What is this?

[belindaschicks]

I have been dealing with what I have believed to be gleet. I wash their bottoms daily, treated with pen G, medistatin powder, foot powder spray. Their bottoms especially one are covered in this white gritty substance and her egg shells are thin. The others have just a small amount of dirty bottom. I also treated with valbazen to rework. Any ideas?

 

[Wezdin]

Any sign of Mites or lice?

 

[rebrascora]

What do you feed them including main food and treats?
Problems at the backend are often related to what does or doesn't go in the front end. Deterioration of shell quality in particular suggests a nutrient deficiency, but soiled butts are also often related to dietary imbalance, so lets go back and look at that before throwing more medication at the problem in the hope it might help.
Also do you offer oyster shell or some other calcium supplement free choice?

 

[belindaschicks]

Kent feed, very limited scratch and oata, occasional greens, free range on nice days, unlimited oyster shell.

 

[rebrascora]

Which Kent poultry feed do you use and what form does it come in? ie pellets, crumbles, mash or whole grain? This can make a significant difference in certain circumstances. Also, how much is "very limited" scratch and oats and are they given these every day? How many birds is it shared between?
I am told that some greens can inhibit the uptake of calcium by the body, spinach and kale being the main offenders, so that may be something else to consider.

 

[belindaschicks]

I feed

Kent Home Fresh Extra Egg Layer crumbles.
Oats and seed give only a couple times a week only a handful. I do give dried mealworms as a treat. I follow the same rule only a handful twice a week. All feed is mold free kept in their bags in tight containers. I dont believe this is a nutrition issue. I also thought this at first and switched feeds was feeding nutrena saw no changes. I have lost one chicken to this so far.

 

[cottagecheese]

There is some confusion about this ailment, 'vent gleet', It could mean just persistent diarrhea, but most people when they think vent gleet they think yeast (Candida) infection.
An antibiotic would only encourage the yeast to spread, because it kills the competition (the good bacteria). Usually miconazole applied to the vent and careful restriction of carbs in the diet + giving probiotics will clear the 'vent gleet' if it's actually yeast. If you could give some details about how it started, how surprising you find the smell, anything you can think of, that would be helpful. I'm sorry for your loss.