Poopy butt feathers?

[SavageDestiny]

My four girls seem to be healthy- eating (enthusiastically), drinking, laying, scratching around, etc. I find some watery poops in the run but also plenty of firm poops as well. However all four of them have poop caked all over their butt feathers. I've only had them a few months but this didn't seem to be an issue until a few weeks ago. Diet has not changed.

Should I be worried? I'm waiting until the weather warms up a bit then I plan on bathing them but... new chicken mama is worried that there might be something off!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

It may be a sign of mites or worms. I would treat for both of those. My hen has had this problem also. But she never has had mites or worms. So I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[seminolewind]

Some of my hens always have dirty butts. I usually get a scissors out and cut the dirty feathers off.

 

[SavageDestiny]

It may be a sign of mites or worms. I would treat for both of those. My hen has had this problem also. But she never has had mites or worms. So I wouldn't be too worried.

Well they had lice when I got them and I've been dusting them. The lice are gone but I keep treating every 10 days or so just to make SURE I've kicked it in the butt, so I doubt they have mites.

I don't know if they were wormed by their previous owner though. Hm.

 

[seminolewind]

I don't think they need treatment every 10 days, maybe the first 2 times 10 days apart.

Speckled Hen once said that some chickens have Velcro back there and some have Teflon.

 

[SavageDestiny]

I don't think they need treatment every 10 days, maybe the first 2 times 10 days apart.

Speckled Hen once said that some chickens have Velcro back there and some have Teflon.

I've only done it 3-4 times, it seems like every time I check there is like ONE LICE left so I re-dust to make sure they're all gone.

Bad update though. I grabbed the poopiest one to bathe her today since it was warm out. When I picked her up she felt like she had lost weight, and when I got her in the tub I realized she has tons of fluid in her belly, from between her legs to her vent. It feels like there is a taut water balloon in there.

I can't feel anything hard in there so I don't think she's egg bound. I've looked up some things but nothing that has these symptoms seems to have a good outcome. She is eating, drinking, scratching around, picking on the other hens and acting exactly herself. Comb is bright red. Can someone please tell me she'll be ok?

She's a just one year old Black Sex Link, she just started laying again on Mother's Day (went through a non-laying period when I got her due to stress).

 

[seminolewind]

You may want to just sprinkle some Sevin in their nests and give them a break from bathing and all that. I have a few chickens that always have poopy butts, not much I can do but cut the feathers off back there. I sometimes contemplate spraying their bu-tt with Pam cooking spray. Or some Show Sheen that is made to spray on horses to make them slick and shiny.

 

[Aunt ruth]

If she feels like she has lost weight then definitely worm her. Get some wazine 17 and I forget what the math on the dose is but it's about a teaspoon per quart.

 

[SavageDestiny]

You may want to just sprinkle some Sevin in their nests and give them a break from bathing and all that. I have a few chickens that always have poopy butts, not much I can do but cut the feathers off back there. I sometimes contemplate spraying their bu-tt with Pam cooking spray. Or some Show Sheen that is made to spray on horses to make them slick and shiny.

If she feels like she has lost weight then definitely worm her. Get some wazine 17 and I forget what the math on the dose is but it's about a teaspoon per quart.

I made a new post here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/889268/swollen-abdomen-culled-and-found-tumors-graphic-photos

I ended up culling her and she was filled with tumors. Thank you both for the advice though. The Show Sheen is a good option I hadn't thought about... I use it on my grooming dogs all the time. Maybe after I bathe the remaining girls I'll spray them down.

 

[laul28]

I am having this same problem with one of my Black Sex Links, she doesn't stand normal but kind of hunched and pulsates. I checked for egg bound but don't feel anything. Did you ever get any answers?