Hens have poopy butt

[Eggcessive]

What are you feeding your chickens. In every flock there may be a few with messy vents. Some of it is because of what they are eating, if they are drinking a large amount of water or wet feed, some may be positional or the shape. Some hens develop a large lower belly for various reasons—fat, ascites, internal laying, etc. If flies are bad in your coop or area, there is always a chance of the horrible flystrike, where maggot larvae are dposited by flies on messy vents or on wounds. So it is good to take a look at them, and occasionally give a butt bath, or just pull off droppings, and trim excess fluff. Sometimes having lice and lice eggs back there will help droppings to gather there. Look for any lice or eggs when you are examining them.

 

[jolenesdad]

What are you feeding your chickens. In every flock there may be a few with messy vents. Some of it is because of what they are eating, if they are drinking a large amount of water or wet feed, some may be positional or the shape. Some hens develop a large lower belly for various reasons—fat, ascites, internal laying, etc. If flies are bad in your coop or area, there is always a chance of the horrible flystrike, where maggot larvae are dposited by flies on messy vents or on wounds. So it is good to take a look at them, and occasionally give a butt bath, or just pull off droppings, and trim excess fluff. Sometimes having lice and lice eggs back there will help droppings to gather there. Look for any lice or eggs when you are examining them.

I always need to remind myself this before summer. Fly strike I DO NOT want. :-/ thanks for the reminder.

to the OP my heavier breed and fluffier chickens typically get this way when they’re eating a higher protein. I feed 20% to the entire flock because I’ve always got young ones and they free range. The few ladies who like to sit out at the buffet instead of free ranging have a runnier poop than most.

 

[bpoore04]

I wish I could let mine free range but I can’t. I am feeding them chick starter with calcium on the side.

 

[jolenesdad]

I wish I could let mine free range but I can’t. I am feeding them chick starter with calcium on the side.

I would maybe look for a lower protein grower or all flock feed.

 

[bpoore04]

I would maybe look for a lower protein grower or all flock feed.

I’ve looked at our co-op and they said they didn’t have any all flock feed because originally that’s what I was going for. I’ll look the next time I can get out. We aren’t going very many places right now. Do you think that that’s what the problem is?

 

[aart]

I would maybe look for a lower protein grower or all flock feed.

Yep...or give them some scratch grains to dilute down their overall protein.

 

[bpoore04]

Yep...or give them some scratch grains to dilute down their overall protein.

They get scratch grains every day too. I forgot to mention that. But it’s their “treat” if you wanna call it that. And also I sometimes give them lettuce as a treat too.

 

[jolenesdad]

They get scratch grains every day too. I forgot to mention that. But it’s their “treat” if you wanna call it that. And also I sometimes give them lettuce as a treat too.

You can add rolled oats.

just get a bag of 50lb rolled oats at the co op and find the percentage of protein, I think it’s like 11%.

there’s a handy calculator on Metzer farms website. You just input the numbers and it tells you how much of each food (the starter and rolled oats) to get the desired protein. Since you give treats try 18 and see how that is. Keep adjusting and find the sweet spot.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/FeedConversion.cfm

I do think that’s likely the problem

 

[Eggcessive]

Chick starter and all flock feed are basically the same, 20% protein, and have 1% calcium. Why would you want to lower the protein or feed scratch to lower it? Scratch is more fattening.

 

[bpoore04]

Chick starter and all flock feed are basically the same, 20% protein, and have 1% calcium. Why would you want to lower the protein or feed scratch to lower it? Scratch is more fattening.

Me? I just use chick starter because I read somewhere on here that it was better for them and better for the ones who weren’t laying like the rooster and younger ones. And I don’t think that they get enough scratch to do anything it’s basically so I can get in and out of the coop with out them getting out or my dogs getting in lol.