Barley has a problem

A couple of evenings ago there were a couple of runny, very black, splats on the patio. I wasn’t sure who they were coming from.

There have been black slpats in the chicken shed overnight and in the run over the last few days.

Yesterday I saw that Barley had a very mucky bottom. She was the obviously the culprit. Her feathers were streaked in black poop and she was constantly pecking at it. It was obviously really annoying her.

Barley has a mucky bottom

It is really annoying her

In the past Peaches has had a mucky bottom and I managed to pick her up and clean her. I decided to do the same with Barley but she cottoned on that I was trying to pick her up and she wasn’t having any of that.

Peaches and Barley are the most speedy and the most difficult to pick up of all my girls.

I decided to leave it until bedtime. Once she was on the perch she was easy to pick up. Once I had picked her up she was as good as gold and didn’t move at all while I dealt with the problem. I sponged her with warm water with a little washing up liquid added. Once I had all the poop out I dried her feathers with a soft cloth. I dried her as thoroughly as I could and popped her back on her perch.

This is how she looked in the morning.

Barley has a fluffy bottom once more

That has got to feel better.

I googled black, sloppy, chicken poop and the results said that if the hen looks fine and well and is eating then it’s nothing to worry about and could  be due to something she has eaten. I had given melon as the lunch time treat for a few days so have decided to lay off of the melon for a while.

It is good to see her with a fluffy bottom once more. If only all problems were so easy to resolve.

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6 Responses to Barley has a problem

  1. Marion Pharo says:

    Good it is nothing to worry about.

    • It’s just something that happens sometimes especially if they have eaten something with a high water content such as the melon. Her fluffy bottom is pretty cute.

  2. Amy Sanchez says:

    Try giving her some plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. I mix a rounded teaspoon with some rolled oats as it’s easier for them to eat that way. I find the probiotics in the yogurt agree w/ their insides and can help. Just don’t do it every day as too much dairy isn’t good for hens.

    Twice a week or so would be good.

    • I do give them plain, probiotic, yogurt now and again but have just realised that I haven’t given it for a few weeks so I will get some. I give it just as it is as they love it. They do get all over their beaks but they don’t seem to mind. I always think that they are wishing that they had tongues when they have yogurt.

  3. David Anderson says:

    Yes – the yogurt is something mine love, but the darker-plumage ones always look a real mess afterwards.

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