One of my hens is consistantly laying poopy eggs...need advice, please

[EllyMae]

I noticed that her bottom is kinda dirty and I am wondering why her poo is sticking to her like that. She can still poop, it's not like it is pasting up, it's just dirty. Does this sound like an illness? OH, and her poop even looks normal...I'm pulling my hair out!

 

[debilorrah]

Will she let you clean her? I would start with that. Fortunately I have never had a poopy egg...

 

[eggchel]

You could try some cornstarch or baby powder on her bum feathers to keep the poo from sticking. That's what I use on show birds after their baths to keep the tail end clean.


Chel

 

[EllyMae]

Thanks for the input. I just can't figure this out. I'm afraid to eat her eggs because of this. UGH

 

[seminolewind]

I would trim the dirty feathers.

 

[rebecca10782]

Trim all the feathers around her bum. That's what i do with my dogs. And if they get messy, you can just wipe them and there clean.

 

[cmom]

I would clean her bum first and if I still got poopy eggs I would trim the feathers on her bum and make sure no one is sleeping in the boxes. The eggs are edible, just wash them first. If you want sanitary, Wash in 1 TBS bleach to 1 gal of water then rince. I had one once that had a little poopy bottom. I cleaned her but she still had some poopy so I trimmed her bum and cleaned her up. The feathers grew back out and now if you look at her you can't tell who I trimmed and who I didn't.

 

[chickenlady]

No reason to trim those feathers, clean them up and look for mites/lice. Trimming will not solve the problem. Usually a bird that has mites/lice will poop all over themselves like that. Check real close in the daylight and again at night by using a flashlight. Some mites only feed at night. They are very fast so look all over the vent area and tail area. Check several different spots. Also make sure to look at the feather shafts to see if anything looks 'caked' on them. This would be eggs from mites.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Thanks, Chicken lady, that's good to know if I ever need it.

I'd also fill a large pan with warm water and give that hen a good bath, dry her with a towel, and finish off with a hair drier. That's what we ddi with our silkie when we first got her.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Your dogs have feathers on their bums???

Sorry couldn't resist