Question
Could you help me? One of my chickens has gone bald on her belly but its very inflamed and red. If you touch it you can see it hurts her. I’ve got four chickens. I have recently wormed and put mite power one them and their coop. Anny is a rhode island red. She sits in the nest box and night and she goes broody very easy. I’m not sure if its to do with her sleeping on her poo ect. The other girls are fine. I know its not red mite. 

Answer
The problem you are describing could be a number of things.

A possibility is that she is suffering from a reaction to the bedding you put down in the nest box. Hens are quite commonly allergic to hay and will need an alternative bedding material such as straw, which is much less irritating.

If your hen feels heavy when you pick her up and waddles when forced to move around, it is likely to be that she is suffering from Egg Yolk Peritonitis, where the yolks of her eggs are discharged into her own body instead of going through the normal egg production process.

Although chickens can live with this condition for many months, it eventually becomes infected which may be the heat you are feeling. In this case there is little you can do for her but the kindest thing.

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