Senior hen ~ very messy bottom

[pcakes]

I keep a large storage bin (with holes 3” holes drilled around top) in their coop so I can isolate sick hens, so that won’t be a problem.

She’s not constipated (are the pictures I posted earlier still not there?), but I can try freezing some mealworms in coconut oil to get the oil into her. Would it help if she’s not constipated?
I can try to get some honey in there… any risk I’ll crack/damage an unlaid egg? Never done before.
I lost a hen last summer to fly strike. I tried to save her, but I was too late. I am still traumatized from it. The flies have just started coming out, but they’re there. I’m so nervous about her messy bum. I have a panel heater ~ would it be enough to keep her warm overnight if I gave her an outdoor bath tomorrow? I can put it right next to the bin. Temps will go down to 35°- 40° the next few nights.

 

[coach723]

If you are gentle then it's unlikely you will break an egg. The most common reasons for prolapse are having trouble laying an egg, or a reproductive problem. Sometimes if an egg is delayed there may be another very close behind it, so that's what you would be checking for. If its' another soft one, it could cause her to strain as they are very hard to pass. It's very hard for me to say, she is up there in years. Your worries about flystrike are valid, so I would clean her up when needed. If you bathe her, then make sure it's warm enough not to chill her and get her completely dry after. The heater is up to you. Make sure you aren't going to over heat her, if she's in a small container she won't be able to move out of the heat if it's too warm. Heaters can also be a fire hazard, so be careful. I often keep them either in a crate in my spare bathroom or in the shower with the doors shut if I need them indoors.

 

[pcakes]

I am so very confused, I don’t know what to do. Starting to panic.
Anyone know if 40°-50° F is too cold for an outdoor bath? I can only dry her with a a towel (no hair dryer), but I can leave her in a crate with panel heater (safe - designed for chickens/coops)? There’s no way I can bring her inside for any of this.

If her prolapse is not protruding, what is my goal besides bathing the yuck off her? Could sticking my finger up there make it worse?
Should I give her coconut oil if she’s not constipated? What about ACV? Will that help?
Internet won’t be fixed until next week, I‘ll post video when I head out in a couple of hours.
Thanks for help

 

[coach723]

I wouldn't bathe outdoors at those temps. A bath can be an issue if a bird is sick, they can become hypothermic easily. If you can't clean if off with a wet rag and a bath is necessary, I would bathe her indoors and blow dry her (on low) to completely dry her before going back outside. If the droppings build up is a constant thing, then trimming back the feathers under her vent might help keep things from sticking and building up. If she's not prolapsed now, then just watch her. Maybe laying the last one caused her to strain and partially or mildly prolapse from that and it's resolved on it's own. I doubt ACV would do anything, I know many people swear by it for many things, I've never really seen any benefit.
I'm honestly not sure what is going on, prolapse or not prolapsed? Has she laid an egg since the issue? Is she acting sick?

 

[pcakes]

Your last post helped a lot coach723, thank you so much.
She laid an egg today and is acting mostly normal. Her comb is a tiny bit pale now and I can tell her bum is bothering her by the way she’s walking. Will keep an eye on vent to make sure prolapse doesn’t get pushed out.

Temperatures expected to be in the mid 60’s tomorrow afternoon. Planning to put her in a small crate and wipe her down midday with a very damp cloth (warm water and a little Dawn dish soap). I can wipe with one hand while I hold her with the other, but I need 2 hands to snip her feathers. Unlikely she will sit still.

If I put her in a crate head first and cover it with a dark towel ~ might she be still on her own? Or will she likely freak the minute I open crate door to clean her? Is there a safe way to cover her head in the crate?
Since it’s too cold to get her really wet, I’m doing this alone, and she’s barely ever been handled, this will be a rough cleaning and there will definitely be some poop left on her bum. Is there anything I can safely put or spray back there to deter flies until she cleans herself or it’s warm enough to give her a good bath?

Not sure we need video after all, but here’s the link anyway ~ hope it works!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jZDQ_IX9p_Z3bVMC4wPiG8sINhx3YlNC/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[coach723]

When working alone (and I do it a lot) I wrap them in a towel like a burrito and lay them on their back. You can put a light cloth or towel over her head if needed, they usually calm down that way. She may move periodically, or kick, but I just put my hand on them and talk softly and they usually settle. Just take your time. I have done pretty major bumblefoot procedures that way. A small pair of scissors is all you need to trim the feathers. I can't access the video, it says I'm denied.

 

[pcakes]

Yes!! I can totally do that! My first “chicken burrito”.

Will a water/essential oil spray (peppermint or cinnamon oil) on feathers around her bum help deter flies?

I uploaded the video into my Google drive ~ I bet I have to change the settings. I’ll try.
Update: I changed the video setting, you should have access now.

 

[pcakes]

Well that didn’t go as planned! I guess a good burrito takes some practice… I really wanted to help her, so after our burrito debacle I held her with one hand and gently brushed her bum. The poop is completely dry back there, there is just a ton of it. Big dry chunks. I got at least some off with the brush.
There’s one hard 1/2” poo-ball stuck right on side of her vent, and looks like it might be pulling on both vent and feathers, and could be bothering her. It was too close to her skin to cut it with one hand, so I held a warm, wet washcloth there to try to soften it for 30 seconds or so. Then she started to wiggle around again and I couldn’t hold on.
I’ll keep an eye on her, hopefully she’ll work the rest off on her own.
Thanks again for your help coach723!

 

[pcakes]

Lola's bottom isn't getting any better. Dried poop did not work off on it's own, and it's getting messier and messier. It could also be a mite issue ~she and her sister both suddenly stopped laying, and they seem to be scratching a lot more than they should be.
Can de-mite the coop a little on Sunday, but tomorrow is going up to 75° and I was hoping to bathe her.
If I bathe her in a shallow bath in the am (it will be 65° by 9:30-10:00) and towel dry her a bit, is that warm enough to let her air dry on her own? Winds will be 15-25 mph but the coop is entirely draft free and their porch is relatively draft free, so she can go somewhere to warm up if she's cold.
She's an old hen ~ I don't know if that matters with her ability to regulate her temperature.

Thanks for any help!

 

[pcakes]

I wanted to post an interesting update about Lola’s perpetually messy bottom. I turns out, it was being caused by the water sanitizing drops I was using!!!
I went away for 3 nights at the end of August, so hubby was taking care of the girls. When I came home I noticed Lola’s bum was noticeably dryer! My husband had not used the drops while I was gone so I tried stopping them completely. Her bottom is 100% perfectly fine now!!!!
Hallelujah!!!!