderstand what ir means but it has to do with the skin I think - could it be the same - I used a drop at the back of his neck - in the cape - and all the feathers above it have dropped out :-)06
 
Do his feathers have greasy look? Can you see any black specks at the base particulary the vent? :-)19
 
Interesting - but I don't think it was the Ivermectin which caused it as he was sore before, which is why I put it on him in case it was louse or mites attacking him.
 
No the feathers don't look greasy - they are a bit matted at the ends but this may be due to me putting aloe vera on last week and they have got a bit pooey round his vent. I washed them the other day but they still seem a bit matted at the ends. I inspected his bits with a magnifying glass yesterday (!) and can't see any specks or anything that look like mites/louse or whatever, which is what made me think it could be depluming mites as apparently they burrow under the skin? The follicles are very red and seem swollen and lumpy and the skin where there are no feathers is red and sore looking but not broken ( so hopefully not feather pecking but have never seen this). Poor thing is getting really fed up with me inspecting his bottom every day!
 
Actually I didn't because his feathers seem to have got in such a mess from the aloe vera - all matted together, at least I am assuming this is what has caused it. I gave him a bath this week to try to separate them out and fluff them up a bit. He is still horribly red though so maybe I will give it go. And he is in total attack mode now and goes for me all the time, although I'm told this is because of the time of year and he will calm down later on - I certainly hope so!
 
Just been to the vet with Myrtle who has bumblefoot so took Basil for the ride. Vet says its probably due to the time of year too rather than any infection, although they are all on aureomycin now so should sort it out if it is something else. The joys of chicken parenthood!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top