# Poopie vent!



## serena (Aug 31, 2013)

Good morning~
We recently became owners of three 16 month old hens! We have noticed that one of our favorlles has an icky butt. We would like to help her clean, any tips on how to do this? Thanks for your input~


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Icky can be normal in the heat of summer or it can be abnormal...it all depends on the consistency of the ick and the smell of it.

If it's mostly white and just smells like regular chicken manure, it's normal and a result of increased water consumption...some drink more than others, just like us humans.

If it's a tannish or brownish looking ick that smells like a rotten carcass along the roadside after three days in the sun, it may be an abnormal ick called "gleet". It's not all that common unless the flock they came from has been treated with antibiotics in the past and have developed an overgrowth of a bad yeast in the digestive tract.

Here's a pic of abnormal ick...it usually accompanies a red, swollen and raw vent area.










Unless it's gleet, the normal ick should clear up in time with cooler weather. If the bird is otherwise healthy in action and appearance, I'd not worry too much.


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## serena (Aug 31, 2013)

Thank you~
Would it be a good idea to hose her off?


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

I wouldn't hose her off...might be a little much. If you want to clean her off to assess her bottom, you might soak it in warm, soapy water and gently wash it, rinse it and dry it. Then you can get a better idea of the skin condition lying underneath the matted feathers and the ick.


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