4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[JM]

Daphne always seems to have a dirty rear end when she first comes out of the cube in the morning. It's not ill health as she's very 'up and at em' and looks very healthy ... more poor aiming and a very feathery knickers! She cleans it herself - sort of, but never really well though! The trouble is she doesn't really like being picked up yet - she crouches and lets me pick her up (mostly), but if I take too long in cleaning her, she starts struggling! I think that she associates me with food and having her bottom cleaned!

 

So any suggestions? I don't want her to get fly strike, but I also don't want to stress her by attacking her rear end every time I pick her up!!

 

Thanks

 

J

[urbanchick]

What about snipping the dirty feathers off with scissors? Might be quicker than washing.

[n2hec]

Learnt this on a recent Poultry course.

 

When a chicken poos the tail feathers lift and the frilly knicker feathers should dip down. If there are clusters of lice eggs around the base of these feathers they don't dip and the feathers will then get dirty.

 

Might be worth dusting your chickens with louse powder or Diatom as a precaution. Even the best chickens can get lice (bit like nits for children )

 

Hope it helps

[Jaack]

try putting some apple cider vinegar in the drinking water , it helps digestion and gives the feathers a boost. Your chicken may just be a little under the weather, even though you cant notice.

[Yolky]

I am worried to hear that lice may be the problem. I got my from omlet on friday and she has a little bit of white poo on her frilly knickers. I don't think she would let me examine her in the day so I will have to do it tonight....what should I be looking out for for lice?

 

I shall order some diatomaceous earth today, do I need to order red mite powder as well or is that unneeded with the plastic bars?

[Jaack]

Lice hide away at the base of the feathers. However, if you only got her on friday i doubt she would have lice, because omlet wouldnt or shouldnt release them to buyers if they have a disease.

 

You could give it a few days, maybe until friday and see how she goes. but if she has lice you need to sort it before it spreads fast as its uncomfortable for the bird.

[yvonne]

I think I may have the same problem, one of my girls has a dirty bum and when I washed it off the other day noticed some small white lumps around the base of the feathers, now I think this may be lice eggs ?? She hasn't been laying so well recently either. Just got some Johnsons spray, anyone know if this is likely to affect the eggs (bloke in pet shop had no idea). Had no idea their feathers moved when they poo'd - the things you learn !!

[JM]

Had a good look this evening - and no signs of lice or lice eggs - phew!

[Yolky]

I have got my out of the run twice now for a look. I am not very good at handing them and looking yet but I was able to look into the tail feathers and a bit near the vent and could see no lice or anything. She still has a little bit of a dirty botty it isn't too bad though. I am going to get the diatom and give them a bit of a dusting anyway, won't hurt.