Any ideas?

[Munch]

One of my girls always seems to have a 'back end' problem.

Below her vent and round inbetween her legs always looks wet although is not wet (most of the time) Her skin looks red as you can clearly see it.

The best way I can describe it is her back/undercarriage look like a porcupine

She has been like this for well over a year she is still laying and otherwise is healthy.

The reason for me asking if anyone has a clue what it is now is due to the fact that I think one of my other girls is showing signs of the same thing (I have 8 girls)

Any ideas and more importantly is there anything I can do?

[Suechooks]

I used to have an ex-batt who was constantly "knickerless" ! My vet suggested I try Canestan as he thought it might have been a fungal problem (a mild form of vent-gleet). I did the Canestan for about a week and then put Aloe Vera gel on each morning and Sudafed nappy cream on at night. Coincidence or not (?) I'll never know but she started to grow her knickers back and had a lovely fluffy bum for the rest of her life.
Could also be lice and she's pecking herself or someone else could be feather pecking.

[Munch]

Thanks for the tip Sue I will give it a try to see if it helps, not sure about lice as, as far as I know we have got rid this year, I hope!

[motherhen]

They can also get Northern mite apparently this investation makes their bottoms featherless and it leaves a waxy residue. I have not experienced it only read about it somewhere, but I know its charactaristics are a red bare bottom!

[Munch]

Oh Carp that sounds about right... she sometimes has a white residue down from her vent!

Is it treatable, I dont think it must be catching as the other are fine, apart from one other maybe!

[Munch]

I have just googled it and I dont think it is that. Betty looks clean, just wet all the time!

[RichmondHens]

Is she an old hen? I had an old Rhodie who had this once, just clear fluid oozing from her vent. We never did get to the bottom of it (excuse the pun) and as she was not laying much at all we decided to cull her. She did not appear unwell and in every other respect was a normal active hen and we were confident enough of her state of health to eat her. I sometimes think in older hens their reproductive equipment stops functioning as well and they get "leakages" of maybe the oviduct mucus/lubricant.

If she is not old however, and she is also passing out white liquid, which can be a sign of kidney infection, then it may be worth getting a vet to check her out, particularly if another hen is showing similar signs.

[RichmondHens]

Thanks for the tip Sue I will give it a try to see if it helps, not sure about lice as, as far as I know we have got rid this year, I hope!

Lice never go far away. Regular preventative powdering will help repel them but at this time of year when the ground is wet there is less opportunity for dustbathing and lice outbreaks are common.

[motherhen]

If she has moisture actually coming from her vent this could be a dietary problem, what is she eating! you could try the live yoghurt mixed with a little of the normal pellets or mash in a small seperate container, this can sometimes settle the gut flora.
Is she at the top or the bottom of the pecking order.

[jessmorris]

My lot have had northern fowl mite - they live on the bird and make the back end look 'dusty'. The are very very small parasites - you can treat them with flea powder. My birds didn't pull their feathers out, but something must have been unusual in their behaviour for me to notice them (sorry to be so vague about this!).
Hope this helps,
JM