Identify That Chicken!

[CrazyChickenLady35]

A little bit off topic but still relating to this bird- she is SO GROSS!! Every chicken I’ve previously come across has been able to move their butt feathers out of the way when they poop, but she doesn’t. So she CONSTANTLY has poop matted on her butt and she smells like a swamp! I can’t give her a bath because it’s super cold here right now and I just don’t know what to do. Any ideas on how to retaliate against the smell?

 

[Noraaaaa]

A little bit off topic but still relating to this bird- she is SO GROSS!! Every chicken I’ve previously come across has been able to move their butt feathers out of the way when they poop, but she doesn’t. So she CONSTANTLY has poop matted on her butt and she smells like a swamp! I can’t give her a bath because it’s super cold here right now and I just don’t know what to do. Any ideas on how to retaliate against the smell?

Hi again! I know exactly what you're talking about! I have a few like this as well! I think it concerns how fluffy their feathers near the vent are.

I would try and bathe her and here's how:

take her inside put her in your sink and wash her normally
towel dry her
blow dry her (on low and on cold air)
sit with her until she is dry

NOTE: don't bathe her too much because the oil leaves her feathers too much. The oil keeps their feather waterproof.

You could also use some scissors to cut some of the feathers away from her butt (I assume you are not showing because she is a EE)

Hope this helps!

 

[CrazyChickenLady35]

Hi again! I know exactly what you're talking about! I have a few like this as well! I think it concerns how fluffy their feathers near the vent are.

I would try and bathe her and here's how:

take her inside put her in your sink and wash her normally
towel dry her
blow dry her (on low and on cold air)
sit with her until she is dry

NOTE: don't bathe her too much because the oil leaves her feathers too much. The oil keeps their feather waterproof.

You could also use some scissors to cut some of the feathers away from her butt (I assume you are not showing because she is a EE)

Hope this helps!

I tried my best to get some pictures of her backend but it’s really hard to get close to her. She doesn’t like people at all and the only time I can touch her is when she’s in the coop and half asleep lol. You can’t really see much in the pictures but that dark spot is poop. I’ll have to catch her tonight when she goes in the coop and might just have to keep her inside overnight

 

[Noraaaaa]

I tried my best to get some pictures of her backend but it’s really hard to get close to her. She doesn’t like people at all and the only time I can touch her is when she’s in the coop and half asleep lol. You can’t really see much in the pictures but that dark spot is poop. I’ll have to catch her tonight when she goes in the coop and might just have to keep her inside overnight

How long have you had her? She seems to have diereah. Keeping her inside also seames like a good idea!

 

[CrazyChickenLady35]

How long have you had her? She seems to have diereah. Keeping her inside also seames like a good idea!

I’ve only had her for a few months. I think it was October? Pretty much all of the birds I got when I got her (all from the same person) were in rough shape. All of them were molting(except 1), one is missing a toe and has a weird abscess or something I have no idea what it is, and one of them died of some sort of sickness about a month after we got them. They were all sick and luckily we only lost one (RIP Kernal Fluffy Butt). So I wouldn't be all that surprised if there was something wrong with her.

 

[Tookie]

I know right! Her name is Hawk because she looks like a hawk. Ever since we got her we’ve seen a big decrease in actual hawks so she’s a great deterrent!

That's so funny and awesome! And I have a hen named Hawk too, lol!

 

[Tookie]

A little bit off topic but still relating to this bird- she is SO GROSS!! Every chicken I’ve previously come across has been able to move their butt feathers out of the way when they poop, but she doesn’t. So she CONSTANTLY has poop matted on her butt and she smells like a swamp! I can’t give her a bath because it’s super cold here right now and I just don’t know what to do. Any ideas on how to retaliate against the smell?

I tried my best to get some pictures of her backend but it’s really hard to get close to her. She doesn’t like people at all and the only time I can touch her is when she’s in the coop and half asleep lol. You can’t really see much in the pictures but that dark spot is poop. I’ll have to catch her tonight when she goes in the coop and might just have to keep her inside overnight

I’ve only had her for a few months. I think it was October? Pretty much all of the birds I got when I got her (all from the same person) were in rough shape. All of them were molting(except 1), one is missing a toe and has a weird abscess or something I have no idea what it is, and one of them died of some sort of sickness about a month after we got them. They were all sick and luckily we only lost one (RIP Kernal Fluffy Butt). So I wouldn't be all that surprised if there was something wrong with her.

It does seem like she has diarrhea, she probably does have that from being in a rough shape. I would consider deworming if you haven't already, and also give some probiotics.
Since its kind of cold for a bath you might just want to trim some feathers off. Definitely get her bottom cleaned off because she could get fly strike. Fly strike is when flies lay eggs, and then then the maggots start eating away at the mess, and eventually they will get to the skin and eat away at that. Its quite deadly.

 

[CrazyChickenLady35]

It does seem like she has diarrhea, she probably does have that from being in a rough shape. I would consider deworming if you haven't already, and also give some probiotics.
Since its kind of cold for a bath you might just want to trim some feathers off. Definitely get her bottom cleaned off because she could get fly strike. Fly strike is when flies lay eggs, and then then the maggots start eating away at the mess, and eventually they will get to the skin and eat away at that. Its quite deadly.

Okay update. I was able to catch her and gave her a bath. It’s so much worse than I thought. She has rock hard poop stuck INSIDE and around her vent, completely closing it off. Honestly if I didn’t check when I did it probably would have killed her within days. I was able to pick off half ish of it in the bath, but when it came off she made a pained noise, and jumped a little bit. when I pulled it away, the skin where it was bled. It looked so painful I almost gagged. I’m keeping her in a dog crate in my room overnight so she can fully dry(she’s terrified of the hair dryer).I’ll add the video I took at the end of this. I was able to cut away a good chunk of her butt feathers before she got too upset and I had to get her out of the bath and dry, but still. At this rate, since it will most likely keep happening, I’ll have to keep bathing her every 2 ish weeks and I’m not sure if she can handle the stress. She’s an extremely skittish loner, and only hangs around 1 or 2 of our other girls. And people? Forget it. She runs as fast and as far as she can. So having to ambush her in the coop at night every 2ish weeks, force her in the bath, mess with her butt and cut her feathers? I’m just not sure how she’d react to all that.
Content warning for the video: Kind of graphic and just all around gross.

 

[WingItRanch]

Okay update. I was able to catch her and gave her a bath. It’s so much worse than I thought. She has rock hard poop stuck INSIDE and around her vent, completely closing it off. Honestly if I didn’t check when I did it probably would have killed her within days. I was able to pick off half ish of it in the bath, but when it came off she made a pained noise, and jumped a little bit. when I pulled it away, the skin where it was bled. It looked so painful I almost gagged. I’m keeping her in a dog crate in my room overnight so she can fully dry(she’s terrified of the hair dryer).I’ll add the video I took at the end of this. I was able to cut away a good chunk of her butt feathers before she got too upset and I had to get her out of the bath and dry, but still. At this rate, since it will most likely keep happening, I’ll have to keep bathing her every 2 ish weeks and I’m not sure if she can handle the stress. She’s an extremely skittish loner, and only hangs around 1 or 2 of our other girls. And people? Forget it. She runs as fast and as far as she can. So having to ambush her in the coop at night every 2ish weeks, force her in the bath, mess with her butt and cut her feathers? I’m just not sure how she’d react to all that.
Content warning for the video: Kind of graphic and just all around gross.

Oh no! That’s not good at all. Were you able to soak all of it off so she can poop properly? That can definitely cause obstruction and lead to death. You might also want to try feeding her a little bit of coconut oil. You can refrigerate the oil so it solidifies and pop a small peace into her beak. It’s often recommended for impacted crops but will also flush her system a bit and help her poo.

 

[CrazyChickenLady35]

Oh no! That’s not good at all. Were you able to soak all of it off so she can poop properly? That can definitely cause obstruction and lead to death. You might also want to try feeding her a little bit of coconut oil. You can refrigerate the oil so it solidifies and pop a small peace into her beak. It’s often recommended for impacted crops but will also flush her system a bit and help her poo.

I was able to get about half of it off, and right when that chunk came off she immediately pooped so at least she’s able to now. When I first lifted up her tail feathers I couldn’t even see her vent at all and it’s kind of a miracle I was able to get any of it off. I might try again tomorrow morning and keep her inside for another night so she doesn't get sick from the cold. It’s also a big pain to bathe her bc she hates every second of it and takes every opportunity to flap her wings or jump out or onto my arm, which sends poopy water droplets all over me, my hair, and my bathroom. I’m pretty sure a drop of it went in my eye one or two times. As for the coconut oil suggestion, I’m pretty sure she’d try to take one of my eyes out if I got anywhere near her beak, especially trying to force something down her throat. Maybe I could try mixing it in with her feed? I’m not even sure if we have any.