Four days of no eggs and pasty butt?

[chilisweet]

Our black star, approx 14 months, has stopped laying about 4 days ago. She's not molting, it's not too hot here, in fact it's been in the 70's, and she has a pasty butt. Any ideas as to why she has stopped laying and does the butt thing mean anything?

Thanks all!
~Caran

 

[portlandpeeps]

The pasty butt might have something to do with her inability to lay.

When any of our chicks or hens has this (and I think they've all had it at one time), I bring them in and dip them into a sink filled with warm water to soften the paste, then gently pull off the pasty stuff (you can use a bit of gentle soap to help with this--make sure it's rinsed well.)

They never seem to mind too much. Just put them onto their back and hold them tightly. They always look as though they're about to fall asleep.

Good luck!

 

[chilisweet]

I had read about rinsing their butts, but was trying to figure out how to do that...thanks for telling me how. So chickens really dont mind being held flipped over? really?

I'm just getting used to having chickens and now I have to hold one? lol!!

I will give it a try and see what happens. Thanks!
~Caran

 

[portlandpeeps]

Once they get over actually being picked up, they don't seem to mind it. My daughter is very helpful in this process. We raised our hens from little chicks, so they're very tame.

Let me know how it goes.

We're practically neighbors, we can help if you get stuck... (no pun intended)

 

[amysflock]

One of my original Easter Egger hens wasn't laying and had a pasty butt, and turned out to be eggbound. If you think yours is eggbound, you might try letting her sit in a warm bath to relax. (My hubby thought I was NUTS when I carried my hen into the bathroom and stuck her in the sink!)

As far as flipping them upside down, I also start out by holding them, and then just slowly tip them over until I can hold them firmly by the ankles (do they have ankles?). Normally they're very calm, but be careful where you're standing as if they flap they might hurt themselves. (One of mine thankfully didn't hurt herself, but flailed about and whacked her head on a cupboard.)

 

[chilisweet]

will she sit in a tub and relax? that seems lovely to me, but to a bird?

How can I tell if she is eggbound? Will I be able to feel the egg inside her around her vent area?

I was telling dh or hd (hen daddy) that she might be eggbound and that he needed to lube her up to help get the egg out and he about died! lmao!

~Caran

 

[chilisweet]

Ok, did the deed. Butt all clean. But I poked around and found mites, lots of them. So now I need to figure out how to get rid of those...ugh! I had a feeling she had them, but since I've only had my girls for two weeks, I don't know what is normal grooming for them, compared to excessive.

I will say that her third eye (vent) was blinking at me! I didn't feel an egg, which is good, I hope. When we put her down on the ground she was a little freaked out. I guess she didn't like the cold breeze too much!

So after we cleaned her up, dh gets the great idea to cut our polishes hair so she can see. Trim trim and now she is all good. She's peeping and running around like a loon, but I would too if I could see now too! Maybe she won't eat poop anymore????

Thanks ladies!
~Caran

 

[portlandpeeps]

Caran,

Your post cracked me up! What a vision!! Where are the photos?

There's info on this site about getting rid of mites:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-mites.html

 

[chilisweet]

Well we sold our polish with the bad hair yesterday. Poor girl was getting picked on to no end. I'm sad....

But she went to a farm where there are lots of other polishes and silkies, so she will feel at home, hopefully!

As for the black star with a pasty butt, pasty again! Still no egg. I think I read somewhere that she may take a month break because she is in a new place. I guess I can wait, but I hate having to buy eggs from the store!!!!

So what kinda pix do you want? Of the hen or the butt?

~Caran

 

[Wildsky]

Could be she has in fact laid an egg - without a shell - that would account for the dirty bum.

I have an Ideal 236 (leghorn) that has done that twice now, I wash her rear end and it takes her a few days to recover.