help with recurrent pasty butt

[mpflynn]

We have our queen of the flock, dorothy a barred rock that is coming up on 3 years old. This year she has dealt with pasty butt and we can’t get it resolved. Its been a rollercoaster it seems gone then comes back. Ive bathed her twice and tried yeast infection cream on her vent but she finds the baths incredibly traumatizing and its difficult to do. I used to give fermented feed but I got worried it could be causing her pasty butt so I stopped and give dry food now. She had a huge mold this fall and the pasty butt seemed to clear up entirely! But it slowly has crept back and this morning she seems to feel lethargic and her butt is so bad. I give them homemade yogurt as often as I remember, and Ive tried a little acv in their water. The other hens don’t have pasty butt, one had a very mild case but it has cleared, its just poor dorothy. Any recommendations would be so appreciated she is such a nice hen thank you so much

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Pictures of Dorothy's butt and poop would be helpful. It's hard to tell from the description whether it's a problem of vent gleet or just messy poops from another issue.

 

[mpflynn]

Pictures of Dorothy's butt and poop would be helpful. It's hard to tell from the description whether it's a problem of vent gleet or just messy poops from another issue.

 

[mpflynn]

 

[mpflynn]

I gave her a warm bath after the picture! boy she loved it warm!! I wish Id tried that before. Also put yeast cream on her vent and a some orally just in case, but her crop seems fine and notice no odor

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Is she still laying eggs normally? Does she have any normal poop or just that yellow paste? Any swelling under her vent between her legs?

The pic looks more like messy poop than vent gleet to me, but if you've been bathing her regularly that could be why....

If yeast cream isn't doing anything you could move on to other treatable problems, namely a GI infection or parasites. There are also "old" hen diseases (cancer, etc) that can cause bad poops, but she's still young enough that I'm hopeful it's another issue.

On a separate note, do you keep an eye on their feet? Looks like she might have a small bumblefoot infection on her right foot.

 

[mpflynn]

Is she still laying eggs normally? Does she have any normal poop or just that yellow paste? Any swelling under her vent between her legs?

The pic looks more like messy poop than vent gleet to me, but if you've been bathing her regularly that could be why....

If yeast cream isn't doing anything you could move on to other treatable problems, namely a GI infection or parasites. There are also "old" hen diseases (cancer, etc) that can cause bad poops, but she's still young enough that I'm hopeful it's another issue.

On a separate note, do you keep an eye on their feet? Looks like she might have a small bumblefoot infection on her right foot.

she actually stopped laying eggs this fall with her big molt, usually she lays for me in the fall but none of my hens are laying with the winter coming on so I didn’t think much of that but maybe theres something to it.
I didn’t watch her or isolate her to see if she had any normal poops or just the yellow poop. But I could isolate her tomorrow if needed.
I did not notice swelling around her vent or under but will check first thing in the morning, is that a sign of a stuck egg?
They have been dewormed not all that long ago but I could do it again to be safe
Definetly don’t bathe her regularly, her last bath was many months ago sometime this summer. This was only her third bath ever, I just could see she feels miserable with her rear like this. Interestingly, her vent never looks red or swollen despite all this issues shes had with poo on her rear feathers!

I will look at her feet tomorrow morning too, we treated her for a mild bumble foot earlier this year. She never had a scab just a raised area on her foot and she stopped roosting. I was wondering if this was early stage bumble foot or not true bumble foot since everything I read mentioned a scab or sore and she had neither.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This year she has dealt with pasty butt and we can’t get it resolved. Its been a rollercoaster it seems gone then comes back. Ive bathed her twice and tried yeast infection cream on her vent but she finds the baths incredibly traumatizing and its difficult to do.

She had a huge mold this fall and the pasty butt seemed to clear up entirely! But it slowly has crept back and this morning she seems to feel lethargic and her butt is so bad.

They have been dewormed not all that long ago

What did you deworm with?

You didn't notice the yellowish poop during molt, but it's returned since she's come back into lay?

I'd try giving her fluff a bit of a trim to see if that helps keep the poop from sticking quite so much. I agree, it doesn't look like Vent Gleet.

 

[mpflynn]

What did you deworm with?

You didn't notice the yellowish poop during molt, but it's returned since she's come back into lay?

I'd try giving her fluff a bit of a trim to see if that helps keep the poop from sticking quite so much. I agree, it doesn't look like Vent Gleet.

Febendazole capsules individually fed to each chicken.
Im sorry I should clarify, I did not notice the yellow diarrhea until today. Previously she might have had some loose poo but not yellow and not this much like diarrhea, more solid I believe. She has had pasty butt, but the color and consistency of this poo is new. She isn’t back in lay I don’t think since the cold weather here always makes them stop laying, she just usually gives some eggs in oct/nov but this fall did not and instead molted the most she ever has.
Ok thank you that is helpful

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

she actually stopped laying eggs this fall with her big molt, usually she lays for me in the fall but none of my hens are laying with the winter coming on so I didn’t think much of that but maybe theres something to it.
I didn’t watch her or isolate her to see if she had any normal poops or just the yellow poop. But I could isolate her tomorrow if needed.
I did not notice swelling around her vent or under but will check first thing in the morning, is that a sign of a stuck egg?
They have been dewormed not all that long ago but I could do it again to be safe
Definetly don’t bathe her regularly, her last bath was many months ago sometime this summer. This was only her third bath ever, I just could see she feels miserable with her rear like this. Interestingly, her vent never looks red or swollen despite all this issues shes had with poo on her rear feathers!

I will look at her feet tomorrow morning too, we treated her for a mild bumble foot earlier this year. She never had a scab just a raised area on her foot and she stopped roosting. I was wondering if this was early stage bumble foot or not true bumble foot since everything I read mentioned a scab or sore and she had neither.

If she hasn't been laying since molt, she doesn't have a stuck egg as that kills within days, but there are other disorders and diseases that can cause swelling or fluid in the abdomen, so it's something I check if a hen is off. If you've treated for worms recently I doubt that's the issue. I've been assuming she didn't have a messy butt during molt because there was less for the poop to stick while she was regrowing her feathers, but it could possibly be dietary? Did you feed anything different/extra during that time? What specifically is their diet (brand of feed and any treats/extras)?

Before isolating her, which will probably stress her out more, I'd put some clean paper towels or something under her after she's gone to roost for the night and see what's been deposited by morning. If she has some normal poops and it's just the occasional sticky once messing up her butt, I wouldn't be too concerned as long as she continues acting normal, eating well etc. Though it is important to keep her butt from getting to dirty, especially in summer, or she's at risk of flystrike.

If she's consistently having pasty yellow/milky poops I'd be concerned and probably isolate her so you can be sure what she's eating and drinking and how much, and try to eliminate all potential treatable problems.