Can I laugh or should I be concerned...

[anderstr196]

One of my Silkie Roosters is rubbing his rear in the sand, and I want to laugh at him but first I want to make sure something isn’t wrong. I haven’t caught him on video doing it but it is a must see! My boys said he’s dust bathing his butt, making sure no dinkle berries hanging on his feathers lol
Ok, now for my observations... He is acting completely normal, I’ve followed him to examine his poop and found nothing out of the ordinary, it isn’t even slightly runny. No signs of any worms, that was my first thought, like a dog rubbing his rear. I wasn’t sure where to post this so I just put it in with behaviors

 

[Roo5]

Defiantly catch it on camera,I’m curious,maybe it’s just a funny habit

 

[Fluffnut]

It sounds like what dogs do when they're itchy? Maybe you could check for mites/fleas? That's really funny though

 

[Justso]

I would do a really thorough check for lice or mites. Lice tend to collect around the vent area and they can be itchy.
Make sure you have good light and turn them hindside up quickly. Lice will scatter but will still be collected around the bases of feathers. Do a search on forums if you want pictures for comparison

 

[aart]

Oh, laugh for sure....and get video so we can laugh too.
But....still....
Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

 

[anderstr196]

I checked last night and first thing this morning and I couldn’t find anything. About 2 weeks ago I did a complete scrub and clean out because of the gnats. I sprayed all the roosts and interior of the coop with permethrin, along with the perimeter outside. It is hard to surprise the lice around his vent when I have a hard time finding it through the fluff but when I get to the shafts of his feathers I don’t even see the eggs. I’m going to look again tonight but my phone will be set to video when they are doing their “before bed routine”, that’s the time when he does it!

 

[anderstr196]

Nugget.. the boy in question for butt rubbing

 

[aart]

his vent when I have a hard time finding it through the fluff

It is hard to get thru the feathers and fluff...why I wear a headlight so I can use both hands, even then it's not easy.

 

[anderstr196]

I got it.. my silkie Roo rubbing his butt in the sand!!

 

[sourland]

Does he have hens ? Umm, it sort of looks like a 'self release' mechanism of a partner deprived bird. I've seen roosters 'mate' : boots, rocks, watering cans and other inanimate objects, but never just the ground.