Feathers sticking to her butt

[ChickensInNM]

I'm brand-new to chickens. I have a big rooster, and 2 hens. All RIRs. They all get along. All are older, all rescues. Everyone seems fine, except one hen has loose poop. She eats and drinks great, doesn't act sick. I've only had them about 2 weeks. The hens are flockmates, the male was due to be euthanized, but here he is. He's great with the hens, very protective. Ran off a coyote once, and a tweaker thief a couple days ago. Started treating sticky butt this morning. I separated her from the others, and put vinegar in everyone's water. Sticky butt has her own dishes. This is stressing my rooster, but he can still see her. My main question is, should I rinse her butt off?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Wow! That's so amazing that you were able to rescue them!

Yes, clean up her bottom, what are you feeding them?

 

[ChickensInNM]

Mixed bird seed, raw carrots sliced with a potato peeler (could they choke on that?), cleaned and crushed eggshell, tried alfalfa pellets, but they won't eat it, fresh grass, and someone told me to get dried corn in small pieces. My landlord kept throwing pieces of donut over the fence, but I threw it back out. Ick. I don't even eat that. Full of fat and sugar. We had a BIG fiight about moldy bread being a form of penicillin. Actually, it's not, and can make them sick . Small pieces of bread (they don't like the big pieces). Watermelon rinds (they go crazy for it, but it's just a treat). I know some people make up their own feed mixes, but I wonder if the feed store has special mash for senior birds? And where the heck did I get the idea to scatter the feed on the ground?!? The ground is dirty nowadays, and they like eating from dishes just fine. I hope this girl isn't sick from eating moldy bread. The lady who had them before, said she believes moldy bread is good for them.

 

[BlueBaby]

Are the hen's still laying egg's? Do you have access to buying some all flock feed? That way it won't hurt the rooster neither by not having too much calcium in it. If the hen's are still laying egg's, you can leave a bowl of oyster shell out for them, or even crush up the egg shell's for the girl's after you cook the egg's for breakfast.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you get them an all flock raiser chicken feed from the feed store? And then offer oyster shell on the side. I would limit all of the other items until they've been in regular feed for a month.

Ick on doughnuts, you should throw it back over the fence to your land lord, and yes, moldy bread isn't penicillin. That's a specific kind of mold, it doesn't grown on everything.

 

[ChickensInNM]

Are the hen's still laying egg's? Do you have access to buying some all flock feed? That way it won't hurt the rooster neither by not having too much calcium in it. If the hen's are still laying egg's, you can leave a bowl of oyster shell out for them, or even crush up the egg shell's for the girl's after you cook the egg's for breakfast.

The other lady says they are on vacation, because she hasn't seen eggs for a couple weeks.

 

[BlueBaby]

The other lady says they are on vacation, because she hasn't seen eggs for a couple weeks.

Being as it's this time of the year, they could also be going into a molt or coming out of one, unless they are too old to lay egg's anymore. What are the ages of them?

 

[aart]

Mixed bird seed, raw carrots sliced with a potato peeler (could they choke on that?), cleaned and crushed eggshell, tried alfalfa pellets, but they won't eat it, fresh grass, and someone told me to get dried corn in small pieces.

Best to give them a good chicken ration and plain water...nothing else for 2-3 weeks...see if that clears up the loose poops.

 

[ChickensInNM]

Being as it's this time of the year, they could also be going into a molt or coming out of one, unless they are too old to lay egg's anymore. What are the ages of them?

I asked her that, but she's not sure. They were her dads hens and I posted looking for "retired" girls, because I felt sorry for the rooster being alone. He's a little rough with them, and I grab my "chicken stick" (mostly for herding), and tell him he better take it easy. He sure likes to backtalk to me . I do believe he understands me.

 

[BlueBaby]

I asked her that, but she's not sure. They were her dads hens and I posted looking for "retired" girls, because I felt sorry for the rooster being alone. He's a little rough with them, and I grab my "chicken stick" (mostly for herding), and tell him he better take it easy. He sure likes to backtalk to me . I do believe he understands me.

Either way, I would do as @aart suggested you to do. I do have a couple of question's for you though. Do you think that the hen could have vent gleet? Is there a way that you could post a picture of that hen showing us what you are talking about? Maybe if we could see it, we can help you a little bit better with that hen.