Dirty Bottoms

[LaurasLorps]

I have two Barred Rocks about 6.5 months old. The last few weeks they have both started to have a poopy build-up on some of the feathers around their vents. I've inspected the area and don't see anything suspicious. I have also been monitoring their poop, and it all looks normal (I never imagined I would spend this much time looking at poop). I tried to clean one of the girls up, but a few days later she had some build up again. I have an Australorp who has never had this issue, so I don't know what to think about my messy BR girls.

I am wondering if the dirty feathers are something to be concerned with. They both just started laying, and I am kind of worried about getting dirty eggs. Is there anything I can do to help them clean up a bit? Is the dirty bum a symptom of something else? Could it perhaps be a result of them not dust bathing as much now that it is getting colder?

 

[Jeffross1968]

Quote:
I have a bunch of girls. My BR and my BSL both get poop butts. In fact, the wife and I just cleaned both their butts today, by filling a large container of warm water and soap, and soaking their butt in it, and using gloved hands to kind of work off what you could. On one of them, we had to use scissors and cut off a nearly golf ball sized of poop. Personally, I would have just left it as long as it wasn't blocking the vent, even with the occasional smear on an egg. But, she got sick of seeing the poop and wanted to bathe them. What's a guy to do, but help

We've noticed that with both of them, they don't do the "about to crap" hunch as well as the other girls, and it tends to fall on the fluffy butt and get stuck. An issue? I doubt it, but who knows...

 

[JodyJo]

I had a California White I had brought inside the house for some doctoring...while I had her in there, I trimmed some of the fluff from around her vent...she had BAD poopy butt...it seemed to have worked for her quite well. I also have 3 BR hens...they seem to be the worst...the other hens, don't seem to have issues, and they are all very fluffy butted!

So, you can trim some fluff if feel so inclined.

 

[chickenpredatorkiller]

Yup, I have this problem too with one of my girls. I have two hens and one (the bigger one) gets that a lot. I'm pretty sure its just because she has lots of fluff in that area and so it globs up, so thats why it happens to her and not the smaller one with less fluff. If you are really tired of it, i'm pretty sure the only thing you can do is what the person above said.

 

[AnimalCrazed]

Out of my three chickens my BR is the only one who gets build up on her feathers back there, this has been a year long issue, i used to be worried about it but she has no health issues

so now i just think its because she is more fluffy than the others.
So i just clean her up from time to time but you don't want to just let it build cause it can start to irritate them and the skin.

My fix to this problem is to just trim some of the fluff under the vent just a bit, you can hardly tell its shorter and it has helped alot and i don't need to wash her so much like i was.

 

[TroutsChicks]

I have some BR's that got some dirty fluffyness so I gave em a "hair cut" so when they pop a squat and poo maybe they miss

some girls just got more fluff in their trunk!