I've got 2 cream legbars and 2 gold laced wyandottes. All 4 have got lovely fluffy bottoms but one of the legbars seems to get quite a bit of poop caught in her feathers. It has started to look quite matted around her vent, although her vent is clean.
I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and, if so, what the best way to clean her up is? Should I just dunk her bum in a bucket of water and give it a scrub? Can I use shampoo / washing up liquid / soap?
Also any ideas why she is suffering when her equally fluffy bottomed sisters have no issues? Anything health wise to be aware of?
Thanks Chris
Trying to find out how to raise the happiest chooks in Yorkshire:)
I have no answers, I'm afraid, but hoping that someone else will have since I have the same problem with one of mine and was going to ask the same question.
I've tried bathing her (which she hated) and even trimmed some feathers, but it just gradually got bad again. She walks with her tail lower than the other hens, which is maybe due to the discomfort of it, but otherwise seems fine and is quite strong and dominant. She doesn't like being handled, and I worry that she will get fly strike.
Best way I have found is nice bowl of warm soapy water, made soapy by shampoo, put her in until she relaxes down, glove your hand and go for it gently washing away, you may also be able to pick some off, one of mine was particularly bad I put some conditioner on just to be able to remove the hard bits, I dont usually use conditioner, think it is probably not good for the feathers, dry with a towel and then a hairdryer on a lowish setting
Is she having anything to eat different than the others? I take it you have the poo chart? sometimes its nothing sometimes it could be they have something. I will pop the chart here for you anyway
Thanks very much, Perchy! I will give that a try - though I'll wait till they are fully confident in their new home first. I don't own a hairdryer (my last one literally went up in smoke 25 years ago and I haven't dared use one since!) so I'll have to choose a warm day so she can air-dry.
As far as I know, she's eating the same as the others, but since they free-range, I can't be sure: maybe she has a particular fondness for caterpillars or something! The only difference I can see is that she is particularly greedy for treats and maybe eats more of them than the others.
Karen Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
Yes, having worms often makes the poops more runny & can attract the flies too. Flies are particularly attracted to the sticky dark poop, so if she has that stuck on her you'd be wise to deal with it quick as poss. (I lost a hen that way) I usually trim the worst of it (carefully!) that I cant wash off. If you do wash them perhaps a few drops of lavender or citronella oil in a final rinse might put off the flies if that worries you.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." --Immanuel Kant
They were wormed just before we got them, in February, so they are probably due again, although they do get diatomaceous earth in their layers mash.
I've ordered some Invermectin, because we've recently been given a cockerel who turned out to have scaly leg. Since one of the hens is a parasite magnet and we just can't seem to get her clear of lice, and since they're only laying one egg a day between them, it seemed like a good idea to just treat all the adults with Invermectin and feed the eggs back to them and to the chicks for the next week or so. Would this clear any worms at the same time, or would we need to get them some Flubenvet as well? If we do need to get Flubenvet, is it a good idea to give them both at the same time, or should we stagger the treatments?
One of our girls has had a mucky bum every since we got her two years ago and her poos are usually very runny but she's completely heathly in every other way and happliy goes around her chickeny business We give her a spa treatment when she's looking a bit messy but it's definitely a two man job. I get a bowl of warm soapy water (baby shampoo - makes my mum laugh ), my hubby picks her up and stands her up against the bowl as we've been unable to actually get her into the water. Then he tempts her with mealworms while I get out the rubber gloves and wash off as best I can. Some of the more stubborn bits take a bit longer but I splash plenty of water over and it softens it up enough. It's it's a wam day I'll then just pat her dry with a towel to get most of the water off. She's pretty much always had a bald bum and I don't think she'll ever gettfeathers back there now.
Kath xx
Mum to my beautiful girls Lucy, Holly, Rosie, Hettie, Polly, Ruby, Lily, Penny, Gracie, Maisie, Molly, Evie and my gorgeous boy Toby
RIP my beautiful Ranger, Roxy, Bluebelle, Poppy, Speckle, Daisy and Honey xxxx
Given that I started this thread I'd better say thanks too!
Answering some of the q's above yes they've been wormed with flub regularly and god only knows what they eat when they're out roaming during the day but the law of averages says that they must eat pretty much the same things!
Having observed them all, I think that Emmy (she of the messy bottom) just doesn't lower her fluffy bits quite as well as the others when she goes.
On with the marigolds then...
Trying to find out how to raise the happiest chooks in Yorkshire:)
Aspasia wrote:Thanks very much for that, Karen and Kitla!
They were wormed just before we got them, in February, so they are probably due again, although they do get diatomaceous earth in their layers mash.
I've ordered some Invermectin, because we've recently been given a cockerel who turned out to have scaly leg. Since one of the hens is a parasite magnet and we just can't seem to get her clear of lice, and since they're only laying one egg a day between them, it seemed like a good idea to just treat all the adults with Invermectin and feed the eggs back to them and to the chicks for the next week or so. Would this clear any worms at the same time, or would we need to get them some Flubenvet as well? If we do need to get Flubenvet, is it a good idea to give them both at the same time, or should we stagger the treatments?
Ivermectin is great to clear mites but apparently wont kill lice (because they feed differently I think) We've successfully used frontline spot on for cats to kill lice(vet recommended), but I spose you wouldn't want to use both at once, another way is putting the hen (not her head!) in a pillowcase with lice powder in, something I've read on here but not done myself yet. I have read that Ivermectin will kill worms too, (not sure if that's right), but flubenvet is preferred because there's no egg withdrawal. I personally wouldn't do both together.
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." --Immanuel Kant
Thanks very much again, Kitla! I did wonder how that could work since the lice feed on feathers, not blood. But then the same should apply to Frontline, shouldn't it?
Mrboons, my apologies for hijacking your thread, and sincere thanks for starting it! Also, with the marigolds!
Regular entries focusing on Nature in the Garden and beyond
Also, 
with the marigolds!
