Rooster Has poo stuck on him

[Winter1]

hi everyone!
This has been going on for awhile, but I think it’s time to address it properly...
We got Phoenix about a year ago. And the only problem he’s has is that he always has poop stuck on his vent and the surrounding feathers. He can still go to the bathroom, but when you clean it off of him (we’ve given him several baths) the area looks red and irritated. He also smells like a dead animal.
Any have any ideas about what could be going on? Or how to get it to stop? And yes, we’ve tried to cut the feathers around it but that didn’t help!
Should we just continue giving him a bath every now and then? How would we give him a bath now that it’s winter? Could he die of drastic temperature changes (inside to outside)? Would dawn dish soap work ok?
Thanks or reading, and I hope y’all can help ^-^

 

[Abriana]

I would clip away the poopy feathers and get a closer look at what’s going on. It could be the poop that’s making the smell or something you can’t see underneath the poop. Use old scissors and have someone hold him while you clip.

 

[theoldchick]

He might be heavily infested with mites and internal parasites. Wash him in cat flea shampoo, dry thoroughly, and take a fecal sample to your vet to see what parasites he may have. Carefully clip the area free of feathers (unless you live up north and it's cold). Also evaluate the area he is living in and treat it for mites, too.

Here's an excellent article on mites and chickens:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...e/index.aspx&usg=AOvVaw36Pf1lLmMo8oQzsqVFrHc8

 

[Sunshine Flock]

The brown, unpleasant smelling poop could be cecal, which is normal. They do a couple cecal poops a day.

When my chickens poop, the upper tail feathers and the lower down feathers separate for a clean release. I'm always amazed the cecal one comes out clean without sticking to their feathers.

Are you seeing him poop out the other kind that's like a ball and greenish brown and white? That's probably the first step in trying to identify if there's a health problem. Are you seeing both kinds? Can you keep him under watch and photograph his droppings and post them here?

If he has diarrhea or some other problem that involves an airy release, thereby coating his feathers, that's something that needs to be addressed. But the only way to figure it out is to rule out the different possibilities by observing his poop.

As for the redness around his vent, the moisture in the droppings could cause it, as could insects that are attracted to the area.

Dawn dish soap is a good degreaser, but if you have epsom salts, I would give him a nice warm epsom salt bath. It's a great healer and won't hurt him. Do make sure he's thoroughly dry before returning him outside.

 

[Abriana]

The brown, unpleasant smelling poop could be cecal, which is normal. They do a couple cecal poops a day.

When my chickens poop, the upper tail feathers and the lower down feathers separate for a clean release. I'm always amazed the cecal one comes out clean without sticking to their feathers.

Are you seeing him poop out the other kind that's like a ball and greenish brown and white? That's probably the first step in trying to identify if there's a health problem. Are you seeing both kinds? Can you keep him under watch and photograph his droppings and post them here?

If he has diarrhea or some other problem that involves an airy release, thereby coating his feathers, that's something that needs to be addressed. But the only way to figure it out is to rule out the different possibilities by observing his poop.

As for the redness around his vent, the moisture in the droppings could cause it, as could insects that are attracted to the area.

Dawn dish soap is a good degreaser, but if you have epsom salts, I would give him a nice warm epsom salt bath. It's a great healer and won't hurt him. Do make sure he's thoroughly dry before returning him outside.

Also vitamin E is wonderful for healing, and yes, definitely do the Epsom salts.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Is it cecal poop sticking or does he have runny poop? Can't do much about the cecal but try putting some ACV unfiltered/with Mother (Braggs) in his/their water (1T/gal), it helps with poopy butts in the chicks I've raised and it doesn't hurt (changes the PH in their digestive tract and helps promote the growth of good flora in their system). I ferment my girls feed, it really cuts down on the amount of poop & smells besides the nutritional benefits and no wasted feed.

Others have made excellent recommendations, cleaning & applying some "moisturizer" to his vent. Checking for mites a definite and figuring out what's smelling, hopefully just the stuck poop & not internal smells.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

Also vitamin E is wonderful for healing, and yes, definitely do the Epsom salts.

Do you mean a vitamin E capsule opened and applied to the raw skin? That's a great idea. The thick oil would adhere nicely and stay put.

 

[Abriana]

Do you mean a vitamin E capsule opened and applied to the raw skin? That's a great idea. The thick oil would adhere nicely and stay put.

That, or you can buy a bottle of it which is easier especially if you have a large area to cover.