White Poo, Very Sick Hen

[LMC]

Hello everyone! I'm so grateful to have this wonderful forum here! Every time I've had a problem or a question you all are so quick to give great advice! So thank you, thank you!
My problem is not with a hen of my own, but one of my Dad's. I noticed about 1 week ago that the hens who were black (about 4) had white feces stuck down the length of their bottoms. Almost like they pooed while bent over and it just dribbled down by towards their legs/bellies. The hens were acting normal and the other colored ones are not affected at all. I don't know if this is pasty butt or not.
Now one hen is very sick, last night she would not move for scratch, for warmth, nothing. We picked her up and put her in a warm coop. I'm sure she is still sitting there. Here are the pics we were able to get of her.

I couldnt really get a pic of the vent, I'm not sure where it is? I just saw 2 pink areas when I moved the feathers, I assume the vent was one of them. Nothing jumped out at me as swollen or infected, I didn't see much of anything except a pink spot. I'm not sure what to do, I know she is sick. The others are probably going to get sick as well. Thank you in advance!

***Edited to say the 2nd picture is turned sideways.****

 

[PunkinPeep]

Hi LMC,

Pasty butt is usually when a newly hatched chick gets a pasted over vent, blocking them from being able to poop. This is not pasty butt.

However, she is clearly sick. We definitely need more information to help figure out what is wrong. There is a sticky at the top of the page that you could use to give us better information.

But in the mean time, i would be interested in seeing if she might be having a crop problem or an egg-making problem. Since she hasn't been eating, you should be able to feel of her crop (right breast area) and see if it feels compacted...or how it feels in general. If it's completely flat, and you can't find it, then something else is wrong.

You can also feel gently around her lower abdomen (right in front of her vent on her belly) and see if you feel any hardness, or possibly an egg.

This will be a start.

Hopefully it's something simple.

And

 

[CMV]

Poopy butts are not too much to worry about usually unless you think she may have something like vent gleet. I have a few birds that refuse to roost, so they have chronically poopy butts. But what other signs of illness is she displaying?

 

[LMC]

Thank you for the replies. She is just staying in one spot. If you pick her up and put her somewhere that is where she will stay until you move her again. The only thing that looks wrong is the poo on her feathers, well, and the frostbite, and I think she has scaley leg mites.
The poo, I can't tell which is hers or not because of the rest of the chickens. I can tell you how she is kept and maybe that can help?
She is in a coop that in my opinion is too small for 14 hens, the floor is wet hay, it is replaced often, but wet frequently. One side of the coop, directly in front of the roost is open on one side. So, when the wind blows, she is cold.
These are not my chickens, but I'm there often because I rehomed my favorite rooster there. My roo has his own coop, but I'm there nearly everyday and can see the problems with the chickens.

I've never felt for a crop or an egg, but that is what I'm going to do. I can believe that this has nothing to do with the vent, right? Now I'm looking for an impacted crop or a stuck egg? I'm working on the rest of the flock issues as I can because I don't want anything to spread to my roo.

I'm on my way over to dad's to check on her, and I will update when I return. Thank you!

 

[LMC]

ok, I just washed the hen's bottom. I was able to watch her poop, it was nothing but milky white, liquid. I felt all around her belly, dont feel anything except bones? I felt the crop, I believe there is definately something there, I felt another chicken to make sure what I was feeling was abnormal. It felt hard, she wont extend her neck, like the others do when I pick them up and stroke them. But now I'm very reluctant to touch her again, after I washed her I was covered with little red flea looking things. But here is a pic of her. I'm going to look up crop issues.

 

[CMV]

They all have mites which is why she is ailing. The need to be treated with an insecticide ASAP. The whole coop area will also need to be cleaned out completely and treated as well. You need to be very cautious not to bring these back to your flock, so make sure you change your shoes and clothes after leaving the other coop. Those little red bugs are mites and with the load you are describing they are going to be deadly if not treated immediately.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
x2

Also, the white runny poop probably just means that she is drinking but not eating. Once you get those mites resolved, maybe you could put some vitamins in her water to help her recuperate. Don't ignore that crop though. It sounds like both things may be bothering her.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
x2

Also, the white runny poop probably just means that she is drinking but not eating. Once you get those mites resolved, maybe you could put some vitamins in her water to help her recuperate. Don't ignore that crop though. It sounds like both things may be bothering her.

Agree. She has multiple issues going on.

 

[LMC]

Wow, thank you! I kinda suspected the mite problem when I noticed the leg mites. I don't handle these hens really, just to treat the little things I have seen.
I have a white Sultan chick that I raised, believing it to be a pullet. Then she crowed and I had to rehome her at Dad's house. I have set up my roo's own area for him, for his safety and health. I've always kept my personal coop clean and dry to prevent dirty feet and pests, it is becoming a real challenge now.
I hope to have my bird join the rest of the flock,eventually, hopefully, which includes one rooster. So I am going to clean out Dad's coop I guess.

So, I need some D- Earth, Orange Guard, wood shavings to start...

 

[PunkinPeep]

You can use vaseline on their legs to smother the scaly leg mites.

And for the mites on their bodies, i like to go organic as much as i can, but i would get some poultry dust or whatever you can find that's recommended for killing the mites, and i would douse them with poison. The d.e. isn't going to do the trick at this point - and certainly not quickly enough.