Is this normal or a sign of vent issues?

[SusanD]

When I picked up a comparison chicken today (my Mom wanted to see a chicken to compare with one I thought might have vent gleet), she dripped water on the ground. Is that a sign of vent issues, or could that just mean that she had a lot of water in her system? If vent issues, I would want to get her checked too. She has been laying normally as far as I can tell.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post some photos of her?

Vent gleet is usually a white discharge coming from the vent.
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment-html/

 

[SusanD]

I'll try that in the morning.

Susan

 

[Birdinhand]

I've had our hens on occasion "leak" some water, but not from the vent, from their mouth when picked up. sometimes they fill up on water to the brim I guess, especially when hot.

 

[SusanD]

Here are some pictures.

I think drinking a lot of water from a dripping faucet/leaky house was the issue. I have seen three really watery poos (as in mop up with a paper towel) and the rest have been normal.

However, I am having a hard time figuring what (if anything) I need to do to keep them decently clean so could use advice on what I should do in that area. Especially since I don't want to mess with their vent area if not needed.

I made a vet appointment for Big (The middle one) to be checked for vent gleet by a regular vet this Saturday. Alternatively, I could take fecal samples to a poultry vet for checking on the 30th. My parents are discouraging me from doing either one, as they think it'a waste of my time and money. They did point out (I agree) that the regular vet might not be understanding of poultry issues.

If you were me, would have have the fecal check or the vent gleet check done or both? Also, I am think of a bath with soap for the two red ones and probiotics from the feed store in their feed. Is there anything else I should be doing?

This is the one that (I think) had a lot of water in her system. She actually looks pretty good.



I gave this one a bath a couple of days ago and was disappointed she didn't stay clean longer. Let me know if you need a better pic. She's my perpetually messy tail girl. I have also seen the other two pecking at her feathers when visibly damp.


This one has a lot a caked stuff on her feathers, so is next in line for a bath.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just my thought here.
The vent on all 3 look normal to me.
Chickens will have what is called "cecal poop" about 1 out of every 8-10 poops. The cecal poop is a runny blob of poop which can get stuck little in the vent feathers (fluff). It's not unusual for a hen to have some poop on the fluff back there. If it becomes a hard mess that some of us call a "dingle berry" then you will want to clean that up and get the hardened poop off.
Vent gleet would be a thick white discharge, that has a yeasty sour smell, you would notice that right away, I don't see that in any of your hens.

Feed them a quality layer feed, give plenty of fresh water, oyster shell free choice and provide a source of grit. Treats are always nice, but moderation is key, a small amount of cracked corn or black oil sunflower seeds goes a long way. Mine love fresh fruits and veggies, so you may want to see if your girls will like that too.

They are lovely hens and I can see you take good care of them.

 

[SusanD]

Thanks. I suspect that's not yeast also, so will cancel the appointment (I think I was jumping to conclusions and would have looked silly, plus putting my hen through having a skin scraping done).

A couple of followup questions -

What is the minimum necessary space between a roost and the floor? I'm wondering if our roost needs to be raised.

Also, when is a bath to remove dingleberries and other crud neccessary (to prevent fly strike and other issues)?

And is there anything to know about giving an optional bath (besides wearing gloves and being as gentle as possible)?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks. I suspect that's not yeast also, so will cancel the appointment (I think I was jumping to conclusions and would have looked silly, plus putting my hen through having a skin scraping done).

A couple of followup questions -

What is the minimum necessary space between a roost and the floor? I'm wondering if our roost needs to be raised.

Also, when is a bath to remove dingleberries and other crud neccessary (to prevent fly strike and other issues)?

And is there anything to know about giving an optional bath (besides wearing gloves and being as gentle as possible)?

Don't ever hesitate to ask questions, we are all here to help each other and learn

How high are your roosts now? The height really depends on how large/tall your coop is and how your roosting area is made. Some people use a single roosting rail/bar like @aart does on his coop page https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-coop-page while others like me use a ladder roost similar to Terry Golsons' of TheHenCam http://hencam.com/henblog/2013/06/chicken-bedtime/

Everyone designs their roosts a little differently, the main thing is to get them off the floor. You don't have to use anything fancy. Some nice sturdy tree branches work well too. I use tree branches in my run for them to perch on during the day and they love them. Use what you have.

Personally I don't bathe my girls that often, I monitor the "buildup" on their bums, if it gets to be too much, then I wash or cut the crud out. When they take dust baths it sometimes helps to take some of the poo off, sometimes if it muddy it can add to it

As far as giving a bath, Terry Golson also has a good video on that http://hencam.com/faq/how-to-give-a-chicken-a-bath/
I just use a couple of plastic dish pans that can be picked up at the dollar store and plain Dawn dish liquid if needed.