Hmm now I'm wondering about spraying their butts with Teflon!!!(only kidding! but it might work!)
I have a hen that loves to play in the flooded area around our irrigation box. She is always caked with mud on her feet and butt, she actually bathes like a dust bath in the mud!!( she thinks she's a duck!!) Well I also notice depending on what they're eating(squash, greens, etc) and or the cecal poos really tend to stick to their fluffy behinds. Yes some of my girls are clean as a whistle you can watch the poo roll right down and off, or they squat enough so it drops unscathed to the ground, and some are little piglets, to lazy to squat, or in the case of one, too chubby to reach around real well and clean herself off. So a few I pick up periodically and trim the dingle berries, this seems to help so more poo doesn't stick to and cause a build up, and the rest are good.
My chicken Guru friend told me it's a good habit to check your chickens periodically by holding them to access healthy weight, and to check for creepy crawlies, and anything out of the ordinary too. He said they can hide illness and problems well, and when ya just feed and water and don't take the time to observe, when issues arise it may be too late. So I've gotten in the habit when I trim butts, I grab the others just for a quick look also to make sure they feel solid and strong as well.
