Fluff Feathers are Matted. Advise? Bath or Not?

[Michael Propst]

Here in the midwest we went from the 60's to the mid 90's in a week last month, just skipped spring and went straight to late summer weather. We are still having the mid to high 90's with high humidity. Hitting heat indexes around 110. The extreme shift to heat caused my most of my girls to have a case of diarrhea for several days to a week. They are all still panting allot but have all seemed to have adjusted to the heat and their dropping have become more normal. My question is during the initial first week when they had diarrhea a couple of the girls will a much large fluffs of feathers got some matting that dried and is now very hard poop matted into their fluff feathers. Would you recommend soaking them in a warm bath to break it up or will it just break off in time itself. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

[sylviethecochin]

It'll break off eventually (key word is eventually), but I generally get the worst ones off of the roost and just trim their butt feathers. It's far easier than bathing them would be.

 

[Rubysword]

I would either wash them or clip the matted feathers. Poo on the feathers can lead to fly strike, where flies literally lay their eggs on the chicken, and the maggots proceed to eat their flesh. I found this out the hard way.

 

[chuckachucka]

I would bathe them. Once they have some build up around the vent sometimes it can gather more and more poop and can attract flies. Also it takes forever for dirt in that area to fall away naturally even with dust bathing.

 

[Chickassan]

Bathe then trim the vent feathers, do both! It isn't going to get any cooler so do the extra now and save you and your girls trouble later. Might want to mix up some electrolytes for them too,the runs are as hard on them as they would be on you.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would also remove the mess.

Fly strike is a real and horrible issue. The best way to deal with it is prevention.

 

[Michael Propst]

Thanks so far for all of the advise. Looks like a bath a some trimming is what they will get.

 

[MROO]

Would you recommend soaking them in a warm bath to break it up or will it just break off in time itself.

Soak! I'd set a tub of water out in the sun to warm, then hold the hen so the hard muck is below the surface. Some hens actually like the warm water, but is she fusses a bit, let her. It should loosen the mess so you can remove it by hand.

 

[Michael Propst]

Soak! I'd set a tub of water out in the sun to warm, then hold the hen so the hard muck is below the surface. Some hens actually like the warm water, but is she fusses a bit, let her. It should loosen the mess so you can remove it by hand.

Thanks. I have had to give a few chicken baths in my time. I usually use the kitchen sink just allot easier to be able to stand up while doing it. Then a good clorox scrub in the sink after. I have never had any of my girls not enjoy a nice warm soak in the sink. I usually have more problems with getting to to stay still while I blow dry them afterwards.

 

[aart]

I soaked a birds butt once to clean off accumulation, never again.
Better just to trim it off dry, it smells much, much less and will take care of it happening again.