Eggs sticking to butt feathers

[Schrebergaertner]

I ran a few searches for this but only found one similar question in the middle of a huge unrelated thread and it wasn't really answered. One of our girls must lay particularly sticky eggs, for at least twice she's jumped out of the nest box with an egg stuck to her rump. DW actually watched it happen once and grabbed it before it fell. Two other times we've found eggs below the boxes (one broken, one intact). We're new at this, and have felt the slight dampness/stickiness on freshly laid eggs, and wonder if there's anything tht can be done to keep her from carrying them out with her. Trimming those feathers back there might help, but would be involved and she might not like it. Or maybe we just leave it, since it's only the occasional egg that it happens to.

Anyone else have this problem? Thanks very much!

Don (3 each RIR, BO, BR, and EE)

 

[Judy]

I'll bet this is the BO. I would do the trimming. You can just trim the end of the feathers, not the whole length. She won't pay any attention once it's done.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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Exactly, and it will help keep her from having a poopy butt too.

 

[Schrebergaertner]

Thanks! Good call--it was indeed the BO. You guys are good!

 

[bel]

she will complain but trimming the fluff wont hurt her, just be sure to avoid pink part of the feather base, only trim ends.
I have to keep my cochin trimmed too, the joy of fluffy birds

 

[jdellosso]

Um, what's BO? I have two cochins, and I have to keep the fluffiest's hiney trimmed. She would get a bit distressed with that egg stuck to her backside, and they can be tough to get off once the goo dries. I feel like I will hurt her, pulling the thing off. She would just stay in the nesting box knowing the job just wasn't complete. A bit of landscaping definitely reduces poopy behind, as previously mentioned, as well!

Might have something to do with age and size of the box, too. Mine got stuck when they were just beginning to lay, but now they seem to have it down. Good luck!

 

[speckledhen]

Buff Orpington is what BO is.


I had one but she was a Silkie/Cochin x Barred Rock. Her small egg was always sticking in her fluff and she'd walk around with it, and eventually, it would come off in the yard somewhere, LOL. We said she had "Velcro Butt Fluff".

 

[BooBear]

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