Hi all, about 3-4 weeks ago, 1 of my Hens a BarredRock/Sussex, stopped laying eggs, was distressed, and I initially thought she was egg bound. I gave her a bath, used a syringe, injected olive oil into her vent, she seemed weak and sick for about a day or so. Since then she eats,plays and runs around just fine. But hse has this whitish crud hanging off her bottom and her tail feathers are messed up. I do not think this is a molt, but who knows. I bought her in early June, My flock is bantams, she came with her sister, they were supposedly about a year old. My roosters have not roughed them up, infact they have not veen tried to mount either, the eggs so far are not fertile, at least the eggs from the sister hen the past few weeks. Here is a pic, any ideas, did I get duped, is this an old Hen perhaps?....
Low egg production and a nasty butt are both signs of old age. This happened to all of my hens before they died of old age (they were 6 years old.) It could also be vent gleet or possibly a parasite. Examine her closely and maybe contact the place you got her from to verify her age.
She has vent gleet. This link will explain vent gleet and treatment. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/vent-gleet-aka-nasty-chicken-butt.
She could have vent gleet, as ten chicks suggested, or she could just be dirty. Give her another bath so you can examine her skin closely. If you see any whiteish sores and inflamed skin around her vent, she has vent gleet, which is a fungal infection. If all you see is a white pasty substance, it is probably not vent gleet; she is just dirty due to urates from her droppings constantly sticking to the feathers. Dirtiness around the vent is rather common in old birds (so yours could be old), or in those who have external parasites. Check her for any small moving black specks (mites), and if necessary, treat her for that. Perhaps try giving her some probiotics, which will help her gut be healthier. To firm up her droppings, and perhaps eliminate them from sticking to the feathers, some people add oatmeal to the feed. Her rough looks might be because she hasn't molted, or is about to molt, or she could be lacking in protein or other nutrients. Give her some high protein foods, such as mealworms, insects, or scrambled eggs. Watch her closely for any further signs of some other disease, such as lethargy, bloody droppings, respiratory sounds, or swelling.
Thanx for the replies and advice, and have started treatment for "Vent Gleet". I will monitor the Hen closely, and she is already isolated from the flock. She is not an old Hen, born June 2012, got that verifed this morning, and I believ it to be true. Will post updates as things improve, hope it does, or will cull her.....
