broody hen with really poopy bum

My broody has seven 2 day old chicks. I noticed today that she has had really bad diarrhea. Her bottom feathers are covered in brown runny poo. I want to bath her but I am concerned about upsetting her too much and making her cold and getting the chicks wet. I don't know what is causing it. Today I gave her and the chicks cooked egg yolks and kefir(which is like yoghurt only more good bacteria). She really liked it and seems to be drinking a lot.

Personally I cannot stand a chicken with a dirty back end. Sometimes that just happens. If I were you, this is what I would do. Regardless of whether she likes it or not. I would take her into the house, wherever, wash that butt and blow dry it dry. Have the chicks in a little box away from her so she can't hear them peeping. If you put the chicks into a teeny tiny little box that can keep them warm and you put a towel or something dark over the top, they will be quiet, they will huddle in a corner of the box and be too scared to move around. I think you need to wash her up good. I have a blowdryer that lives in my chicken barn, just for those specific occasions. You could also bring warm water into a container and stand her in the water and use a plastic cup, I have measuring cups I use for this if I can't get into the shop to use the sink there. I keep putting warm water in the cup and drizzle it over the poopy bum. Sit that chicken on my lap with a towel and then blow dry to kingdom come. I have no issue with keeping backends of birds clean and methods to do it. I find if one begins a poopy bum, that the feces builds up and builds up and you got snowballs, well actually poopballs back there then. She probably just had a huge broody poo that was just icky. Chickens can hold their feces for a good long time, something to do with two poop holding areas in the birds back end. Read an article about that, can't remember where it was or the whole gist of it, but interesting. I don't think she is sick, but the probiotics are certainly a good thing for her and hers. Good luck. Keep us posted on what you do, and have a wonderful, chicken poopy bum day!! CynthiaM.

After you was her butt, if you choose to, pluck the feathers below her vent. It will stop them from getting really messy again until she firms up. Anything with a really dirty bum, I pluck so it stays clean until I get it sorted out and if you pluck and don't cut, the feathers grow back in quicker and nicer.
I am like CynthiaM, a dirty butt drives me crazy!

Oh ya, about plucking and cutting, smiling.....I remember a fellow that had pigeons telling me that they "trimmed" not plucked pigeons,don't know why, didn't bother to ask. I have heard that the chicken feathers should always be plucked right out, not cut. The shaft of the feather can be quite prickly and a rooster may not have a desire to copulate with that hen if he gets poked by something kind of prickly/sharp. Can't blame him eh? Just something from those cobwebs of my mind. Beautiful days, CynthiaM.

Yeah, I've heard that often too, "pluck, don't trim".
I have to say that earlier this spring I was having zero fertility with my new trio of Buff Cochins..immensely fuzzy butts there plus it was a bit early to expect great things. But after the NCAPA show I decided it was time to get down to business and start getting some babies.
I picked up a pretty little pullet and plucked out 2 or 3 feathers, and that poor little hen jumped and squawked each time. I refused to put her through all the plucking that would be required to make any difference. So I took out my little scissors and just started trimming the long, fine feather ends from higher above the vent area that were hanging down as an obstruction. I didn't trim any close to the skin where they could become prickly and uncomfortable during mating.
Well it has worked and fertility has shot up to almost 100%. I'm no longer an advocate for plucking for increased fertility.
What a rebel, eh!
Now, if it is a matter of removing a broken feather to encourage a new one to grow, thats a different story...

My sons Buff Cochin roo was a breeder boy (before retiring to being a pet at our house) and had his butt plucked and trimmed and even after a good moult his butt is still naked! It looks awful and I'm so embarassed for him but now the hens have started pecking at the few feathers he had on his poor bare butt so we pulled him out of the hen house and he's by himself. Anyone have any idea why he's still got a bare butt almost a year after his plucking, trimming, breeding days ended? The rest of his feathers look great but he needs a butt wig

I would go with Cynthias suggestion and wipe up the yucky feathers rather than pluck

Silkies can be particularly bad. After washing, a little cream rinse or glycerine solution on the butt feathers helps prevent poo stickage.

You guys are great! I am going out right now to wash that chickens butt. She is really fluffy so that might be the problem. I have been a hairstylist for almost 40 years, trimming feathers can't be all that different lol. She actually looks a little cleaner today than yesterday so some of it must have come off in the bedding.

Give her a trendy dye job while you are at it! Pink is in!

I like the idea of washing her bum and blow drying her too. I also have a pet blowdryer that has dried many a chicken. I think they actually like it! I don't think the chicks will get too stressed out while mom has her spa treatment. Let us know how she does.

XOX Monika

Monika interesting that you say that the chickens like being blowdried. I think they do too, they calm right down and snuggle in when they are on my lap and the warm air is blowing. KathyS, hmmmm..still not sure if I would go in trimming, I do like plucking though. Seems to me I remember something about plucking below the males vent and females above the vent, or is it the other way around. Picturing how the cloaca kiss occurs. Think it is the female feathers above the vent, makes more sense . Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.