Mrs.Nez Has a Vent Problem ~ Help

[barg]

For those of you who have not been following my Esther and Winnie thread,
In the last couple weeks Emerald became broody and has taken over the nesting box, the other laying chickens subsequently stopped laying and Mrs. Nezbit has now developed this problem.

Is this related to the cessation of egg lay'ing, or is this some Illness that needs to be treated


Whats causeing this and what should I do?
(for the photo impared: the pictures show white stuff on the feathers surrounding her vent)
If you dont see the pictures try right clicking on them and selecting"Show Picture"

 

[speckledhen]

Just looks to me like some of the urates got stuck in her fluff. I see that around here on my really fluffy girls sometimes. Don't think it's a problem, necessarily.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I think that our Mrs. Nezbit will be fine...sometimes the chicken pee gets stuck to their bum feathers. You can clip some of the end of the feathers or put vaseline on them so that it doesn't stick.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Broody birds will practically starve themselves ... ensure she drinks and eats sufficiently and offer live culture yogurt (my broodys always eat a lot of yogurt when they are brooding)
>if this is problematic (not eating sufficiently) then consider halving a cantelope or such and putting feed in that and set it next to her in the nest.

 

[picklespickles]

what a fabulosu idea to put food in cantelope. i feed them old melons anyway.........never thought of that

 

[silkiechicken]

My older fluffier hens have that. I wouldn't be worried. Just clean it off and clip it shorter and you'll be fine.