Feathers in vent

[Lyndegirl]

This will either go down as one of the weirdest posts/questions, or you’re going to tell me it’s perfectly normal. I’m relatively new so don’t worry about hurting my feelings if I’m being stupid. One of my Cochins constantly has a clump of diarrhea under her vent. I literally have to give her baths about once a week. Today after getting her cleaned up, in examining her vent, it looked like there were feathers growing out of it. This would obviously hinder evacuation. Can someone tell me if this is normal or if not what to do about it? See pix

 

[theoldchick]

I've never seen that but may I suggest you keep the area trimmed so the fecal matter won't stick to her.

 

[LaFleche]

what to do about it?

Just grab and pull them out. Repeat any time they grow back. This will keep her vent much cleaner and reduce the possibility of oviduct infection.

 

[Lyndegirl]

Thank you. I was afraid would hurt her. So is this common?

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you. I was afraid would hurt her. So is this common?

Some hens retract their cloaca more than others when they are not laying. Nothing to worry about, just stay on top of keeping her clean/plucked.