Hen wth dried poo on her butt feathers

[girls and guineas]

I have several laying hens with dried poo on their butt feathers--pasty butt??? Also looks like it is bare. What causes this?
How can it be prevented or treated? Can they die from this, if they can't lay their egg??
We have had alot of rain and mud. Could this cause it? I have had a couple of hens die and I'm not sure why?

 

[ShadowNIN]

My 2 year old hen has the same thing, although her butt was completly caked with poo. I gave her a warm bath and got it off, but she can now barely walk in addition to the red, swollen butt. I don't know how it happened. One day fine, next day walking like a penguin and all that poo. Could she be egg bound? Would that cause the pasty butt though? I have her separated from the other hens and am hand feeding her. She wont drink any water, unless I drop it in her mouth. :-( I'm so worried! Hopefully someone has an answer/cure for us! Are your chickens walking weird?

 

[Julia62]

I have a hen with vent gleet. It is a yellowish, very stinky discharge. My first time dealing with this. I gave her a bath to wash it clean, soaked her in some Epsom salt and she is also red & swollen. She does eat and drink though. Not sure if yours is vent gleet or not but their are lots of threads on it if you do a search. In the Learning center section there is a great article for caring for it.

We will give her another soak later today in Epsom salt water and dry her well. We gave her some yogurt too and added ACV to their water.