Black star with really runny poop

[mkearsley]

My black star (black sex-link) was attacked by a dog about a month ago. She's pretty much all healed up & has actually started laying eggs. However, I've noticed that she's got really runny poop (like diarhea) & her feathers below her vent are all white from crusted poop. The other birds don't look like that. They all have free range of the yard. They get 20% protein crumbles, and a handful of BOSS. They all eat the dog's dry food, too. Any ideas? I'm going to be gone for the next several days, so if she needs special care, I'd like to get that going now. Thanks.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

The white crusted poo - is it down close to her skin? If so, sounds like lice eggs - they lay them in a clump along the feather shaft and as they build up they resemble poop.


Dust her and the rest of the flock/coop and then dust again in 10 days to kill the nits that hatch. I use Sevin 5% dust.

Sometimes only one chicken will be heavily infected - the bugs seem to gang up on birds who are not feeling in tip top shape - as they tend to dust bathe a bit less, or not as well as they should. Also winter - unless you provide a dust area for them - is not very conducive to dust bathing (wet/snow/frozen ground).

A little more about lice/mites: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

 

[mkearsley]

The white crusted poop is just on the feather tips, so it doesn't sound like the lice may be an issue. They do have a dusting area, and their coop is dry, so they can also dust in there. Would DE work? I hate using a bunch of chemicals......

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

DE works - if you do not have an infestation. Does not sound like you do. You can mix the DE in with the sand and also sprinkle in the nest boxes.


If she was mine, I would trim gently the tips of the feathers around her bum. That way the poo is not sticking and causing a mess (if it matts to her skin, she can have more problems). I have some really fluffy butted girls - who do not have runny poop, but they do "paint" the edges of their bumm feathers when they poo.

Or you can give her a bath - use a little dawn dish soap and rinse her well. Then use the hairdryer on low to fluff and dry.

 

[mkearsley]

Thanks. I'll try clipping, she really hates baths (I've given her enough of those when she was injured). She does have a really fluffy behind, I've got a little chochin (I think) that's also super fluffy, but I haven't noticed anything on her, but she's also a lot shorter, so its hard to see her vent & below.

Do you think she may have a secondary infection or something causing her to have the runs? Or is it just natural? I've not noticed this particular issue with her before the dog attack last month.....

I have been putting DE with the straw & pine saw dust in their roosting area.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I would just be guessing on a secondary infection or such.


Could be for her, as she matures that it is normal. She may have another problem - lots of drinking and loose poo could mean kidney troubles maybe - but again I am just guessing.



If you have not seen this yet, this is a chart of "normal" poo - the range is so very WIDE. Great pictures with some descriptions plus some abnormal ones. For me, knowing this has helped me not panic as often: http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Something else I just thought of - maybe vent gleet?


I am no good at posting links to searches - but if you use the search link in the upper left - in the blue bar just above your logged in name - it will let you do a comprehensive search by forum, title, title and message - so on.


Here is where I would put vent gleet - and then see if it sounds like she might have it.



This is a great article that might help point to something

http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/Factsheets/Anatomy_and_Physiology/Anatomy_digestive.pdf

 

[mkearsley]

Thank you for the advice. One of the sites talked about probiotics. I may go ahead and get some probiotic yogurt to feed to the whole flock. I checked her yesterday & didn't see as much white crusty poop on her butt as before.... Maybe I'm just a newby freaking out