Poop on chicken bums

[kayri]

Patches, our 8 month old BR who is really the sweetest of our hens, can't seem to keep her bum feathers clean. This will be the third time in about 10 days that I have to wash the poop off her bum feathers with warm water and a paper towel/soft tooth brush. It seems to cake up and the first time it happened I think I let it go too long and it took me about 15 minutes and a roll of paper towels to get it off

I guess I don't really mind doing it, even though my DH thinks it's a great party story. "Guess what Kay is doing now? Hah! Hah!" That, and it is so cold here now, 20 degrees day and single digits or teens at night, that I don't like to get her feathers wet, every day or every other day.

They are semi-free range with 24/7 access to layer pellets, and wonderful chicken treats. She eats what every else eats, I think. Could she have worms? I don't feed them DE, but do you think I should? I did watch her pass a totally normal looking poop the other day.

Anyone else have a problem like this?
Thanks, Kay

 

[McGoo]

I hope you get an answer, cause my RIR has the same problem.

 

[CarriBrown]

I have no idea what it is, Kay, but I had a hen that was the same way. She ALWAYS had a poopy butt. I have pic of her when she was less than a week and she has a poop on her.
Save yourself some money and put rubber gloves on when you clean her butt. I was using all the paper towels, too, but with the gloves you can get it off without them.

 

[rosyposyosy]

do you give her a lot of cracked corn and treats? I stopped giving so much, and now my chickies butts are clean as a chicken butt could be.

 

[kayri]

Well I do give them some kind of treats 2- 3 times a day. Nothing too awful, like chocolate chip cookies. Usually just oatmeal, leftover spaghetti, rice or crackers. In this really cold weather I've been giving the 5 of them about 1/2 cup of cracked corn in the morning and at night before they go to bed also. The other chickens weem to be fine with it, just Patches has a problem. Maybe I'll try to cut down on the quantity of treats. I'll switch to sunflower seeds and oats.

Thanks for the tip on the rubber gloves Carribrown. I'll try that tomorrow.

It's good to know I'm not the only one who has a chicken with a poopy bum.

 

[Wildsky]

I would guess its the treats and extra's ...

My girls get treats only every couple of days... they do get scratch morning and night - a cup to share.... (12 chickens)

Try not giving any additional treats and see if it clears up...

 

[Pinenot]

My roo kept doing that and then finally started sneezing and coughing. I put him on an antibiotic and it went away. Maybe she has a cold.

 

[kayri]

Those chickens are going to be mad. They will probably start selling their own eggs and buy pizza and their own treats!

I'll cut down on the odd stuff but maybe give them just 1/4 cup of scratch equivalent in the morning and corn at night while it is cold.

Pinenot, I hope she doesn't have to go on antibiotics but I'll watch for sneezing, coughing.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Where else in the world can you go for serious advice on poopy chicken bums!??

 

[kayri]

McGoo, I'm sorry about Gladys

 

[unionwirewoman]

Maybe it's kinda normal ?

My chickens have messy back sides and have had it for 8 months . Now that it's winter they don't get too many treats . I do give them scratch 3 times a week . They are all normal happy poopy butted chickens . Sorry I'm not much help .