I have a hen that was sold to me a couple of years ago when I first started having chickens. I was looking for a green egg layer & the guy at our local flea market told me she was. She's not. She lays very pale colored eggs, almost pinkish looking.
Anyway, the day I got her, I noticed (after getting her) that her bottom was awful! I thought it was something that would go away on its own...thinking it was just poor care or something. Anyway, this has persisted. I remember last year, maybe after molt (?) that for a short period of time, she did get down feathers back there again, only to be replaced by her ugly bottom side yet again. I don't know what it is. I just know it seems like if it were something to do with poor health, she wouldn't be living as long as she has & it seems as if some of the other chickens would be affected. That isn't the case.
Her butt looks wet all the time. It appears as if she doesnt have very many down feathers & what she has is all clumped together wet looking. It also looks like her bottom is saggy, like hanging down but maybe it's just because of how her down looks. ???? If needed, I'll try to take a pic if it'll help. ( even though it may gross you out)
Also, I'm not sure, but have wondered if this issue has anything to do with her egg laying issue. WHEN she decides to lay an egg (which right now she's molting so no eggs), they are VERY soft shell...sometimes shell-less eggs under the roosts. Her eggs also are very rough texture & almost always has humps on them, like calcium deposits or something. ???? Also, she will sometimes lay HUGE eggs. I'm talking about looking like turkey eggs or something. There was one that I measured with a tape measure and it was like 7" around the middle!
I provide oyster shell & have seen her eating it many times but still to no avail.
I've thought about giving her a bath, but am afraid it might be painful or something. I'm wondering if something in her egg making machine has gone wrong....prolapsed or something making it look wet & soggy all the time. Maybe from the huge eggs?
The one thing I can say about her, the inside of her eggs look the healthiest of all! Rich, huge dark orange yolks. Yet, I can't bring myself to eat her eggs because of her ugly bottom & knowing how thin & rough the shell was.
Any ideas? I would sure like to help her if I possibly can.
Anyway, the day I got her, I noticed (after getting her) that her bottom was awful! I thought it was something that would go away on its own...thinking it was just poor care or something. Anyway, this has persisted. I remember last year, maybe after molt (?) that for a short period of time, she did get down feathers back there again, only to be replaced by her ugly bottom side yet again. I don't know what it is. I just know it seems like if it were something to do with poor health, she wouldn't be living as long as she has & it seems as if some of the other chickens would be affected. That isn't the case.
Her butt looks wet all the time. It appears as if she doesnt have very many down feathers & what she has is all clumped together wet looking. It also looks like her bottom is saggy, like hanging down but maybe it's just because of how her down looks. ???? If needed, I'll try to take a pic if it'll help. ( even though it may gross you out)
Also, I'm not sure, but have wondered if this issue has anything to do with her egg laying issue. WHEN she decides to lay an egg (which right now she's molting so no eggs), they are VERY soft shell...sometimes shell-less eggs under the roosts. Her eggs also are very rough texture & almost always has humps on them, like calcium deposits or something. ???? Also, she will sometimes lay HUGE eggs. I'm talking about looking like turkey eggs or something. There was one that I measured with a tape measure and it was like 7" around the middle!
I provide oyster shell & have seen her eating it many times but still to no avail.
I've thought about giving her a bath, but am afraid it might be painful or something. I'm wondering if something in her egg making machine has gone wrong....prolapsed or something making it look wet & soggy all the time. Maybe from the huge eggs?
The one thing I can say about her, the inside of her eggs look the healthiest of all! Rich, huge dark orange yolks. Yet, I can't bring myself to eat her eggs because of her ugly bottom & knowing how thin & rough the shell was.
Any ideas? I would sure like to help her if I possibly can.
