Plymouth Rock Rooster with matted red bottom.

[Kymanne]

We live in probably the most remote places in Australia (Weipa). Since our food comes by barge once a week to stock the one grocery store, I decided to raise chooks for eggs, food..( all meat comes in frozen).

We have a small community fb page and I have been snatching up the free roos for butchering . This is quite new to me and I am learning as I go. I have cared for chickens about a year and a half with no major problems.

I picked up a 5 month old free Plymouth Rock today and when my husband tried taking it out of the pet carrier, something didn't look right. His backside was matted with poop. It was whole poop, not wet. His downy feathers were missing and his bum to his tail is beet red. All I saw were quill-like feathers back there.

I contacted her right away and she said they had just gotten home after a 2 week holiday that day. I don't know what to do for the poor thing. I washed him with the hose as best as I could to loosen the poo and pull it off but it didn't work. I used baby shampoo on him. I wanted to cut the feathers and put diaper cream on him but I don't know if that is the thing to do.

It was dusk so the light was not great, I didn't see any lice or bloody poo. She said she wormed him a few weeks back. I have him separated in the garage in the dog carrier, and I of course would never butcher something while it's sick.

There is not vet here for a whole month, the nearest vet is about 500 miles away by plane. Any help would be appreciated.. Thanks so much

 

[iwiw60]

You might try giving him a soaking bath...nice warm water with epsom salts if you have them. Let him 'soak' and eventually you should be able to get all that poo and stuff off the poor thing. I would then put some neosporin on him to help the healing process. Poor thing he must be miserable! Good luck and do keep us informed of his progress!!

 

[Eggcessive]

The epsom salt soaks should help, and probiotics or a small amount of yogurt or buttermilk may help. If he doesn't pass stool he may be constipated. Vent gleet can cause redness, a foul odor, and oozing, but your guy may be more constipated. Molasses or a tsp of castor oil or mineral oil may help him with constipation.

 

[Kymanne]

Thanks so much for the replies. I'm still a bit green in this area and since I don't have a vet within 500 miles ,I appreciate it so much.

The strange part is that he has poo'd quite a bit in the carrier and it looks quite normal. I instinctively feel that it wouldn't be right to kill it while in this condition,but I do not know what the right thing to do is.

He is food and I have no qualms about it, but this is to feed my husband ,myself, and my 2 toddlers. If I am wrong about it being inhumane to send it to freezer camp in this condition please feel free to correct me. I have not been through this situation before. Other than his backside he looks good.

 

[Kymanne]

The soak seemed to do the trick. I soaked him with Epsom salt with a bit of antiseptic in the water. When I looked at his bum after I took him out, it was not red at all but I did put a bit of diaper cream on it. I cut away any poo matted feathers.

He had about 4 solid normal looking droppings in the carrier and one runny one. I thought on closer look the solids did look like they had a bit of coral colors in it but I couldn't be sure. He was behaving fine, not sick at all.

I have to say he is extremely loud and very aggressive . If all is ok tonight he is going to freezer camp.