WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY CHICKENS BUTT??

[PsychoChickenLady]

Please help me identify what's wrong with my chicken's butt! Google has NOT been my friend!!

I don't think it's gleet, there's no discharge and no smell and other than the "rash" and swelling, no other symptoms.

Her droppings are fine, like the other girl's droppings, her appetite and demeaner are normal.

But clearly, something is wrong.

It's the middle of winter here, -25⁰C, so I'm not sure if mites, fleas, or lice would survive, but that means that it's also not ideal for bathing!

Any and all suggestions for home remedies would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you in advance!!

 

[azygous]

Have you checked your coop for coop mites at night? The coop may be warm enough at night for mites with the chickens emitting body heat and breath vapor. That rash does resemble what mites would do, the sores and redness.

Just because it's currently below freezing doesn't mean the mites aren't hunkered down deep in the cracks. They may have been active right up to the present cold snap.

Inspect the coop at night by running a damp paper towel over the roosts. You'll see red smears on the paper if there are mites active. Do the same inspection as soon as the temp climbs back up above freezing.

Meanwhile, an antibiotic ointment on the sore butt should heal it.

If you do have mites, anything less than an approved poultry spray won't kill them. Permethrin and spinosad are two effective insecticides.

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

THANK YOU!! I'm going to run out now to check with a damp paper towel!! (Seriously, thank you for responding so quickly! I'm feeling very overwhelmed since we have 10 chickens and I'm freaking out just a little bit)! THANKS!

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

Hmmm ... I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for, but the damp paper towel just looks dusty. So if not mites, than what?

I did put some antibiotic cream on her butt, and if nothing else, it will make ME feel better.

 

[azygous]

There's something terribly funny about creaming up a chicken's sore butt. I'm sure her butt feels a bit better.

Looks like just dust to me, too. But mites could have been eating your chickens prior to this freezing weather. Repeat the test when the temps pull out of the freeze zone. Periodic testing is a good idea, as we roll into spring. Where are you, BC?

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

I think I made it worse!

I used Kids Polysporin last night and now her poor bottom is so red!!

I don't want to upset her more than I absolutely have to so I'm waiting for stores to open here (I am sure it would probably help if I had an inkling of what to get at those open stores) before I at least "let" her soak in the tub.

Her poor butt can't NOT hurt, and she was burying her head in her feathers and I think she's in pain, so I gave her some dried rosemary.

She was in the nesting box (where she seems to prefer to sleep despite being moved to the roost several times), so I cannot check her droppings yet ~ and if she DID sleep in the nesting box and HASN'T pooped all night, that makes me even more worried.

Aside from her horribly inflamed behind, she seems fine. She's still a little miffed about being disturbed last night, (moved to the roost and flipped upside down for the cream application) but she's eating, drinking, her comb isn't flopped over, (they dust bathe in wood ash so her comb isn't as "pale" as it appears) and she's interacting with the rest of the flock..

I'm at a loss for what to do now. I have adult antibiotic ointment and some hydrocortisone cream and I can bring her inside for a bath.

Thanks everyone for all of your advice!

 

[azygous]

Is she the only one with this issue? I doubt the children's Polysporin made it like this.

I would give her warm soaks in Epsom salts. And use the cortisone cream after. Sparingly.

One second thought, look at the label on the kids Polysporin and see how much water they put in it. It may be the water in the stuff has given her a mild case of frost bite.

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

Thanks again. (And sorry, yes, I'm in Ontario, Canada).

The other nine birds seem fine (one though, has been shaking it's head ~ like shaking out cobwebs? it's hard to describe, fast, short bursts of head shaking ~ since the day she got here. I've checked her repeatedly and never find anything and she has zero other symptoms. I honestly chalked it up to a neurological disorder).

Someone on IG said it looks like lice, so a nice soak in a tepid Epsom salts bath, some powder/spray delousing and a thorough cleaning of the coop are in order.

(And awe, shucks, looks like I just might have to bring ALL of the chickens in the house for a, one, two (or more) day, spa retreat ~ I mean emergency medical treatment, of course)!!

Thanks again so much!

(I will check the water content of the Polysporin. I had moved her to the roost after I put the cream on, but if she went back to the nesting box by herself, she may very well have a touch of frostbite. It did get to -16⁰C overnight)

 

[aart]

since the day she got here.

How long have you had this bird?

 

[PsychoChickenLady]

How long have you had this bird?

We got all 10 (from the same place) on July 8, 2020.