Chickens covered in poo around bottom

[ella1989]

Hello,
I have a flock of 30 chickens in total but I raised some l/f buff Orpingtons this year. I have 6 in total but 4 of them have really pooey bottoms, they seem healthy enough and lay eggs regulualy but i just don't have any idea what the problem is as all my other chickens don't have this problem.

Thank you very much!

 

[erinnyes]

Well, I don't know much about chickens yet, but maybe do a search for pasty butt and see if that looks like what your guys have? I heard somewhere on this forum that putting a little Bragg's Organic apple cider vinegar in their water helps clear that up, if that's what's going on with your chickens.

 

[seminolewind]

I have some chickens with poopy butts. I don't know why, maybe their anatomy is different. Usually fluffy butts.
I take a scissors and cut all the dirty feathers off.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
No, pasty butt is exclusive to chicks--that is from poop actually stopping up the vent so they cannot poop and will die if the clump is not removed. This is a different thing, with poop sticking in the fluff, not clogging the vent.

Some have "velcro fluff" and some have "teflon fluff". Not sure why, really.

 

[kannna]

BOs have especially fluffy butts that attract the yuck. Some people choose to trim that area a bit if they are not show chickens.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
No, pasty butt is exclusive to chicks--that is from poop actually stopping up the vent so they cannot poop and will die if the clump is not removed. This is a different thing, with poop sticking in the fluff, not clogging the vent.

Some have "velcro fluff" and some have "teflon fluff". Not sure why, really.

velcro fluff or teflon fluff?

 

[speckledhen]

If you think that's funny, how about me cutting out the "poop rocks"?

Some particular hens are prone to those. My late RIR, Reba, always had poop rocks. No washing those out easily!

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
No laugh here, I think the same thing. Out of 8 silkies, one always had "poop rocks". I just cut them off. Sometimes the roo gets them, I cut his off too. And tell him "How indignent! Our little secret, LOL"

 

[Tambo26]

I have BO hens with BIG FLUFFY buns. They all have a poo stripe on their backsides, one in particular had a HUGE "poop rock" and finally I couldnt look at it any longer and washed her in the laundry tub. After, it was soooooo beautiful and clean and fluffy.... for one whole day. She now has a poo stripe again. I think the weather here in Maine: unseasonably warm to freezing over and over is causing them to have some runny poos sometimes.

 

[azygous]

Around my place, when we're blessed with a warm day, I line up all the poopy-butts for a tune-up. I fill a wash basin with warm water and children's bubble bath soak. I back the candidate up to the tub, holding them securely with my left arm, I splash sudsy water onto the back side to loosen the crusty buildup. Then I take a fingernail brush and gently stroke the soiled feathers in a downward motion until the butt is clean. Towel off and let air dry or blow dry. No need to rinse, by the way.

I do poopy feet the same way, backing up to the basin and lifting one foot at a time to scrub clean.

I've watched the ones with clean butts perform their bowel function, and they have an ability to shoot the poo straight out instead of the weaker release that the poopy bottomed ones have.

I have one who has had very watery poo since she was a day-old. (It seems to be the natural form for her) She has a pristine butt since she can shoot the load out without disturbing her attire. But you should see the wall where she roosts.