hens wormed but still mucky - HELP !!!

[freddie2443]

We have 11 hens running with one cockerel ( all mixed breeds ) we worm them regularly with marriage feed with flubenvet included and recently fed them this in jul/aug .we put apple cider vinegar in the drinking water once a month for a week too . i have 3 hens that still have white mucky bottoms and have tried washing them gently but they are still white ! the other hens and cockerel are fine . we have other chickens in different pens that are fine too ! The run they're in is partly grassed and wood chips in the other part - i clean the main muck from inside the house every day . MOst of the hens are still laying and all birds are active and seem healthy enough , Have tried the chicken vet gut bacteria and gave them all a shot but nothing seems to work - any help or advice would be much appreciated !!!!

 

[greatbarnet]

Do you mean it won't wash off, or that once you've washed them they get dirty again? I have an ex=battery hen who always had a dirty bottom. She sleeps on the floor too which probably doesn't help. Washing was not only difficult but ineffective, so I resorted to clipping the mucky feather ends off with scissors. It's not perfect but she looks a lot tidier.

 

[Chuck]

Some birds and animals are naturally mucky ! One thing that is sometimes missed is that what appears to be droppings around the vent are in fact clumps of lice eggs but this is less likely in well kept birds. If washing doesn't work, a little judicious clipping of the vent feathers may be the answer.

 

[freddie2443]

That's great !! Thanks for the advice

 

[ncotb]

Good advice from Chuck. One of mine was naturally mucky, didnt matter what I did, she loved to sleep on the floor :roll:

 

[foxy]

Some birds do get a bit more soiled that others, especially if they roost on the floor. Trim the feathers from the area so you can have a good look at the vent. If there is any odour or excoriation then I would suspect something else may be going on as opposed to just a little bit mucky.