White mess on hen’s backside

[Rock chook]

Hello all, just joined up, but been viewing the forums for a long time. Not new to hen keeping, have had a few batches over the years, 1x batch of Rhodies, all perished to Marek’s, 1x batch of Goldlines, 2 light Sussex,and 2 pied Suffolk. Currently have 1 Sussex left, she is turned 5 now, and 2 speckled rescues approx just st under 2. The Sussex has had problems with white mess on her @rse feathers, this has happened a few times now, and I bathed her in warm soap water , but the crud had matted her feathers together, so she has a bit of a bald bot lol. She was ok for a few weeks, but now the white crud has returned,I am going to bath her again tonight, she seems a bit subdued,compared to her normal self,and comb is a bit floppy,however is she is still eating, and will happily take pieces off f bread out of my hand. I dropped an egg in the pen this morning, and she was straight there eating it, but is there anything I can do to clear up this discharge? I have put worming powder in their food last time this happened.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello Rock chook.
Welcome to BYC.
If you could upload a picture it would be helpful.
Meanwhile I would think that the white mess that is sticking her bum feathers together is uric acid mostly. Its also an irritant and this encourages feather picking in that region and what often happens is the chicken ends up with a scrappy sore looking bum.
I take a pair of scissors and cut back the feathers below the vent to give the poop 'free passage'. The crud I pick off with my fingers (sorry for those with a delicate disposition)
You can bath the area in warm water but I find the picking method a lot easier.
The technique is to grasp one of the lumps between your forefinger and thumb and crush the lump. Some set like concrete. Once crush roll the feathers between thumb and finger and the lump turns to dust. I find it easier to do with bare hands.
Needless to state you should thoroughly wash your hands after.

 

[Rock chook]

Thanks Shadrach, I can’t post a pic now, as I’ve just bathed her within the last half hour, last time I did this a lot of her @rse feathers came out anyway, as they were so matted, she does still have a bit of a bald patch there, but it was also underneath behind her legs. She looks a bit bedraggled atm, and was standing by herself staring at the hedge for a while, but has now had a bit of a wander round the garden, and had some squashed cherries out of my hand..

 

[Rock chook]

Thanks Shadrach, I can’t post a pic now, as I’ve just bathed her within the last half hour, last time I did this a lot of her @rse feathers came out anyway, as they were so matted, she does still have a bit of a bald patch there, but it was also underneath behind her legs. She looks a bit bedraggled atm, and was standing by herself staring at the hedge for a while, but has now had a bit of a wander round the garden, and had some squashed cherries out of my hand..

Thanks Shadrach, I can’t post a pic now, as I’ve just bathed her within the last half hour, last time I did this a lot of her @rse feathers came out anyway, as they were so matted, she does still have a bit of a bald patch there, but it was also underneath behind her legs. She looks a bit bedraggled atm, and was standing by herself staring at the hedge for a while, but has now had a bit of a wander round the garden, and had some squashed cherries out of my hand..[/QUOT

Thanks Shadrach, I can’t post a pic now, as I’ve just bathed her within the last half hour, last time I did this a lot of her @rse feathers came out anyway, as they were so matted, she does still have a bit of a bald patch there, but it was also underneath behind her legs. She looks a bit bedraggled atm, and was standing by herself staring at the hedge for a while, but has now had a bit of a wander round the garden, and had some squashed cherries out of my hand..

Well its back again . She still hss a dirty backside. Pic attached not very gpod but difficult to take.

 

[Mimi13]

I am aware of the white gooey mess you are describing. I have often wondered exactly what it was, but even not knowing I just have to keep it cleaned off. I see this on my three year old BO mostly. She is also my internal layer and has a tremendously large abdomen. This makes it very difficult for her to “drop her body” when they squat to poop. For whatever reason, I can’t stand it and clean her every few days or so. I do not bathe her that many times, instead I clean her exactly like @Shadrach described.

Several of my other hens, on the other hand, just seem to keep a dirty booty. And once again, for whatever reason, (I seem to like to use that phrase I reckon), the way their feathers are, the poop just can’t clear them. Instead, it falls right down into the midst of the feathers creating the rock hard cement Shadrach mentioned, that I just bust up every so often. I have often wondered if some breeds are more prone to a dirty booty by the way their feathers stick straight up under their vent.

I made the mistake early on with one of my pullets, now a hen that hasn’t molted since I did this, by trimming away some of her booty fluff. That was a huge mistake I think, now, but I didn’t know then. It seems as though I created the “right environment” to catch poop, in the feather shafts that were left after trimming. Oh well, here’s hoping to a “mulligan” in golfing terms, or redo, on the feather situation once she molts. I hate that she always has a dirty booty though. Thank goodness it is on my SLW and her dark feathers don’t show it as bad as say my WPR would.

Anyway, long story short, I feel it is pretty imperative to keep that mess washed off or busted up to remove because I’m paranoid of fly strike. I’ve never had it in my flock, but I also don’t want to either.

Good luck with your “Dirty Booty Judy!”

 

[Rock chook]

Im going to trim her feathers later once its dried up a bit

 

[Mimi13]

Im going to trim her feathers later once its dried up a bit

Just don’t trim too much like I did.

 

[Rock chook]

Just don’t trim too much like I did.

Well the first time I bathed her most of the feathers came out anyway, the photo is difficult to see the extent. Its now at tje bottm almost between her legs

 

[Rock chook]

Just trimmed all the crud infested area from her backside, she seems to be bearing down alot as if to defecate?

 

[Mimi13]

Just trimmed all the crud infested area from her backside, she seems to be bearing down alot as if to defecate?

With that being said, there may be something else going on.

Is her abdomen hard, distended? It seems it may be in your photo, but I can’t really tell.

When a hen lays an egg, she will “grunt/bear down” with each contraction to expel the egg. Is there a possibility she could either be egg bound OR possibly have the remnants of a soft shelled egg still inside her? I do have a Red Star that no longer lays an actual egg. Her eggs have no shell, just membrane that gives way to the contractions and pops, releasing the contents of the egg through the vent, which also makes a big mess on her feathers. If left on her own she will stand and grunt until she has passed the wadded up membrane, but most of the time I see her and intervene. I will lube my finger and help her “deliver” the remaining parts of the egg. I then put a bit of hemorrhoidal cream inside to help with any inflammation. [If this particular bird wasn’t one of my OG hens (Original Gansta Hens) I would have put her down long ago.]