Entire backside of Barred Rock is thick pasty white

[StonebeckFarm]

We have a “sick” barred rock (8 months old)with a white pasty bottom/backside whose feathers are severely matted with lots of thick white pasty poop (? Not sure what the substance is). We noticed about a month ago that she had poop stuck to her that was not blocking her anus. We were in a frigid snap and thought maybe it just stuck to her on the way out. (A friend said she has similar problems with hers in the frigid weather- below 0 most of the time). We had a warming spell and the hen seemed to be better. I though it had cleared up. Yesterday I noticed her whole back side was covered in think white pasty gunk. I brought her in the house and cleaned her off as best as I could. When I was cleaning her I noticed what looked like a hard black clump on her anus. Thinking it was poop that got stuck, I tried soaking it off using warm water and paper towels- however it seems to be part of her and not poop. It is as if it is a dark scab over what would be a wound. Her comb is straight and still red. Her beak seems to be whiter than the other hens. She seems to be eating, drinking and acting normally. I’m not sure if her abdomen is firm as it is hard to tell with winter gloves- it is about 18 degrees outside right now. She didn’t seem to feel different from the other chickens. We are working on setting up a special pen for her in the house to see if we can clear up her troubles. She is one of 16. I just went out to inspect the rest of the flock. The Black sex-link and Rhode Island Reds seem to be fine but two other of the 5 Barred Rocks look like they have some poop stuck to them similar to what she had originally.

Am I dealing parasite or bacteria?
with a prolapsed anus?
Is it the food? We are using Poulin Layer pellets- local natural feed produced in Vermont
Why only the barred rocks?


Thanks for any insight

 

[Omeletta]

sorry, can't help, but i'll bump you up...hopefully someone else can!

 

[Astrid]

I don't know the answer, but I'm sure interested in the info that anyone can share about this.

I've got four hens, two buffs and two barred rocks. One of the rocks in particular has had a very messy bottom as well.....no lesions like yours, but it's a problem that the buffs don't seem to have. It's interesting that you are having similar issues with the same breed. I'm not sure what to do about it, but would love to know what causes it and how I can stop it!

Astrid

 

[therealsilkiechick]

i have had this prob only a few times don't know if this will help or not. 1st time i had to deal with it a roo had tested for roundworms so i had to worm them. if left on long enough i believe they can get a bacterial infection or a yeast infection from the white paste staying there.

i have that prob now some with a handicapped hen i have in the house. hers is cause she sits in the corners of the brooder pooing on the corner walls. she can't walk forwards only backwards since she now has stubs so she tends to kinda smear it when she moves to get comfy. i constanly have to clean her bum but am looking into makeing or buying her some diapers since she will be house chicken now. i'm hopeing that will help then i can just change her diapers frequesntly to help it not be so bad. if it is really cold out mabe they are doing something similar as her going where they are laying cause to cold they don't want to get up and get cold.

these are the only 2 things off hand i could think of mabe someone else will come along with some more ideas to help.
silkie

 

[StonebeckFarm]

Thanks for the insight.

I'm starting to read about de-worming and yeast. Both sound like the probable cause. (I was really worried about cocc.) We have had fewer eggs which I just read goes along with worms. I will head off to Tractor Supply and see how they can help me.

 

[Astrid]

If it were worms, wouldn't they all be showing symptoms? It's only happening to my Barred Rocks, so I"m mystified. And what's the kind of wormer that's safe to give and still eat the eggs? I can't remember

Thanks,
Astrid

 

[StonebeckFarm]

I spoke to someone locally yesterday because I was not sure about what I was doing. Two main things came out of the conversation
1) antibiotic was needed for whole flock- the person I spoke with has never dewormed a bird- the anus problem is more on the lines of a hemorrhoid--there are lots of chicken illnesses that are hard to determine but will be taken care of with an antibiotic- the person I spoke with said she really weighs whether to treat or eliminate the sick bird
2) this is the hens' first winter; barred rocks tend to be a "weaker bird" and the weather is culling the weaker birds

My husband got the medicine I emailed him at work about-Piperazine-17. It was 5 dollars so we will probably keep it just in case.

I am going to go out and get a two week course of antibiotics after reading about coryza mentioned in another thread. She smells but doesn't have any respiratory symptoms. I read the link and I'm not sure it is putrid, but it is strong. I want to make sure she hasn't passed anything to the other hens that will show up in a few weeks. The other hens could have the bacteria but not be reacting to it and just hosting it.

I too am interested why this is happening to Barred Rocks?? Why only some Barred Rocks- my friend that encouraged me in getting hens has barred rocks who never had a problem? I am interested in knowing if I am doing anything wrong that is causing the disease or if there is something I am not doing to prevent such a disease/problem.

 

[StonebeckFarm]

I found this link when looking into the Hemorrohiod issue
http://www.poultryhelp.com/prolapse.html

I am going to try this as well.

I am also buying some more chicken care books!
+++++++++++++++++++++++
I kept on reading since i posted- I am really leaning towards prolapse that occured maybe a month ago? Wondering if the other two barred rocks are having issues-- we have had some enormous eggs-- am off to check out the hens and see if I can determine

now- do I use antibiotics with the whole flock or not?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Found a book on google books to help with the prolapse and read about vent gleet right after the prolapse info--this is the white stuff coming out of the hen!

It is described as "white, purrulent, and offensive"

so I'm getting closer! althought I'm not sure I like the diagnosis

 

[therealsilkiechick]

for worms i use wazine it is a wide spectrum wormer in a concentrate. i can't remember wheather you can still eat their eggs or not when useing as a rule of thumb if i give them anything like that i wait at least 14 days after treatment before i do just to be safe.

for antibiotic i use powder form oxytetracycline at 4 tsp per 1 gal waterer. use for 2 weeks off for 10 days if symptoms come back do it again. u have to wait to eat their eggs after they stop the med it doesn't say on the bag so i go by 14 days to let it get out of their systems. normally unless injured or respitory i don't use a antibiotic the more u use it their systems become imune to it so ya don't want to give it to them evrytime ya think they are sick or eventually it will not work.

if it is a yeast infection live cultured yogert feeding it to them will help with that. it maybe an internal yeast infection, another one that helps is apple cider vinigar in the waterer and chopped up garlic clove don't do it at the same time as meds though cause the vinagar can weaken the meds. it will help with smell and bacterial things.

yes the article is right for prolape pushing it back in and adding preperation h will help with that. without a pic i honestly couldn't tell ya if it's prolapse or not.

in question to wouldn't they all have it if worms, no my roo tested posative for a mild form of it in a necropsy the 3 hens did not 2 of wich were penned with him. i never saw any signs of it other than the pastey butt on the roo. never seen a worm, never had a prob, nothing i wouldn't have know if i hadn't been haveing him tested for something else but i treated everyone. if i treat with antibiotics i treat whole flock also.

as far as barred rocks go as weaker where i raise my chooks at a friends. he raises them it get's sometimes here in single digits and he has never had a prob with them they have always been one of his stonger breeds. he has never had them sick, prolapse had to give them wormers or any meds, nothing. from my experiences since i help take care of them i'd have to say i don't believe that they are a very good production breed but would greatly depend on the parent stock. others who have raised them more or longer mabe could give ya a better call on that one.

yes nature does take care of weaker animals sometimes it's just a part of the circle of life. i had to cull a roo not to long ago for a severe case of conjunctivitis. he had antibiotics 2 weeks off for 10 days he came right back with it, everytime on the meds he cleared up and was fine as soon as off right back. i called the dept of ag state vet she confirmed what i thought he had and said if i could even find a vet to do a surgery and afford to do it he still may never get over it and he was contagous to direct contact and since so severe could become airborn. in that case i weighed my options he was the one that got others sick to begin with and was the main carrier it wasn't right to allow him to spread it to 100+ in the flock. i couldn't afford the surgery that might or might not have worked as heartbreaking as it was since he was a gorgous bird and loved pet i had to do what was best for the whole flock. i personally wouldn't cull something for a prolapse unless it was so sever not possible to fix and i wouldn't do it if i didn't know for sure what it had.

u can take stool samples to the vet for a fecal float test to check for worms and if it is something spreading in a flock i would take it for a necropsy but they will not return a live bird. they will dispatch it before they study and test it, i've had to do that one also.
hope this helps sorry so long,
silkie

 

[sammi]

piperazine 17 is the same as Wazine 17.