Poopy Saturday

[DebraMarvinchicks]

I have a hen which has been laying eggs and her backend had what looked like poo on her feathers. I went to try to clean it with damp cloth and she is struggling with me. Is the poo on her backend feathers ok? I’m worried she might be ill????

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

Is she acting odd? She might have just gotten some poo stuck while going potty.

 

[Isaac 0]

There are some hens that tend to get feces accumulation on their vent feathers more than others simply because they have more fluff or possibly digestive issues, but yes, feces accumulation is common with sick birds since they tend to produce watery stools, and are usually inactive the feces builds up faster. If she is laying eggs, acting normal, she probably isn't sick, but it might be good just to do a quick physical exam, check her crop, mouth, check for ectoparasites, etc.

Could you post a few pictures of her vent? Excessive accumulation of feces around the vent area provides a perfect environment for flies to lay their eggs so it would be a good idea to grab her, trim a little of the fluff back. Note, if you trim the feathers down to bare skin her feces will then start falling onto her bare skin, which may cause vent gleet, so just trim the long feathers, and do a good wash afterward.

 

[Jeanw]

My sweet Dixie has a lot of butt fluff so I occasionally have to bathe her rear and/or trim back the fluff. I think she enjoys the spa day, I take her in the house and use warm water and cloth to soften the stuck poop, eventually it comes off. If not I may just trim the section off or add soap to the water to help loosen the poop. If it’s winter I’ll use the low setting on a hairdryer to dry the fluff before putting her outside. In warm weather pat with towel to remove excess water and let her back to her friends.

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

Is she acting odd? She might have just gotten some poo stuck while going potty.

She is acting ok. This is my first flock, I have been very diligent about taking good care of them. Someone suggested warm bath. I might try that. Thank you for your help!!

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

My sweet Dixie has a lot of butt fluff so I occasionally have to bathe her rear and/or trim back the fluff. I think she enjoys the spa day, I take her in the house and use warm water and cloth to soften the stuck poop, eventually it comes off. If not I may just trim the section off or add soap to the water to help loosen the poop. If it’s winter I’ll use the low setting on a hairdryer to dry the fluff before putting her outside. In warm weather pat with towel to remove excess water and let her back to her friends.

Thank you for the information! I always receive help from BYC!!!

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

Is she acting odd? She might have just gotten some poo stuck while going potty.

She is good. Thank you

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

Is she acting odd? She might have just gotten some poo stuck while going potty.

My sweet Dixie has a lot of butt fluff so I occasionally have to bathe her rear and/or trim back the fluff. I think she enjoys the spa day, I take her in the house and use warm water and cloth to soften the stuck poop, eventually it comes off. If not I may just trim the section off or add soap to the water to help loosen the poop. If it’s winter I’ll use the low setting on a hairdryer to dry the fluff before putting her outside. In warm weather pat with towel to remove excess water and let her back to her friends.

Thank you for your help!!

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

There are some hens that tend to get feces accumulation on their vent feathers more than others simply because they have more fluff or possibly digestive issues, but yes, feces accumulation is common with sick birds since they tend to produce watery stools, and are usually inactive the feces builds up faster. If she is laying eggs, acting normal, she probably isn't sick, but it might be good just to do a quick physical exam, check her crop, mouth, check for ectoparasites, etc.

Could you post a few pictures of her vent? Excessive accumulation of feces around the vent area provides a perfect environment for flies to lay their eggs so it would be a good idea to grab her, trim a little of the fluff back. Note, if you trim the feathers down to bare skin her feces will then start falling onto her bare skin, which may cause vent gleet, so just trim the long feathers, and do a good wash afterward.

She is better now, not I’ll. Thank you

 

[DebraMarvinchicks]

My sweet Dixie has a lot of butt fluff so I occasionally have to bathe her rear and/or trim back the fluff. I think she enjoys the spa day, I take her in the house and use warm water and cloth to soften the stuck poop, eventually it comes off. If not I may just trim the section off or add soap to the water to help loosen the poop. If it’s winter I’ll use the low setting on a hairdryer to dry the fluff before putting her outside. In warm weather pat with towel to remove excess water and let her back to her friends.

Thank you