A lot feces on her backside??

NashvilleLuLu

Chirping
Oct 15, 2018
79
48
71
Still learning as we go! Our Americuana Splash just started laying. She was bent over eating some grass and exposed her backside to me. I was surprised to see it caked with feces. I am assuming this is not normal and I cannot find any info about this particular circumstance. I do not think she is ill, but please let me know if you do.

We'd like to clean her up and are wondering what the best method and cleaning solution is for this. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
 
Crusty chicken butts usually come as a hen ages. For some reason, roosters rarely have this problem.

As a hen ages, her ability to vigorously shoot her poop out beyond her butt feathers decreases and poop often is left to coat the soft butt feathers. This starts a cycle of attracting more poop deposits.

I have quite a fleet of older retired hens, and so I've learned to expedite butt washing. I actually built a butt washing station with a wood frame to support a cast-off kitchen sink that is located next to the coop and run.

I place a plastic wash basin in the sink and back the hen up to the warm water. Often, just splashing water onto the butt loosens the crust and I can quickly remove it. Stubborn caked on crust requires some soap so I use baby shampoo since it rinses away easily.

If it's a winter day, I conduct this operation indoors and blow dry the butt before returning the hen to the run.
 
Crusty chicken butts usually come as a hen ages. For some reason, roosters rarely have this problem.

As a hen ages, her ability to vigorously shoot her poop out beyond her butt feathers decreases and poop often is left to coat the soft butt feathers. This starts a cycle of attracting more poop deposits.

I have quite a fleet of older retired hens, and so I've learned to expedite butt washing. I actually built a butt washing station with a wood frame to support a cast-off kitchen sink that is located next to the coop and run.

I place a plastic wash basin in the sink and back the hen up to the warm water. Often, just splashing water onto the butt loosens the crust and I can quickly remove it. Stubborn caked on crust requires some soap so I use baby shampoo since it rinses away easily.

If it's a winter day, I conduct this operation indoors and blow dry the butt before returning the hen to the run.


She is still young, only 8 months old. But she does a have a lose movement right now, a little diarrhea from some fresh organic pears. We are in Nashville and it is a bit chilly. I never considered bringing her in the house to wash her, but I think that will be the most effective way. Then dry her butt with a hair dryer. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
My girls that just started laying last month, have the same problem. They have extra fluffy butts. Glws. I've started cutting away the problem feathers and it's helping. Following for more info...


I'm happy to know this is common. I won't trim her feathers back there because it's chilly in Nashville, but we will wash her and use a hair dry. Thanks for your reply.
 
Other option is to simply clip feathers short under the vent and as far down/wide as there seems to be an issue, so that the poop can (hopefully) fall past without caking onto the feathers. It's fast and easy and no water involved. I have a hen with chronically poopy butt, and I just keep her butt feathers short.
 
Other option is to simply clip feathers short under the vent and as far down/wide as there seems to be an issue, so that the poop can (hopefully) fall past without caking onto the feathers. It's fast and easy and no water involved. I have a hen with chronically poopy butt, and I just keep her butt feathers short.

What are your winters like? I'm concerned about her getting cold. We get cold wet nights into the 20s (degrees F).
 
I've bathed and then clipped off the lower feathers, but the thing that did the most to help for me was using fermented feed. I have layer pellets in the coop feeder and, every morning, I bring out a pan of fermented flock raiser. Most of the butts clear up in a day or three.
 
I've bathed and then clipped off the lower feathers, but the thing that did the most to help for me was using fermented feed. I have layer pellets in the coop feeder and, every morning, I bring out a pan of fermented flock raiser. Most of the butts clear up in a day or three.


Thanks, I'll check out fermented flock raiser. I'll put some apple cider vinegar in their water tomorrow morning. They are 8 months old and eat only organic: layer pellets, we sprout lentils and mung for them (and for us!), fresh fruit, and sunflower hearts. I wonder if I can make a fermented feed? I'll be sure to check that out too.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom