ashields37
Hatching
- Jan 4, 2026
- 4
- 3
- 6
One of my hens (hatched in June) has had a mildly messy butt for weeks now. In the last week though, the stool has become more watery and her butt gets messy much faster. Her vent looks clean and normal. There is no blood in the stool and there is no detectable bad smell (no yeasty scent nor evidence of blood).
The hen still scratches and pecks and is alert, but in I've noticed she's just not as voracious as usual. Despite seeing her eat and even providing some scrambled egg the past two days, the hen feels very light when held.
Additionally, the hen's comb has become darkened and kind of scabby or crusty in places. I'm not sure if that is related at all or if this is a sign of frostbite or something else. I do not see the same issue in my other hens.
Speaking of, we have 3 other hens around the same age, who are all producing normal stools with normal appearing combs. They are also all laying eggs consistently (the sick hen in question has never laid an egg) and feel heftier/fuller when held, as compared to the ill hen. Only one of the other hens has a slightly messy butt, but it's rare and would be avoided if we trimmed some of her fluffy butt.
We have periodically offered probiotic/vitamin/electrolyte water supplements in the past month but have been consistent with it the last 3 days. We routinely offer a layered crumble, scratch grains, dried mealworms, and oyster shells mixed with grit. We also tend to offer treats like blueberries, which we are now laying off of to help firm up the stool. We straighten the coop daily and clean up/add DE/Lyme weekly. The hens are in a covered run during the day with an uncovered portion that could get muddy if wet. There are multiple places for hens to perch up off the ground during the day if they get cold.
Sorry if that's too much information, but I wanted to share everything I could in case something is helpful. If there's information you need that I did not provide, please let me know. Thanks for reading!
The hen still scratches and pecks and is alert, but in I've noticed she's just not as voracious as usual. Despite seeing her eat and even providing some scrambled egg the past two days, the hen feels very light when held.
Additionally, the hen's comb has become darkened and kind of scabby or crusty in places. I'm not sure if that is related at all or if this is a sign of frostbite or something else. I do not see the same issue in my other hens.
Speaking of, we have 3 other hens around the same age, who are all producing normal stools with normal appearing combs. They are also all laying eggs consistently (the sick hen in question has never laid an egg) and feel heftier/fuller when held, as compared to the ill hen. Only one of the other hens has a slightly messy butt, but it's rare and would be avoided if we trimmed some of her fluffy butt.
We have periodically offered probiotic/vitamin/electrolyte water supplements in the past month but have been consistent with it the last 3 days. We routinely offer a layered crumble, scratch grains, dried mealworms, and oyster shells mixed with grit. We also tend to offer treats like blueberries, which we are now laying off of to help firm up the stool. We straighten the coop daily and clean up/add DE/Lyme weekly. The hens are in a covered run during the day with an uncovered portion that could get muddy if wet. There are multiple places for hens to perch up off the ground during the day if they get cold.
Sorry if that's too much information, but I wanted to share everything I could in case something is helpful. If there's information you need that I did not provide, please let me know. Thanks for reading!
