Poopy butt / infection on otherwise healthy hen. Not sure what to do.

[amildiaz]

My 1.5 yr old rhode island red has often had a poopy butt, and we would bath her periodically to clean it off over the last year. Lately she has stopped growing feathers in the area under her vent so the poopy butt isn't as much of an issue but it looks swollen and irritated. Otherwise she acts like a normal chicken. Any advice?

 

[Eggcessive]

It looks like she is being feather picked by others. Does she have a bad odor or a continuous leakage of urates from her vent? I would keep her clean with warm soaks to her vent and bare area daily, and then apply some Nustock cream to her bottom daily. BluKote or the Nustock can help to prevent pecking. You could also give her some Monistat cream 1/2 inch orally into her beak in case she has vent gleet. But I think it may be just feather picking. Probiotics can be helpful if she is having runny poops. What are you feeding her? Is her crop emptying overnight by morning?

 

[amildiaz]

She gets a mixture of free range and green mountain layer pellets. I'll check her crop in the morning and look into the topical products. Thank you!