What's wrong with my chickens?

[gaitedlady53]

Why have their butts become matted with feces? What do I do to get rid of it?

 

[chickencoop789]

Sometimes thing like that happen. Sometimes if I give my hens a little too many treats then their poo becomes runny and stick to their butt feathers. You just have to give her a bath, that's all.
BUT if it looks like that every day, even after you wash them, you might have a problem. (what that problem could be, I have no idea)

 

[seminolewind]

I just cut the dirty caked feathers off.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Internal parasites can also be a cause of runny poo and dirty backsides. I have one or two hens with very fluffy backsides that occasionally need a little trim to keep things tidy but if most or all of your flock has this problem I'd be looking to other causes and worms would be my first suspicion.

 

[gaitedlady53]

Internal parasites can also be a cause of runny poo and dirty backsides.  I have one or two hens with very fluffy backsides that occasionally need a little trim to keep things tidy but if most or all of your flock has this problem I'd be looking to other causes and worms would be my first suspicion.

R

 

[Beekissed]

Coming into lay can also cause some messy butts as the vents are looser and less able to deliver the poop neatly. I have some hens that have messy butts all the time they are in lay and clean butts when they go out of lay, it all depends on the individual bird. Some just get a train track when they are laying..just a dirty streak on the white...and some get a train wreck, much like your bird.

Time will take care of it. I wouldn't be washing any chickens in this weather...if you want to remove it you can either just pull it off or crush it and comb it out with a large toothed comb. Unless it's the hottest part of summer and you have an issue with flies, it shouldn't harm the bird to have messy butt feathers.

 

[gaitedlady53]

Coming into lay can also cause some messy butts as the vents are looser and less able to deliver the poop neatly.  I have some hens that have messy butts all the time they are in lay and clean butts when they go out of lay, it all depends on the individual bird.  Some just get a train track when they are laying..just a dirty streak on the white...and some get a train wreck, much like your bird. 

Time will take care of it.  I wouldn't be washing any chickens in this weather...if you want to remove it you can either just pull it off or crush it and comb it out with a large toothed comb.  Unless it's the hottest part of summer and you have an issue with flies, it shouldn't harm the bird to have messy butt feathers. 

It's just the year old ones that have the problem. I do worm them once a month.

 

[Eggcessive]

Worming once a month sounds a bit excessive. What do you use if you don't mind saying, and what type of climate are you in? In warm tropical or wet areas, it may be necessary to worm more often, and in cooler dry climates it may only be necessary once a year. Some never worm their chickens, but probably the best way is moderation, and the use of a wormer that gets most worms that chickens get --a wormer such as Valbazen or SafeGuard.

 

[gaitedlady53]

Worming once a month sounds a bit excessive.  What do you use if you don't mind saying, and what type of climate are you in?  In warm tropical or wet areas, it may be necessary to worm more often, and in cooler dry climates it may only be necessary once a year.  Some never worm their chickens, but probably the best way is moderation, and the use of a wormer that gets most worms that chickens get --a wormer such as Valbazen or SafeGuard.

I am in eastern NC. I use SafeGuard. It's so confusing on what to do and when. So many opinions!

 

[Eggcessive]

I am in eastern NC. I use SafeGuard. It's so confusing on what to do and when. So many opinions!

Oh I know what you mean about differing opinions, especially on here, LOL. I think many worm twice a year, or some 4 times a year. They will always have a worm or two, but just so they don't get an overload is the important thing.