Two year old chicken with poop on butt and dragging tail

[farmgirl7]

I noticed she was dragging her tail and looked lethargic (of course, they are all lethargic because of the heat here in S. Oklahoma). So we chased her down and I took a look. Her vent was clear, but just in front of the vent it appears irritated and a few scabs. There was a lot of poop in her feathers, so I cleaned her up with warm water and Dawn. She was very calm and closed her eyes like she was enjoying it. I put a bit of vaseline on the area and I've put her in a small pen beside the others with food and water. She will love the grass in the pen.

Is there anything else I should do? I will continue to check and clean her up.

 

[lcertuche]

I think you've done everything I would have done, cleaned it and put something over the irritated spots. It's hot here in Arkansas too, but I have plenty of shady spots for my feathered ones. If you don't have a shady spot, then try putting up a tarp or something and make sure they have plenty of ventilation when in the coup at night. Of course you know to keep water ready all the time. I even mix water with their food (like gruel) so they stay hydrated. They didn't like it much at first but I kept doing it anyway and now they are fine with it.

 

[chicknmania]

Yes, I would have a vet do a fecal check for worms. If you have never dewormed your flock, you should. If you do not have access to a vet to do a fecal float, you can deworm them all, (including her) anyway. Use a broad spectrum dewormer. There are several good ones. Safeguard suspension is easy to administer and we can get it here from the vet. Some people use Safeguard goat dewormer. Strike III is available in most feed stores, althoug I like to use it as a preventative rather than for an active case of worms. Your hen is sick with something, but that is where I would start if I were you. There's tons of information on here about dewormer. Look on line for poultry dewormer. Levasol is another excellent one. good luck!

 

[farmgirl7]

Soaked her again today to get the crud off......I'm wondering about Van Gleet, but I won't rule out worms. I have a wormer. I also put extra ACV in her water. She looked better today, but she is losing feathers on her lower front. Her stool looks OK. Her skin is white and doesn't look irritated or red. I'm also wondering if she could be egg bound. I'm not sure she is laying at all. She has always been at the bottom of the pecking order and she could have been just pecked at by other hen or hens.

 

[chickcrack]

Anytime I have seen scabs around the vent it has been mites. They love to chew back there and my first indication is usually poopy butt. I would do a good inspection around the vent, under wings and neck area. Good luck

 

[farmgirl7]

I've checked that area several times and haven't seen any "creepy-crawlies", but will be checking her again today. Are they easy to see? I've got some Sevin powder, so I may go ahead and dust her. Thanks for that suggestion. It could easily be the problem.

 

[chickcrack]

They aren't super easy to spot but if you can pull her tail up and try to hold her still for a bit you should be able to see the creepies moving if she has them. I have also used my vets trick and put the chicken on a piece of white paper and give her a vigorous bum fluff scratch. Then look for any specks moving on the white paper. Hope it helps.

 

[farmgirl7]

Tried the white paper test and nothing moved. I've been feeding her well and since she is separated from the others, she gets her share of the treats. However, her abdomen appears to be swollen and she is "waddling" slowly. She had lost her feathers in that area, but I had noticed pin feathers and she has feathered back out. Does it sound like she might be "egg-bound"? I'm not sure she has ever laid an egg and she has definitely not laid since she has been separated. Still dragging her tail. I just don't know what to do for her. Considering introducing her to the pasture out back.........

I'm afraid she might have a tumor of some sort since she has always been a bit sickly. Any other suggestions?? Sylvia


BTW, the scabs are gone. Guess the soaking, vaseline and Bactine helped there!

 

[farmgirl7]

My last post on this thread was July 7 and here it is Aug 15. The hen is still with us. I leave her little coop door open during the day and she wanders around the back yard and spends a lot of time looking in at the chickens in the big coop. She kept wanting to go in with them, so I let her back in a few weeks ago and they almost killed her. She hid under the coop ramp and I rescued her. She also came into the coop one day while I was cleaning and had the door propped open. She wanted to get up on the perch and made a flying leap at it, but couldn't even make it as high as the poop deck! Tried twice before I chased her out. I felt so sorry for her!! Her underpart is still swollen, so she "waddles". Her tail drags and she holds her wings out away from her body. The feathers around her legs are also puffed out like her hips are swollen. I think she has a tumor, but she still eats, drinks and poops. I just keep taking care of her, because I don't have the guts to shoot her. She has always been at the bottom of the pecking order and developed slower that the others. I think they have known there was something wrong with her. I should just do her in. No vet. I'll be getting a new batch of chicks in the spring. Is there a way to give her something to just put her to sleep?

 

[farmgirl7]

Well, my husband found her dead next to her water bowl. I'm relieved for her because I know she didn't feel good and could barely get around.