Need some advice re bringing hen in the house

[coachsue]

Hi......I just found this forum and need some advice if there's anyone out there who can help with this..... I have a hen with a very poopy butt that---in warm weather---I soak and clean and turn her loose to dry. But we've had very early cold weather here, her bottom really needs to be cleaned, and I'm tempted to bring her into the house to wash and dry --- but I'm so afraid that she'll get too warm and catch cold when I put her back outside in the henhouse. (the vet has checked her poopiness and can't find anything wrong, so I just deal with it----apparently it's just the way she's shaped or how she carries herself, that her poop catches onto her feathers) Have any of you had to bring your hens inside in the winter for any reason? Thanks much for any advice! Do any of you have chickens with chronic poopy butt, and how do you deal with it? Thanks so much!!

 

[Sjisty]

I don't think you'll have a problem as long as you dry her thoroughly before putting her back outside. I have two chickens that come and go as they please. One of them sleeps inside at night and is out during the day, the other one comes in to lay her egg every day. They do just fine when they go outside.

 

[Sjisty]

Forgot to say

 

[Miss Lydia]

you might also trim her feathers around the vent not close to the skin but enough that maybe the poo will not stick as bad, I have to do that to some of my hens also.

 

[coachsue]

Thank you all so much for your responses! It's about 35 degrees this afternoon, about the warmest it'll be all week, so I'm going to go ahead and bring her in to bathe her and yes, I do trim her feathers too when I bathe her bottom. Thanks again. sue