Poopy backside.

[cindy65]

My 10 month old RIR hen has something wrong with her bottom. I noticed about 5 days ago she has alot of poop on the feathers below her vent and also looks like might be losing feathers around there too. I don't see anything coming out of the vent, but I can definately see the vent since the feathers seem to be missing. She is not acting sick. Eating, pecking around, drinking and hanging out with the other girls. Not sure if she quit laying. Any ideas what might be happening?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Often, not always, but often a poopy looking backside can be a sign of lice. If you pick her up, part the feathers and look at the feather shaft close to the skin. Lice love to lay their eggs on the shaft and it looks like little clumps of off white poo - vent and belly feathers are the first favorites.

If it is lice - you might not see the buggers as they move quickly for something so small, but Sevin dust (5%) works great. Dust all chickens and your coop, then again in 10 days to kill what has hatched and I do it again in 10 days - for a total of 3 times in a month.


If you do not see any signs of lice, just give her bumm a bath.



Second page shows great pictures (makes me itch!) http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf