Buff having butt trouble, bad.

[SilverLacedLady]

I have a sweet (usually) 2 1/2 year old BO named Flopsy (her comb falls slightly to the side, not sure why) having butt trouble. Her poop is really runny and is all over her back end, only liquid. None of my birds are laying (recent move, new state, new place, big pole barn previously housed horsed now keeps my flock) she had some trouble like this over the summer and when it was warm I washed her butt outside and trimmed away the feathers that were blocking anything. Since it is now 17 degrees at night I am going to have a heck of a time cleaning her up. She doesn't seem to have any less of an appetite, not lethargic, color is good. So what's wrong with my hen? The ONLY REASON I am posting this under emergencies is because it is very cold out, and she has been roosting about 10 feet in the air and I am hoping she hasn't gotten hurt trying to fly down. The person who had this place before we moved in had chickens at one time, but got rid of them shortly after, and never said why. Could it be my barn causing trouble? I do have heat lamps, and the water is freezing, the feed is the same if that helps. Thank you in advance.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Sounds like mites. Dust her and all litter areas. Dust again in 10 days to kill hatching eggs. I use DE and poultry dust.

 

[willowbranchfarm]

Could be mites. Have you wormed them??

 

[FenikT]

Does Flopsy exhibit any other symptoms besides a dirty butt? Are the droppings unusually smelly (as compared to "normal" chicken pooh

), loss of energy, reddened vent, thirsty more than hungry, white sores around the vent, or sour smelling breath/mouth?

If several of these symptoms are also present, I'm leaning towards possible vent gleet. If gleet is suspected, dose w/ half an ounce of castor oil (can get @ CVS, Walgreens, etc.) daily x 2 days to induce a laxative effect (to purge digestive tract), trim and clean vent area and treat said area w/ a sulfur powder puff (old sock filled w/ plant grade sulfur, available at any garden center ~ its an antifungal agent) and/or Monistat or Tinactin cream. After the castor oil treatment is over, get some Activia yogurt and feed @ least 1T daily for a week to help reestablish the proper digestive balance of bacteria. Also be sure to acidify her water w/ ACV. Again, all this is if you think it could be gleet.

As w/ any advice, take w/ a grain of salt and use your best judgement when taking a course of action.