[animal mad]

i have a flock of 5 chickens which we have had from day old chicks, two of them, the marians have always be prone to having dirty bottooms on and off, when they were smaller we would wash them, now they arefull size and very heavy it is really difficult. i am not sure what to do, one seems to have pinkish skin a bit more than normal what can i get to put on it that will help. they are both bright and happy eating, one is laying the other hasnt started yet. the other 3 in the group are fine never had any problems with them. should i stop the all fruit and veg for the whole group , i have wormed them, i have phoned the vet and wait ing for a reply.

[too many girls]

i have a couple of hens who always seem to have grubby bums, as long as they are healthy and happy i just leave them to it, it doesn't seem to have done them any harm.

[animal mad]

thanks, i am just a bit worieed about te skin being a bit more pink, do you know of anything that i can but on them to protect it.

[joyfull]

if it is caused by the pooh on her feathers I would wash and dry her and then if there are bald areas that are a bit sore you could try sudocreme or savlon. It may just be her natural skin tone though.

[animal mad]

thanks, i just dont really understand why i have the problem with two and not the others. are some breeds more prone to digestive problems than others.

[joyfull]

Don't know about that but my bluebelle often has a mucky bum but she seems to have more fluff down below than the others so every now and then I have been known to trim it a little (not quite as much as a brazilian    )

[dizzylizzie]

Hi, my marens are fine,no problems with dirty bottoms......but one of my ex-batts....well she has such frilly knickers and i dont think she 'drops' them properly The others seem to 'dip' their bottom, not her, she just stands there . like others have said, as long as they are healthy, dont fuss. The only think i would say is in the summer months. You have to watch out for fly strike as the poop will attract them

[Sassy]

Sometimes it is just what is normal for your hen

[animal mad]

i spoke to the vet today who thinks she has some kind of digestive tract damage, and if i can control the diarrhoea thenshe should be dispatched!  not sure i am happy about that as she is happy and healthy in every other way,

[dizzylizzie]

I think is the vet that needs dispatching making comments like that! if you are sure she is well, behaving like a chicken, eating drinking etc, i would just wash her bottom, or like others have sugested, trim her feathers

[animal mad]

i may be doing something totally wrong but i hard tried to give her a bath and she isnt up for it.i thought i could get someone to hold her and wash her bottom but she is really unhappy about that, am i doing this all wrong!! any help would be great. i dont want to leave her as she is but how much do i stress her. 

[IMOmimey]

I would try going along with your 1st suggestion.....cut out the extra fruit and scraps for a while, just to see if it helps.  Layers pellets/mash provides a healthy balanced diet for them, it could be quite simply that she cant digest the extras.  Having said that, I have a bluebell that gets in a mess too. I rubbed in some sudocreme where she looked sore around her vent.  She doesnt really get sore anymore but she's often mucky

[viettaclark]

My Magpie, Phyllis, has always had a mucky bum. She is very fluffy round her rear. I used to worry, but she is healthy and happy. When I think it's TOO caked up I grab her, sit her on my lap and massage olive oil into the feathers. This loosens the matted bits and next day she looks beautiful! She also seems to enjoy it! I've only done this three time since May. The heavy rain has flooded my garden and she gets a bum wash wading about in the deeper bits!
She has never had the runs or been sore, she's just a mucky chicken!

[Caralou]

Some are just naturally mucky, and often they grow out of it if younger birds. My three light sussex until the past few weeks were always mucky and now they look lovely and clean, not sure what changed with them to clean up though! I agree with the others, if happy and healthy I wouldnt worry too much about it 

[redspookycooky]

i had excatly the same problem with one of my ex batts other four were fine, and she had the runs and  really red skin near her bum, i sprayed her and all the others with a mite spray(in the summer) and so far she`s fine, still has the runs occasionally but feathers grown back and bum back to normal, hope this is some help.