I feel terrible…my chicken seems different

[Coopcheney]

Long story short…she had some wet poop on her butt. It had dried when I got to it the next day to remove it and clean it. I picked her up and she dislikes being touched …I held her and cleaned off the dry poop. Her vent looked fine…she sometimes gets poop on her fluffy behind. I noticed after I cleaned it she seemed super stressed about it and was acting a bit different. I went in to close them up for the night and my three other girls were on the roost and she was sitting on the bottom floor resting….did I cause her to be this way? She was perfectly fine before. Before I closed the coop I put her back on the roost…I hope in the morning she is still on the roost. I feel terrible….I just used water and a small soft Brissel brush to get the dry poop off…I’m beside myself with anxiety thinking I did this to her.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I've had a few birds get this way with me before. I'd offer her some extra treats and spend a little extra time with her tomorrow and see if she'll come around.

On a side note... What color was the poop? What breed of chicken is she? Is she getting poop on her feathers a regular occurrence with her? Was the water cold, warm, or hot? Did you ensure her feathers were dry before returning her to the coop? Did you press hard around her vent and/or bottom? (On this last question I'm checking to see if there’s a possibility you accidentally broke an egg inside her.)

 

[Coopcheney]

Oh my goodness I hope I didn’t break an egg inside her it was warm water and I had a little cloth and a little brissel brush . No sign of mites or anything like that. Her vent was fine and I am just so afraid I made her stressed. I did this around 10 am and she was out and about through the day but when I went out to put her back in she let me pick her up and she never ever lets me do that. The poop was a little whitish nothing too crazy but no sign or parasite or mites… I’m just beside myself.

 

[SourRoses]

That kind of lethargy is often a sign of illness. It may be what caused the poopy bottom to begin with. How does her comb look (pale or red? plump or shrunken?)
Are her feathers fluffed out as if she's cold? Are her wings droopy or carried up as normal? Was her tail clamped or droopy at all? Are her eyes clear?

 

[Coopcheney]

That kind of lethargy is often a sign of illness. It may be what caused the poopy bottom to begin with. How does her comb look (pale or red? plump or shrunken?)
Are her feathers fluffed out as if she's cold? Are her wings droopy or carried up as normal? Was her tail clamped or droopy at all? Are her eyes clear?

Everything looks normal. Comb looks red, feathers are normal her tale I did notice was down…and tonight she didn’t roost. I hope when I check on her in the morning she is ok.

 

[nuthatched]

She's likely just upset that she got a bath, don't worry.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

How is she today?

 

[LaFleche]

When did she last lay an egg and how did the eggshell look?

What breed is she, how old and could she be somewhat obese? You can carefully feel her lower abdomen to see if there is a fat pad accumulated between her legs

 

[Coopcheney]

How is she today?

She is out and about like nothing ever happened. Had loose stools white and greenish for half a day and then back to normal. It’s the strangest thing ever.

 

[LaFleche]

How is she doing?