Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

@LCG Chicken Coop,
At the very least handle each hen monthly or bi-weekly to inspect for parasites, and keep an eye out for any behaviors that could indicate a problem. I like to do a through check whenever someone starts to act “off” it could be molting (or it could be something worse) but three days with no egg and a lady is looking down and she’s getting a cavity search. I’m pretty sure it’s molting though... I seem to pick up injured or special chickens a little more often than most of us though.

How successful are your cavity searches? I’m wondering if I’d done one on Penny after three days she’d still be with us...

 

[WhoDatChick]

Why do yall feel the need to clean dirty bums..? Some of mine have them always and I just leave em be.. didn’t know it had to be cleaned .. Ruby my RIR is the worst and she is my smallest gal... besides bantams...

 

[BY Bob]

Why do yall feel the need to clean dirty bums..? Some of mine have them always and I just leave em be.. didn’t know it had to be cleaned .. Ruby my RIR is the worst and she is my smallest gal... besides bantams...

I don't want to scare you but poo build up on the fluffy butt can lead to flies. Flystike may be rare but is real and deadly. It does extensive damage to livestock in Australia and New Zealand (mostly sheep) in particular and is most common in warm climates.

Flystrike is where the larvae of the blowfly hatch in feces stuck to a chicken's butt or in an open wound and begin to feed on the skin tissue of the chicken.

They will eventually burrow into the body and start eating the chicken from the inside out. They can tunnel through the skin and organs and will eventually kill the chicken.

Not to mention the flies can transmit salmonella among other diseases.

This is why I like to keep the butts clean. It's not common here but why take the risk.

 

[LozzyR]

Why do yall feel the need to clean dirty bums..? Some of mine have them always and I just leave em be.. didn’t know it had to be cleaned .. Ruby my RIR is the worst and she is my smallest gal... besides bantams...

Big dags will pull on the skin too and be uncomfortable/painful. Charlie had one recently and you could see it pulling at her skin. I waited until dark and then snipped it off by lamplight with no fuss.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Here are my eggs from today.... do you see what I see brudda Bob .... first egg from Poppy or Daffy .... not sure who.. View attachment 1925616I promise I’m not trying to rub it in ....

maybe when you finally get my pickled eggs we can do a trade? I need some colored eggs for my shadow box projects. Have i shared a pic of that here? My first one is in the puzzle stage i gotta get em all fit all cute n hide the blow holes. Wanna see (if i havent shared?)

I really am happy for you but man it digs in like a knife in the back!

i think you just need MOAR CHIKNS

Why do yall feel the need to clean dirty bums..? Some of mine have them always and I just leave em be.. didn’t know it had to be cleaned .. Ruby my RIR is the worst and she is my smallest gal... besides bantams...

DEF clean them up. I would use dawn and warm water.

I don't want to scare you but poo build up on the fluffy butt can lead to flies. Flystike may be rare but is real and deadly. It does extensive damage to livestock in Australia and New Zealand (mostly sheep) in particular and is most common in warm climates.

Flystrike is where the larvae of the blowfly hatch in feces stuck to a chicken's butt or in an open wound and begin to feed on the skin tissue of the chicken.

They will eventually burrow into the body and start eating the chicken from the inside out. They can tunnel through the skin and organs and will eventually kill the chicken.

Not to mention the flies can transmit salmonella among other diseases.

This is why I like to keep the butts clean. It's not common here but why take the risk.

Yes this. my rabbit catchin cat got fly strike. Thank God i knew what was up and Jumped on it. His foot was cut and i thought it was okay. Next thing i knew it was swollen Huge like WHOA! And i brought him inside. Then i saw movement in his wound one of the most terrible ordeals ive had with my critters but he is 100% healthy now, jus caught him w a still live squirrel Tues AM. Was able to distract the cat long enough to let the poor thing get away. Cant let filth build. They learn to kinda squat as they poop eventually and can keep it preened but when young they might need a spot of help.

 

[LCG Chicken Coop]

DEF clean them up. I would use dawn and warm water.

Do you have a dishpan of water, like a bath? Do chickens tolerate baths? Can you leave them to air dry or do they need help afterwards?

 

[drumstick diva]

fly strike is a terrible thing.The fly larvae(maggots) start out eating decayed flesh, when they run out, they are just as happy with healthy flesh. They can migrate through the body and end up at the brain. Don't let them get a foot hold.

 

[LozzyR]

Do you have a dishpan of water, like a bath? Do chickens tolerate baths? Can you leave them to air dry or do they need help afterwards?

I’ve bathed two of my girls. Lucy got bathed in the laundry tub with Epsom salts after she appeared to have ammonia burn that made her skin red. Bessie got bathed in a plastic tub with puppy/kitten shampoo when she was lame. I washed a particularly yucky poo out of her butt feathers, plus I wanted to get some warmth into her foot and leg, which had gone cold. I towel-dried both of them but if it had been cold, I probably would have needed a hair dryer. Both of them tolerated it, I don’t know if they enjoyed it but they didn’t seem to hate it.

 

[LozzyR]

fly strike is a terrible thing.The fly larvae(maggots) start out eating decayed flesh, when they run out, they are just as happy with healthy flesh. They can migrate through the body and end up at the brain. Don't let them get a foot hold.

Urgh, that’s awful!

 

[BY Bob]

Urgh, that’s awful!

Whatever you do, don't Google it and look at the photos. It's horrible.