Dirty butt & fluffy feather loss

Sheri460

Chirping
Mar 11, 2021
79
48
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I have 5 hens total, they're 11 months old (first winter) and only the 1 barred rock, who is the smallest, is having this issue.

Background: I live in KY and it was a very mild winter until January. Since then we've had a range of single digits up to 40 degrees. Right now there is snow and ice on the ground and it's 15 degrees outside. I have the covered portion of their run (that usually has sand in it) covered with straw and pine shavings so they don't have to walk on a cold ground. They don't venture on to the uncovered side when there's snow and ice on it. Their coop is perfectly clean because I have a poop board under their roost that I clean daily (wish I had made the coop smaller because I don't think the body heat of the 5 of them warms up the coop at all at night, I thought I was doing good by giving them more space then needed, but realize that's not so great for winter). They've done fine with the cold weather, all red combs, they have wind break in their run and no drafts in their coop. They have fresh water in a heated waterer that I refresh daily. And they eat organic Scratch & Peck 16% layer feed in the morning and a 1/2 cup before bed. Throughout the day I keep an organic layer crumble available in a feed bucket in their run at all times. I've always done this. So no changes except the cold weather and less running around in the yard free ranging with the snow and ice. All 5 were laying eggs regularly until about 2 weeks ago. Now the 4 lay every other day mostly but I haven't seen an egg from my barred rock (Therese) in about 5 days. This is the first time I've not seen an egg from her in more than a day. I do know that is normal for winter, just giving the background info for context since she was laying regularly up until 5 days ago.

Issue: Therese, our small barred rock, has had poopy butt issues her whole life. I had to wash her butt in warm water multiple times a day when she was a baby chick. Assumed pasty butt initially, but it continued as she grew but would sometimes go away for a month or so. It seems that occasionally she'll have a runny or less solid poo and it streaks down her feathers and then multiple poos after that one just seem to get stuck and accumulate on the previous poo. Never had an issue with it covering or backing up too close to her vent. It's always been a little ways under the vent. Vent has always looked clean and pink, no issues on actual vent. However, I've always stayed on top of cleaning the poo so that it doesn't get to that point.
It's FREEZING out, so for the last month, I haven't cleaned her butt because I assumed that would make things even worse. And her poopy butt feathers don't look any worse than normal. However, for the last 4 days there have been a LOT of her fluffy under feather all around the run and in the coop and on the poop board. It's not any of her outer layer of feathers. Only the smaller fluffy butt looking feathers. To me it seems like it's so many surely she'd have a spot on her where I'd notice the feather loss. But I cannot find anywhere on her (back, butt, sides, etc.) that looks like it's getting short on feathers. So I am thankful for that since it's so cold. But I'm a bit at a loss and feel like it's a sign I should be doing something...

My thoughts: I'm not experienced, but this is my initial thought. Maybe because I haven't been able to clean her poopy butt since before Christmas because of the cold, it has gotten lice or mites or an infection and/or it's irritating her bottom. Although I have not seen her pulling her butt feathers out, nor have I seen anyone pecking her (those feathers are coming out somehow). I did see her shake one time and poof of a few feathers flew out.
So I feel like I need to bring her inside and wash her butt in warm water with Dawn soap. Then let her dry out in the kitchen for a few hours. Then take her back out as soon as she's dry (so she doesn't get too used to the warm inside). I just worry doing this, could it cause some other issue I'm not anticipating?
Also, could she just be molting? They've never molted before, they were born March 2021, so this is their first winter. So I don't know what to expect, and why would it be during the coldest part of winter?

Would love anyone's experienced thoughts on this situation, course of action, or what I should be looking for. I know everyone always wants photos. The only way I will be able to get a clear photo of her butt (she's the crazy one that doesn't like to be caught, all the rest of mine are easy and calm, of course) is possibly when my husband gets home from work tonight. It's not a 1 person job for this chicken. Sorry. But thank you in advance for any advice.
 
If you feel she needs a cleanup, then do it. You may get by with just trimming some of the poopy feathers until the weather warms. If you give her a bit of a wash, then trim some of her fluff and give a good blow dry before putting her back out.
Since she's had issues all her life, she may just be a lazy pooper and will need to be cleaned occasionally.
Do inspect her for lice/mites while you are tending to her.

Having a large coop is always nice, chickens love lots of space. A coop is to provide protection from the elements and provide a sheltered space for them. Chickens don't heat up their coop, their feathers is what provides warmth for them.
 
Bath was a success. I just decided to go ahead and make it happen. In doing so I see that the feather loss around the back of her butt is obvious now. She is eating the feather sometimes as they come off. She also hasn't been laying for 5 days. This all seems consistent with what I've read about molting. When she shakes, the fluff feathers come off other parts of her too, not just her butt. When they start molting does it start mostly in one spot? I've looked closely and I don't see lice or mites or anything at all on her feather barbs that are still on her or the ones that have fallen off. As she's on the edge of the tub drying, she's doing a ton of what normally looks like preening on her feather at the top of her legs. I've looked closely and no lice or anything there. Is it just irritating her because of the molting? Why would she molt in 15 degree weather?

How can I best help her with this other than up her protein?
 
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I have a similar situation with one of mine. She pulls her little butt feathers out. She’s never gotten frost bite or anything and I don’t heat the coop. I have another one that has always had poopy butt problems. I keep her butt feathers trimmed all the time. Just shorn down entirely. It removes the poopy feather problem. I haven’t had cold issues with either. In the summer months blu kote will stop the picker from picking out her tail feathers.
 
If she's losing feathers when she shakes, then likely molting.
I don't see anything concerning about the vent. Wet feathers always makes skin show.

If she is molting, then likely this is the reason for her going out of lay. She's lovely. As long as she's eating/drinking and active, then I would put her back with the flock and monitor her like you do the rest of the flock.
 
If she's losing feathers when she shakes, then likely molting.
I don't see anything concerning about the vent. Wet feathers always makes skin show.

If she is molting, then likely this is the reason for her going out of lay. She's lovely. As long as she's eating/drinking and active, then I would put her back with the flock and monitor her like you do the rest of the flock.
Yes, she's doing great, thankfully! I honestly thought bathing her and blow drying her was going to be way more complicated then it actually was. She was so good. Even with the blow dryer. She fluffed back up nicely and I waited until she was 100% dry and just put her back out in the run. She seems happy and fine. I'll be keeping a close eye on her and getting some the higher protein feed to put out. Thank you!
 

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