Red vent

[Anonymous]

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Hi, One of my chickens has a slightly red vent and a dirty bum. (I have recently used Flubenvet). Please can you advise me what to do next? Thank you. Rosser

 

[foxy]

I wouldn't be too worried about a red vent, that is normal. Saying that though, if the bottom gets a bit dirty, clip the feathers around the vent. Check for feather pecking and any signs of lice....the eggs look like clusters of icing sugar at the base of the feathers and lice tend to congregate around the vent.
This time of year, when it gets warm the droppings are looser as the hens drink to keep themselves hydrated, so more likely to get a bit messy there!

 

[Tim]

Yep, agree with Foxy - and often, the lice eggs can look like the dirty bum problem - because they lay their eggs in the same sort of area and they are white. The trick is to look to see whether any white 'muck' is only at the base of the feathers and the tops of these feathers are relatively clean... It can be confusing.

 

[Anonymous]

Ok! Thank you for your replies which are much apprecited! Rosser