Cockerel with Pasty Butt??

[KWestVA]

I have an eight-month-old cockerel who has a lot of excrement stuck to his butt feathers. He certainly doesn't have any problem producing poop, so I'm not sure if that actually qualifies as pasty butt. I've never noticed this issue before, so I think it's related to the nasty weather we've had for the last couple of days: my entire yard is literally frozen over, and I've never been successful at getting my chickens to use an artificial dust bath since they left the brooder, so I think he just hasn't been able to attend to his personal hygiene. Additionally, he has a habit of occasionally sleeping on the ground, although he also perches and doesn't seem to be unwell in any other sense.

I tried to clean him up with damp paper towels, but I didn't make much progress and was afraid of hurting him. Should I just wait until he can get back to dust-bathing, or should I try another method for cleaning him up?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos?

What do you feed?

He's sleeping on the ground at night? Is he the only cockerel/rooster and is there enough roosting space or is he being kept from roosting by the rest of the flock?

Sleeping on the ground, he's more likely to have poop collect on the vent feathers, so try to encourage roosting. Check him over to make sure his feet are in good shape, that he has no issues like swelling, bumblefoot, etc., that may be deterring him from roosting.
It's worth looking for lice/mites while you are at it.

If the poop is in hard clumps on the feathers, then crushing them up can help remove them. I use a pair of pliers to crush up hard clumps (carefully). Some folks trim out clumps.

I have an eight-month-old cockerel who has a lot of excrement stuck to his butt feathers. He certainly doesn't have any problem producing poop, so I'm not sure if that actually qualifies as pasty butt. I've never noticed this issue before, so I think it's related to the nasty weather we've had for the last couple of days: my entire yard is literally frozen over, and I've never been successful at getting my chickens to use an artificial dust bath since they left the brooder, so I think he just hasn't been able to attend to his personal hygiene. Additionally, he has a habit of occasionally sleeping on the ground, although he also perches and doesn't seem to be unwell in any other sense.

I tried to clean him up with damp paper towels, but I didn't make much progress and was afraid of hurting him. Should I just wait until he can get back to dust-bathing, or should I try another method for cleaning him up?

 

[KWestVA]

Do you have photos?

What do you feed?

He's sleeping on the ground at night? Is he the only cockerel/rooster and is there enough roosting space or is he being kept from roosting by the rest of the flock?

Sleeping on the ground, he's more likely to have poop collect on the vent feathers, so try to encourage roosting. Check him over to make sure his feet are in good shape, that he has no issues like swelling, bumblefoot, etc., that may be deterring him from roosting.
It's worth looking for lice/mites while you are at it.

If the poop is in hard clumps on the feathers, then crushing them up can help remove them. I use a pair of pliers to crush up hard clumps (carefully). Some folks trim out clumps.

I don't have a photo at present, but I can try to get one tomorrow.

I feed Manna Pro All Flock Crumbles, grit, a sprinkle of Manna Pro Harvest Delight and freeze-dried mealworms, and grapes or blueberries.

He usually roosts at night, and every chicken has its own cage and perch in my inclement weather setup. He just sometimes sits on the floor, so maybe it's just an idiosyncrasy.

I had the same thought about trimming - I have a dog who's prone to matting - but it terrifies me with the chickens (I am a newbie). I've read about blood feathers and that damage to them can be serious; how do I recognize and avoid them? Should I just use scissors? Are there such things as chicken groomers??

 

[KWestVA]

I don't have a photo at present, but I can try to get one tomorrow.

I feed Manna Pro All Flock Crumbles, grit, a sprinkle of Manna Pro Harvest Delight and freeze-dried mealworms, and grapes or blueberries.

He usually roosts at night, and every chicken has its own cage and perch in my inclement weather setup. He just sometimes sits on the floor, so maybe it's just an idiosyncrasy.

I had the same thought about trimming - I have a dog who's prone to matting - but it terrifies me with the chickens (I am a newbie). I've read about blood feathers and that damage to them can be serious; how do I recognize and avoid them? Should I just use scissors? Are there such things as chicken groomers??

Here's the best picture I could take - Nelms is such a ham, he always turns to face the camera for his close-up.

 

[Eggcessive]

Once the pasty area has dried some, you can usually pull a lot of the dried droppings off the vent area. The more they are left, if he poops it will continue to collect and irritate his vent.

 

[KWestVA]

Once the pasty area has dried some, you can usually pull a lot of the dried droppings off the vent area. The more they are left, if he poops it will continue to collect and irritate his vent.

I tried that last night - and Nelms was very cooperative and docile - but I was really afraid of hurting him. So just to confirm, I should not try to use water to moisten the area? I understand that getting a chick wet can be dangerous, but I wasn't sure about older chickens.