Chicken messy bum -- ammonia smell normal?

mschickiemama

Songster
11 Years
Oct 6, 2011
171
118
222
Hi My hen has been having poop sticking to her feathers. She was occasionally having healthy solid stools but also has been having more soft/liquidy stools.

Her feathers back there are messy and smell kind of like pee/ammonia. Is this smell normal when they have a messy bum ?

Thank you <3
 
Can you examine her bottom to see if it appears more enlarged? The ammonia odor is from the white urates, the equivalent of urine from the kidneys. Having poop stick to her vent and feather is irritating, and could attract flies who can lay maggot eggs. During hot weather, chickens drink more, and poops can become more runny. I would wash her off in warm soapy water in a bucket when needed. Trim any extra fluff, and look her over for any lice or lice eggs around and under the vent. An occasional worming might be helpful.
 

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