Funky waxy stuff on chicken butt

[GRB73]

I noticed my rir's butt was looking a little dirty. Upon closer inspection, I noticed what looks like a yellow waxy, crusty buildup on her skin just below her vent. Vent looks healthy with no sign of discharge or odor. Some of her pin feathers fell out and had the same waxy substance (consistency of ear wax) on them; not the normal white wax seen on pin feathers. What do you think this is? At first I thought it was vent gleet but there doesn't appear to be any discharge or odor. I've attached pictures, including pics of feathers with waxy coating on them. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[HappyDuckie]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I noticed my rir's butt was looking a little dirty. Upon closer inspection, I noticed what looks like a yellow waxy, crusty buildup on her skin just below her vent. Vent looks healthy with no sign of discharge or odor. Some of her pin feathers fell out and had the same waxy substance (consistency of ear wax) on them; not the normal white wax seen on pin feathers. What do you think this is? At first I thought it was vent gleet but there doesn't appear to be any discharge or odor. I've attached pictures, including pics of feathers with waxy coating on them. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Can you get some more photos - maybe further away showing her whole bottom?
Does that wash off at all? What's underneath the waxy coating - is the skin intact and in good shape?

 

[mommiesrcool]

Can you get some more photos - maybe further away showing her whole bottom?
Does that wash off at all? What's underneath the waxy coating - is the skin intact and in good shape?

X2

 

[Eggcessive]

Has she been dust bathing or preening herself? The waxy coating seems like sebum, the waxy coating excreted by the bodies sebacious glands.

 

[GRB73]

We washed her with soap and warm water yesterday and the area looked much better this morning. The soap must of loosened the nasty stuff enough for her to clean it. This morning we gave her a spa soak with Epsom salt which she seemed to enjoy. I will post pictures tomorrow if the mess still hasn't cleared completely. Thank you !

 

[GRB73]

Has she been dust bathing or preening herself? The waxy coating seems like sebum, the waxy coating excreted by the bodies sebacious glands.

She hasn't been dust bathing the last few weeks as she's going through her molt. She took her first dust bath in awhile earlier this week. Maybe it was just a build up of sebum.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

One of my hens, who usually loves dust baths, has preferred staying in the coop the past week as she is molting. She scoots inside the nest box if the Roo or any other hen bugs her, & she acts like this every year this time. She had what I thought was a buildup of feather coating & dead skin, and when I had her on my lap to help preen her, it was kind of waxy feeling. I used a baby wipe for sensitive skin and cleaned her up. As I did this, she started preening herself, too. I think this is from not taking a dust bath during the molt. Once the pin feathers are not so sensitive, dust baths & regular preening should resume.