Hen Has Nasty Vent Feathers!

[shadow rabbit10]

Hi everyone,
My 3 year old Polish hen has had poop coated around her butt feathers for about a month now. We sprayed it off with a hose twice and it dirtied up again. She is not showing any other signs of illness. It smells musty down there. I did have one other hen with a dirty butt, but it was during a hot spell and is cleared up currently. Could she just be a messy pooper or could this be a health concern? Here are some pictures. Sorry they're so bad, but it was not easy to get her to stand still.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[dawg53]

My first thought was Vent Gleet, perhaps not, but I'll provide you a link to read about Vent Gleet:
http://ultimatefowl.com/wiki/index.php?title=Vent_Gleet
Use scissors to trim back feathers and fluff on her rear end so she'll have a clear 'shot' to the ground and observe for improvement.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Thank you for the link. I'll try trimming. I just don't understand how she would have gotten this. My food is not moldy and I never feed my birds anything rotten. Also, I read somewhere thag this is a permanent condition? Is this true or can it be cured?

 

[pdirt]

With any sort of digestive issue, I usually offer probiotics. You might try different kinds. The sav a chik brand has the versatile b. Subtilius and yoghurt has lactobacillus. Either one or even both would be good to try.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Thanks for the info. Would apple cider vinegar work? And if so, would I need the "mother"?

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Today I gave her a bath and cut some of the vent feathers back a bit. I will see if she stays clean. I have washed my hands numerous times and my fingers still smell like her rancid feathers. Ew.

 

[pdirt]

Thanks for the info. Would apple cider vinegar work? And if so, would I need the "mother"?

The link @dawg53 gave you about Vent Gleet looks like a good one. If it is VG, then probiotics and ACV are recommended treatments.

We use ACV with "the mother" for everything, we don't even bother with the sterilized stuff, cause that is how we roll. But I believe the major beneficial trait of ACV (or any vinegar) is the acidity of it. All vinegars are fairly acidic. Same goes for yogurt, plus yogurt has those probiotics. I don't know the science behind it, but acidic foods tend to have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract, when used in small amounts. That being said, you could try the cheaper non-mother ACV and it will probably help.

ACV is easy to make yourself, though it takes a couple months. And it will be the kind with the mother. Not that you have time to do that right now, but come autumn when apples are plentiful, you might want to try it.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Thanks for the info. Will try yogurt/ACV. I don't know where I can buy the mother kind, so I will just use more of the regular stuff. Will definitely look into making it myself. Today after clipping some feathers, her vent area doesn't look too dirty. I will see if i stays that way.

 

[tearooster]

 

[rlhagan56]

Most grocery stores and Wal Mart carry ACV with the mother in it. I also use it for a lot of things.