weird question about poop on bum feathers...

[jsmith2952]

didn't want to post this in the emergencies forum, since I don't think it's really an "emergency"...

my three, ordinarily VERY tidy chickens, have over the past few weeks, developed very poopy undersides. Their poop is normal, no diarrhea or anything, but I'm a bit concerned. Of course, trying to figure it out I googled and came up with vent gleet--pretty sure it's not that though. I want to preface this question with the fact that here, in Canada, we've had the coldest winter in the past 50 years or something and EVERYTHING is freezing--even the dustbath I made for them in a kitty litter tray (which they poop in and then even with my scooping of it sort of gets all clumpy and cold looking!). Their bums are otherwise fine looking, other than the crusty poop on the feathers, of course. They still lay everyday, eat like crazy, nose around and do other chickeny things. Oh, they're also extremely fluffy, too, which I thought might be why the poop is sticking around.

Any insight on what might be up? If it's totally normal is there anything I can do to keep them clean or am I relegated to wait til thaw?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[crazyhen]

One of mine got like that and after inspection and washing her I found feather mites!

I have since dusted and will be using either ivermectin or cydextrin? , on mine. The mites are like dust on the hair follicles.

 

[jsmith2952]

can mites live in really freezing weather?? I have DE dusted throughout as well as mixed in with their bedding...I had hoped it would've prevented mites.

 

[crazyhen]

They can live in cold climes as well as others. In fact I have more problems with insect on my flock in the winter because they stay inside more. Also there are more birds in the area due to migrations.
DE will help but not get rid of them at all. Esp. if they are hard bodied insect. I use ivermectin because there is no egg withdrawal. Cydectin is even better but much more expensive. Some people repeat it every two weeks for a bit and spray their coops to help irradicate them for good. They will hatch out every two weeks. I just found feather mites on mine this wk. They have not been treated for 6 months but now I will have to work at it for sure. Good luck with yours.

 

[shoregirl68]

I am a newbie at this but just thought was normal. I'm mid-atlantic and all the reading I've done says, "old hardy birds, no heating of coop = extra feathers = harder a straight landing of he poo. Earlier in the season I was tired of looking at at the dried poo on one of my favorite, more tame girls (NHR), who my daughter likes to pick up frequently poopy tooch so I brought her in the kitchen and trimmed her up a bit. I do the same to my old fat Maine Coon cat when he has an accident. My thoughts too much fur of fluff around tooch = larger likely hood of poopy problem.

I think it bothers us more than them...just sayin'

Oh and gentleman I got my chicks from last year, he's been doing this for years, and like most of us sometimes more misses than hits...admitted he did the same to one as well...to each is own I'm thinking.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I don't think it always means mites. I don't have mites in my flock and some of my very fluffy chickens have a little poo on them while my less fluffy chickens don't, as long as it isn't large amounts of poo I wouldn't worry. P.S. I put poultry dust, wood ash and sand in my dust baths and also sprinkle poultry dust on the roosts once a month as a preventive measure.

 

[jsmith2952]

@ crazy hen: Thanks for the advice. Ill check the girls for mites-but other than poopy bum feathers there are no other mite-like signs.

@ chickens r us : with the dust bath you set up, do you find it freezes? I have the same combo in mine and the whole thing went sort of cold and clumpy??

@ shoregirl69: hilarious, gross, and probably true...

I thought DE was like a cure-all for mites. Or anything with an Exo-skeleton. If my girls are wading around in a DE mix, how can mites even be an issue?

 

[Chickens R Us]

@ crazy hen: Thanks for the advice. Ill check the girls for mites-but other than poopy bum feathers there are no other mite-like signs.

@ chickens r us : with the dust bath you set up, do you find it freezes? I have the same combo in mine and the whole thing went sort of cold and clumpy??

@ shoregirl69: hilarious, gross, and probably true...

I thought DE was like a cure-all for mites. Or anything with an Exo-skeleton. If my girls are wading around in a DE mix, how can mites even be an issue?

Just make sure it has no moisture in it. Mine is very dry and powdery, I have no problems with it clumping.

 

[Happy Chooks]

It happens sometimes. You can take some scissors and trim their rear feathers.

 

[aart]

Unless it lasts for days and days, which would signal a possible health issue, they usually preen it off pretty quickly.