Something stringy coming out of vent

[RedShuffler]

Howdy all, stone cold newb here, I was hoping some of you experienced hands could help with this..........I opened the coop this morning and the gals were still on the roosts, I was looking at my rooster's tail since I've had a bully hen (now in time out) pecking his tail and pulling feathers. I happened to see this hanging out of one of my gal's vent and grabbed it to take pics and ask you guys what you think. Thanks in advance for all replies.

My chicken experience has been pretty rough so far and I wish I'd found this site before getting them. I'm 6 weeks into chicken life and down to 12 hens and my rooster, started with 20 Hylines and a Polish Rooster (that were sick with pox and I didn't know) and added 10 more various breeds (that were sick with respiratory issues that didn't manifest until 3 or 4 days after getting here) ..........made the mistake of integrating them. It's been a mess, and a learning experience. I've had the county extension agent out, several people that have years of chicken experience and learned a LOT in a short amount of time. I've made a couple of mistakes, and had some flat out bad luck..........but, I'm hoping I'm on the downhill side of the worst of it. They were all wormed the first weekend they got here, they've also been on Duramycin for 8 days and then Denagard for 5 days after that since the Duramycin didn't seem to help much. I isolated 5 of them early on and gave them Tylan, and they got better and I re-integrated them. The dozen I have left seem to be doing pretty good, they love free-ranging and I turn them out every afternoon when I get in from work. I think there is some boredom in the coop/run..even though there is room for 4 times as many chickens to have ample space....I suspect that's where the bullying/feather picking is coming from. I got a flock block yesterday to help some (I hope).

Sorry, I know that was long-winded........again, thanks in advance for any answers/advice on the picture.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your problems, but hopefully things will start to get better. Close-up, the picture looks like a long strand of mucus from the intestinal tract to me. It may just be normal or from irritation after worming, antibiotics, etc. Once or twice a week, I like to give some probiotics in the chickens' diet, either from some plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or a commercial product such as Probios for animals. Keep in mind that getting chickens from different sources can introduce carrier diseases into your flock, and many of the respiratory diseases remain in the flock untill all of the birds are gone. Mycoplasma, coryza, ILT, and infectious bronchitis are some of the common ones that make the other chickens carriers whether they come down with symptoms or not. Here is a good article to read about the most common diseases, as well as one on biosecurity in flocks:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
http://animalsciencey.ucdavis.edu/avian/pfs26.htm