poopy butt.

[DickMidnight]

i noticed one of my older hens (18 months or so) has a pretty messy backside.

it’s not a prolapsed vent. just looks like some poop hanging from her butt feathers.

she seems fine. running around the yard and scratching for bugs like everyone else so i’m not too concerned.

is there anything to keep an eye on with her?

 

[azygous]

One of the main causes of poopy butt feathers is overweight. This fat usually accumulates in the area just behind the legs and below the vent, forming a sort of "shelf" that protrudes, grabbing some of the poop as it shoots out of the vent.

Another cause is lack of good microbes in the digestive system. This can cause runny poop. Adding additional probiotics to the diet can often help.

In my own flock, I have a few chronically poopy butts. Occasionally, I will back the butt up to a basin of warm water and, using children's shampoo, I wash the butt and rinse well, then pat dry and blow dry the rest of the way. Chickens adore blow drying.

 

[WIchickMama]

I have done the same with the couple poopy butts I have had in the past. Also, if they have real fluffy backsides you can trim up the feathers to help avoid the poopy butts

 

[DickMidnight]

@azygous and @WIchickMama thanks for the info.

do i wait a bit to see if her butt cleans up on its own, or should i go ahead and give her a bath now?

 

[WIchickMama]

@azygous and @WIchickMama thanks for the info.

do i wait a bit to see if her butt cleans up on its own, or should i go ahead and give her a bath now?

How much is caked on? How long as it be there?

I usually wait a few days and see if they can break it loose with preening and dust baths. Not sure where you are and what the weather is like for you, but if you do give her a bath and it is cool out make sure she is dried up before putting her back outside (not that you wouldn't just a friendly reminder)

 

[DickMidnight]

How much is caked on? How long as it be there?

I usually wait a few days and see if they can break it loose with preening and dust baths. Not sure where you are and what the weather is like for you, but if you do give her a bath and it is cool out make sure she is dried up before putting her back outside (not that you wouldn't just a friendly reminder)

i just noticed it today, and it’s wet so i think it’s fresh. i’ll give it a few days.

yeah it’s definitely getting colder here so if i have to bathe her she’s get completely dried.

 

[WIchickMama]

Good luck!

 

[azygous]

I have never seen a chicken clean their own poopy butt feathers. If you don't enjoy smelly, poopy butts, you need to wash them. It takes about two minutes for washing and a couple minutes to blow dry. I have a permanent butt washing stand in the yard with a cast off kitchen sink. I use the garden hose. This works very well until the winter days become too cold for such things. Then I haul the poopy butt into the house and use the kitchen sink and warm water.

 

[azygous]

An anecdote:

Fifteen years ago when I was in my first months of chicken keeping, I discovered poopy butts and that I could easily wash them. I think I did the entire fleet of poopy butts on a day a friend phoned to catch up.

She asked what I was doing that day. I replied, "Washing my chickens". She responded, "What did you just say?" I explained that I rounded all the poopy butts up and washed them all.

Since then, all my friends now expect to see me scrubbing my dirty chickens. Chickens are, after all, much more enjoyable to handle when they aren't sporting dried on smelly poop on their cabooses.

 

[aart]

Another reason can be just a really fluffy butt.
Sometimes they will clean it off.
I have washed one poopy butt, disgusting task and took way more than a few minutes.
Next time, same bird, I just trimmed the butt feathers holding the dingleberry off about 1/4" from the skin and that took care of that long term.