# Balding around vent



## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Hello! This morning I go out to my chickens and I noticed that 5 of the 6 birds are balding around their vent. There isn't any redness or irritation and they,seem totally normal. They all laid eggs this morning, but I am worried because it happened overnight. Here is a photo of Boots to give an example:









Could this be them starting to molt or should I worry?


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

There’s a heat lamp in the coop giving a red tint.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I would pull number six out and see what happens. Five out of six and overnight really points to number six being the cause.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And are the locked up full time? If six is doing this it's out of boredom.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

They are not locked up. They actually have access to the run at all times, but it’s chilly so they always go inside at dark. So, if boredom is the cause, have any recommendations on entertaining her?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hanging a head of lettuce or cabbage for them to work on. Buying a bale of straw and tossing a flake for them to scratch around in. I avoid hay because it can mold. 

If I give mine hay to eat I give them alfalfa. It's high in nutrients and is leafy so impacted crop is avoided. And I only toss enough for them to eat in a day. And it's given indoors, not in the run.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

If you leave the light on all night inside the coop, you're going to have picking and pecking problems due to no sleep zzzzzzz.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

dawg53 said:


> If you leave the light on all night inside the coop, you're going to have picking and pecking problems due to no sleep zzzzzzz.


We live where it's pretty cold at night, how would you suggest we keep them warm?


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Hanging a head of lettuce or cabbage for them to work on. Buying a bale of straw and tossing a flake for them to scratch around in. I avoid hay because it can mold.
> 
> If I give mine hay to eat I give them alfalfa. It's high in nutrients and is leafy so impacted crop is avoided. And I only toss enough for them to eat in a day. And it's given indoors, not in the run.


Awesome, thanks so much!


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

MadDojah said:


> We live where it's pretty cold at night, how would you suggest we keep them warm?


There are a variety of coop and dog house radiant heaters that will work well for this, as well as heated perches and the like. Most low to mid priced heaters I saw here ran between $35-50? There are more expensive, sure, but these seemed most common. 
OR some people create their own! Taking a lamp kit, and a ceramic pot with a bottom, insert lamp parts so light is inside pot thru the bottom hole, turn upside down and tada- radiant heat. Just be sure the top metal pieces don't get too hot, or the hole around it is too big. Fire hazard stuff. Ours puts out roughly the equivalent of a large momma hen sitting under them .
This has been working perfectly in my small coop, I'm not sure but what my full sized chickens would be capable of turning it over. So they are due for one of above mentioned heaters to buy!

Anyway, hope that helps!


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Overmountain1 said:


> There are a variety of coop and dog house radiant heaters that will work well for this, as well as heated perches and the like. Most low to mid priced heaters I saw here ran between $35-50? There are more expensive, sure, but these seemed most common.
> OR some people create their own! Taking a lamp kit, and a ceramic pot with a bottom, insert lamp parts so light is inside pot thru the bottom hole, turn upside down and tada- radiant heat. Just be sure the top metal pieces don't get too hot, or the hole around it is too big. Fire hazard stuff. Ours puts out roughly the equivalent of a large momma hen sitting under them .
> This has been working perfectly in my small coop, I'm not sure but what my full sized chickens would be capable of turning it over. So they are due for one of above mentioned heaters to buy!
> 
> Anyway, hope that helps!


Yes, one of the safety radiant coop heaters and make sure it's mounted to the wall or floor. And they don't put off a lot of heat...


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

I always use the red heat lamps with my birds, there is never a problem, no picking or fighting or lack of sleep, I can see into the "people" door on the coop from my bedroom (the people door is a large, all glass door with fine metal mesh on the inside in case of breakage) and they sleep most of the night. 

I would inspect the bald spots carefully for mites. Also, where are they sleeping? on a roost or on the floor? Sometimes they can lose feathers on their bums if they sleep on the floor or in their nests.


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## Orchid11 (Jan 9, 2021)

MadDojah said:


> Hello! This morning I go out to my chickens and I noticed that 5 of the 6 birds are balding around their vent. There isn't any redness or irritation and they,seem totally normal. They all laid eggs this morning, but I am worried because it happened overnight. Here is a photo of Boots to give an example:
> View attachment 37186
> 
> 
> Could this be them starting to molt or should I worry?


I found a great way to kill boredom is to stuff grass or hay into something and let them pull it out


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thanks Orchid but grass can cause issues when it's pulled and given to them. Hay is OK, especially alfalfa since it's leafy and packed with nutrients.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Occasionally in the winter, I throw flakes of hay for them to tear up.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

So, I kept the light, however I did notice, the one who did it is my most plump bird. I mean she’s heavy!! Anyway, I put together that that night was also one of the first nights that it seemed the food was completely cleaned out. My theory is that she must be entertaining herself by eating and when she ran out went on to pester the others by going under the roosts and picking out their feathers while they slept! I haven’t let them run out of food at all since and it hasn’t happened again. Luckily they’re all regaining their feathers back. Anyone else have a fat bird?! Lol


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've never had one. But you might try giving her low cal things like a head of lettuce if she's into eating that much. Do the hanging of treats as mentioned but those with few calories.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

MadDojah said:


> So, I kept the light, however I did notice, the one who did it is my most plump bird. I mean she's heavy!! Anyway, I put together that that night was also one of the first nights that it seemed the food was completely cleaned out. My theory is that she must be entertaining herself by eating and when she ran out went on to pester the others by going under the roosts and picking out their feathers while they slept! I haven't let them run out of food at all since and it hasn't happened again. Luckily they're all regaining their feathers back. Anyone else have a fat bird?! Lol


I have a morbidly obese Rhode Island White rooster named Goliath. He is very gentle.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I forgot about him. He is amazing in his hugeness.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I forgot about him. He is amazing in his hugeness.


He seems to do okay, just fat.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If it's easy you should post that pic of him in the coop door here so MD can see what we're going on about.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> If it's easy you should post that pic of him in the coop door here so MD can see what we're going on about.


Okay.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

He's still a riot to see. Didn't you say he was being called for treats in that first pic?

All kidding aside, MD does need to know if her girl gets too heavy she could have laying problems.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> He's still a riot to see. Didn't you say he was being called for treats in that first pic?
> 
> All kidding aside, MD does need to know if her girl gets too heavy she could have laying problems.


Yes, he tends to be present for all treats.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

How funny! That’s about the only time I see Emy move quickly as well! 

I have heard it makes it too hard for them to push the egg out? How do you know when they’re too fat? I thought maybe she could just be bigger than the rest!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

See if you can feel her keel easily. The next check is if she struggles to lay eggs but that could be bad for her. If she gets to where she looks like Goliath you know she's fat.

He looks like a meat bird he's so fat. And now PJ will come through and give me grief for picking on his bird.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> See if you can feel her keel easily. The next check is if she struggles to lay eggs but that could be bad for her. If she gets to where she looks like Goliath you know she's fat.
> 
> He looks like a meat bird he's so fat. And now PJ will come through and give me grief for picking on his bird.


He's way fatter than a meat bird. Farmers sell them early at their market size.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> See if you can feel her keel easily. The next check is if she struggles to lay eggs but that could be bad for her. If she gets to where she looks like Goliath you know she's fat.
> 
> He looks like a meat bird he's so fat. And now PJ will come through and give me grief for picking on his bird.


Okay will do! I have seen her lay eggs and she doesn't seem to struggle. She seems slightly annoyed that I'm watching her do it, but it doesn't take her long


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL I'll bet she's giving you the eye during her production of another egg. 

If she can't compete with Goliath then she's probably not got anything to worry about.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

She's the only one who overflows out of the nesting boxes lol 
Here she is next to Peaches one of the smaller girls.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If Peaches disappears don't come looking for her at my house.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> LOL I'll bet she's giving you the eye during her production of another egg.
> 
> If she can't compete with Goliath then she's probably not got anything to worry about.


Speaking of side eye lol Whiskey cracks me up with these fluffy cheeks









And here's the woman of the week, next to her poor bare-butted friend, doing what she does best.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> If Peaches disappears don't come looking for her at my house.


She has always been the most affectionate, outgoing one! Since the day we got our flock. And she lays the prettiest dark green eggs


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

MadDojah said:


> Speaking of side eye lol Whiskey cracks me up with these fluffy cheeks
> View attachment 37438
> 
> 
> ...


I love that pic of Whiskey.

You're giving Overmountain a run on great picture taking. She's pretty awesome.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I love that pic of Whiskey.
> 
> You're giving Overmountain a run on great picture taking. She's pretty awesome.


She's a character! And oh yeah I've seen her posts  thank you


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Here is all of Peaches  sweet little thing


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I really didn't need to see all of her to know I wanted her. You just made it worse.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I really didn't need to see all of her to know I wanted her. You just made it worse.


Lol  do you have any EE?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Actually all I have now is the one 9 year old Hamburg hen that lives with Coturnix quail. I sold my breeding flock ten years ago thinking I'd be totally done with birds by now. It was just this Summer that I was left with this one hen.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Actually all I have now is the one 9 year old Hamburg hen that lives with Coturnix quail. I sold my breeding flock ten years ago thinking I'd be totally done with birds by now. It was just this Summer that I was left with this one hen.


Oh wow! Do you miss them? Think you'll get more? Or do you have a large flock of quail?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I did miss them for a long time. Don't get me wrong though, I kept about 15 of the birds that meant something special to me. I figured they would all be gone in a few years. A few years turned out to be ten and counting. 

The quail are strictly company for the Hamburg. She didn't like it when I brought in another chicken when she ended up alone. So, I did a swap with a friend, he took the chickens and I took some of his quail. Worked like a charm. In the beginning she treated them like chicks.

I have a small flock of Guineas so I'm not totally out of birds. Although I've made the decision to not add to them anymore.


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## MadDojah (Aug 7, 2020)

Oh wow! 10 years is awesome! Strong happy babies. I’ve heard quail eggs are good right? Do you eat them or do you use them for meat birds? Funny, how when you give them babies they go into Mommy mode. I love it! Nature is awesome


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You never know what they're liable to do. I was so concerned about her being alone that I searched high and low for some pullets. Goes to show they are quite capable telling us when we've messed up. 

No, the quail are strictly her company. I don't do anything with the eggs. Most of the time I can't even find them because they lay where ever they think is a good spot. There's a tell tale sound when I crack one and the Hamburg comes running over to partake of the now opened egg.


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