Hen with dirty butt only when laying (not when molting)

[PileatedFarms]

Hi all!

I've got an Easter egger named Scarlet that we rescued about a year and a half ago. When we got her she had this dirty butt (vent gleet?) and while it has gotten slightly better, it's still a constant thing she has. UNLESS she is molting and not laying. We've had her for two cycles now and both times she wasn't laying, her butt cleared up. Then the second she starts laying, her butt is dirty again.

She is super skittish so we've only taken her once to treat her (we've caught her several times to check though) and when we did we cleaned her up in an epsom salt bath, her skin was pink but not red and not irritated at all considering it's wet constantly. We dried her feathers and trimmed them but a few days later she was back to dirty butt gal. She also has wetter poops, which she has literally had since the day we got her. She is as healthy as can be otherwise - lays regularly, is active, red comb, clear eyes. No other ladies have this at all, no dirty butts and not even the wet poops.

I'm guessing vent gleet but after treating her for that last time with no resolve, and seeing how her skin wasn't concerning when we checked, I'm just so confused. She lays a beautiful huge blue egg but because she's got a poopy butt they are often dirty/stained and we keep them for ourselves, but I'd love to have them in my egg cartons at market! And would love for her to be her healthiest obviously.

Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[Eggcessive]

You might try trimming away any poopy feathers or excess down in the area. A probiotic, such as Probios or the Tractor Supply generic brand may be helpful. Vets sell them for animals in powder form. I have found having chickens, there may always be one who has loose poops, and who may have a vent that doesn’t clear the bottom. Always change and clean the waterers daily, and stick mostly to a balanced chicken feed. That said, they will drink out of mud puddles if available. The more water they drink, the looser the poops. Check to see that he crop is emptying overnight, since crop problems may cause increased drinking.

 

[PileatedFarms]

You might try trimming away any poopy feathers or excess down in the area. A probiotic, such as Probios or the Tractor Supply generic brand may be helpful. Vets sell them for animals in powder form. I have found having chickens, there may always be one who has loose poops, and who may have a vent that doesn’t clear the bottom. Always change and clean the waterers daily, and stick mostly to a balanced chicken feed. That said, they will drink out of mud puddles if available. The more water they drink, the looser the poops. Check to see that he crop is emptying overnight, since crop problems may cause increased drinking.

Thank you Eggcessive! Her crop is normal, and she doesn't seem to drink more often than others but I've definitely seen her slurping a mud puddle a time or two lol I do feel like she may just be "that" chicken, but I will definitely add a probiotic in - couldn't hurt! Thanks so much for your input