ARGH....Chicken keeps getting poop stuck on butt feathers

[toendersfarm]

Hi all,
I need advice! My sweet Guacamole (rumpless araucana) keeps getting a very poopy bum. The poop gets stuck in her butt feathers and dries to a stinky mess. I have been trimming the feathers around her vent and all around her rear, but I'm still having to clean her bottom every few days. I've even tried lubing her backside with vaseline to prevent things from sticking..... I have watched her closely and her poops look normal, the odd runnier one, but nothing out of the ordinary. I have checked thoroughly for pests/parasites - no signs of worms, mites, etc. She seems perfectly healthy and happy otherwise. She is 5 months (I think), and not laying yet, but getting red around face so I'm thinking she's getting ready. I have a small flock of 6 chickens (1 Ameracauna, 1 Swedish flower, 1 Easter Egger, 2 silkies and the Araucana). All are healthy and none of the others are having this issue. They are in a large grass/dirt run when we aren't home, and free range all around our 1/2 acre lot when we are home to make sure they're safe. They get fed chicken crumble, cracked corn and treats of fruit and veggies. They are all very spoiled. This morning I had to give her a full bath because she was so poopy again! And stinky Is this a "rumpless" issue?? Is this normal? Is there anything else I can do to prevent this from happening? Any suggestions would be appreciated! TIA

 

[Morrigan]

Some chickens just seem to get dirty bottoms, either because of the way their feathers grow, or because of the way they do their business. Sometime trimming the feathers helps, and sometimes it makes it worse as poop seems to catch on the jagged edges. If her poops look normal, the vent is moist and pink, she is otherwise healthy, and the other chickens butts are clean, its probably nothing to worry about.

I had one chicken who's bottom I was always cleaning and trimming. She went though her first molt a few weeks ago, and so far the dirty bottom has not come back. Either she learned better bathroom technique or her feather grew back differently.

 

[toendersfarm]

Some chickens just seem to get dirty bottoms, either because of the way their feathers grow, or because of the way they do their business. Sometime trimming the feathers helps, and sometimes it makes it worse as poop seems to catch on the jagged edges. If her poops look normal, the vent is moist and pink, she is otherwise healthy, and the other chickens butts are clean, its probably nothing to worry about.

I had one chicken who's bottom I was always cleaning and trimming. She went though her first molt a few weeks ago, and so far the dirty bottom has not come back. Either she learned better bathroom technique or her feather grew back differently.

Thanks so much for your reply. Fingers crossed she grows out of it! Poor stinky girl......

 

[ValerieJ]

I'm curious as to how much fruit you give her. Occasionally I give my girls the ends of a watermelon. They love it, but then the next day some of them will have a runny poo. Right now I am having a little of that going on just because apples are falling off the trees in their run. I have been ill lately or I'd be out there picking them up.

 

[toendersfarm]

I'm curious as to how much fruit you give her. Occasionally I give my girls the ends of a watermelon. They love it, but then the next day some of them will have a runny poo. Right now I am having a little of that going on just because apples are falling off the trees in their run. I have been ill lately or I'd be out there picking them up.

We give the cut off's from strawberries, and some blueberries here and there, watermelon ends the odd time this summer. Lettuce and other veg cut offs. Every few days I would say. If it was all of them I'd think maybe it was something we were feeding but it's literally just her.

 

[ValerieJ]

We give the cut off's from strawberries, and some blueberries here and there, watermelon ends the odd time this summer. Lettuce and other veg cut offs. Every few days I would say. If it was all of them I'd think maybe it was something we were feeding but it's literally just her.

I had one hen that it effected more than others too. When I wasn't giving her fruit, she did much better. That's hard here because they live in an orchard.

 

[toendersfarm]

Hmmm I guess they’re all individual just like us, so that makes sense. I’m not sure how to limit it just for her, and I’d hate to stop giving that stuff altogether!

 

[ValerieJ]

Hmmm I guess they’re all individual just like us, so that makes sense. I’m not sure how to limit it just for her, and I’d hate to stop giving that stuff altogether!

I never did. I just knew that was what was happening.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I put water in my girls dry feed. I used to add a lot, almost to the point of being a soup. They loved it, but after a while it seemed like every single one had poo caked on their butt feathers. I cut back on the water, and the poo went away. I guess they were getting too much water.

 

[dmvelez]

Please be diligent about keeping her clean! I had just one hen with this issue as well. Life was busy, I didn't get her bathed as quickly as I should have, and she was eaten alive by screw worms. It was horrible. I'll never forgive myself for not bathing her more and not seeing what was going on until it was too late and I had to put her down. Glad to see you're keeping an eye on her and I hope she either gets past it or you figure it out! I never did...