Poopy butt

[rosemarythyme]

I'd not bathe them, won't solve the problem and is super gross, but trim off the feathers with poop on them. Repeat as necessary until there's no more 'catcher feathers' on the path.

I would recommend trimming as well. A bath takes care of what is there now, but doesn't do much for anything going forward, unless you want to be routinely bathing chickens while it's freezing.

You can trim moderately, mostly concentrating on the area right under the vent (where I would go shorter, and then leave the area around longer to hide it a bit if it bothers you), and that should leave them with fluffy behinds, but lessen the amount of build up.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Helpful thread! I didn't realize there were so many causes for poopy butts.

All I did for New Year's Eve was laundry and wash a chicken's butt One of our Brahmas had a poop stuck that seemed like it wanted to build up, and I couldn't take it. Snipped a tiny bit and soaked the rest off with a rag dipped in hot water. Gross, but it worked. I never got her actual skin wet. Even though it was warm out, she wasn't having it when I tried to dip her butt.

Our only other poopy butt this year that lasted longer than a day (they do seem to resolve usually!) turned out to be because of mites, or at least coincided with mites.

No mites this time, and their poops look good, so at first I thought it was just that her fluffy butt has been on the roost too much with the dreary weather. Upon closer inspection, she had a bunch of new feathers coming in by her vent that made her butt look straggly and caught the poop. A few days later, the feathers grew out, and her butt's glorious again. Hope your Orp's booty is, too.

 

[Cyra]

I feed them flock raiser, 20% protein, same as always... A couple of them just started laying a few weeks ago and are quite regular, so the opposite of slowing down. Poopy butt in the picture here lays quite well.

A couple of your chickens just began laying in December, in Boson, MA? Wow! Might I ask which breed, and if you're supplementing their light to extend their laying ability? Thank you.

 

[K0k0shka]

Most likely.
I'd not bathe them, won't solve the problem and is super gross, but trim off the feathers with poop on them. Repeat as necessary until there's no more 'catcher feathers' on the path.

Good point. If I wash them, they’ll just get poopy again, it’s a temporary solution. I’ll try trimming. Thanks!

 

[K0k0shka]

I would recommend trimming as well. A bath takes care of what is there now, but doesn't do much for anything going forward, unless you want to be routinely bathing chickens while it's freezing.

You can trim moderately, mostly concentrating on the area right under the vent (where I would go shorter, and then leave the area around longer to hide it a bit if it bothers you), and that should leave them with fluffy behinds, but lessen the amount of build up.

I think that’s what I’ll do. Maybe in combination with a damp rag. I don’t want to trim too much and leave their booties exposed to the cold (and ruining their glorious fluffy looks ).

 

[K0k0shka]

Helpful thread! I didn't realize there were so many causes for poopy butts.

All I did for New Year's Eve was laundry and wash a chicken's butt One of our Brahmas had a poop stuck that seemed like it wanted to build up, and I couldn't take it. Snipped a tiny bit and soaked the rest off with a rag dipped in hot water. Gross, but it worked. I never got her actual skin wet. Even though it was warm out, she wasn't having it when I tried to dip her butt.

Our only other poopy butt this year that lasted longer than a day (they do seem to resolve usually!) turned out to be because of mites, or at least coincided with mites.

No mites this time, and their poops look good, so at first I thought it was just that her fluffy butt has been on the roost too much with the dreary weather. Upon closer inspection, she had a bunch of new feathers coming in by her vent that made her butt look straggly and caught the poop. A few days later, the feathers grew out, and her butt's glorious again. Hope your Orp's booty is, too.

Oh good point, I’ll check for new feathers. Thanks.

 

[K0k0shka]

A couple of your chickens just began laying in December, in Boson, MA? Wow! Might I ask which breed, and if you're supplementing their light to extend their laying ability? Thank you.

Two of the English Orpington pullets started laying recently - one on Thanksgiving Day, the other in early December. A third is getting close, and one of my Barnevelders is starting to show interest in the nesting boxes as well. So I might be getting some first eggs in January as well. The pullets were all hatched in April, so they are quite late. I don’t supplement light or protein, just flock raiser crumble and eggshell on the side.

 

[Cyra]

Two of the English Orpington pullets started laying recently - one on Thanksgiving Day, the other in early December. A third is getting close, and one of my Barnevelders is starting to show interest in the nesting boxes as well. So I might be getting some first eggs in January as well. The pullets were all hatched in April, so they are quite late. I don’t supplement light or protein, just flock raiser crumble and eggshell on the side.

Mine have all stopped laying, for now. I bought my chicks the last week in April. I really miss those eggs, too, but I guess the hens deserve a rest.
Would love to know whether it’s a chicken’s breed, or the climate/day- length, that determines how long hens lay eggs into winter. Yours sound very productive!

 

[K0k0shka]

Mine have all stopped laying, for now. I bought my chicks the last week in April. I really miss those eggs, too, but I guess the hens deserve a rest.
Would love to know whether it’s a chicken’s breed, or the climate/day- length, that determines how long hens lay eggs into winter. Yours sound very productive!

When did they start laying? Usually they lay through their first winter and only rest the second winter and on. But if they started early, they may demand a break nonetheless

 

[-Clementine-]

I would cut the feathers. I had tiny little cochins who had the same problem, and cutting worked just fine. make sure you only cut what you need too off.