Sheri460
Chirping
- Mar 11, 2021
- 79
- 48
- 81
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.
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.