# Is This Vent Gleet?



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Hello all!
I have read about vent gleet a bit, and recently (within the last month) I have noticed Petal, my golden Wyandotte, has a bare-ish bottom. I have seen her dust bathing and is continuing to lay eggs, and she is otherwise very healthy and active. However, her vent just doesn't look the best. She doesn't really smell like anything too funky. If it is vent gleet, how can I treat it? And, another question-
How can I clean off these rock-hard feces from her? 
I don't want them to attract flies. She's kind of a skittish chicken so bathing her will be a lovely time 
Picture below. Nothing graphic, just gross pasty butt with some white discharge around her vent.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You get to have a lovely time with both of them then. Bathe her. And do the same with her as Raisen. In this heat they will drink more water and their feces will become runny. 

Then keep an eye on both of them for any changes.


----------



## Lillith (10 mo ago)

You might want to consider trimming up her butt feathers just a tad, too. I have a few with especially fluffy butts that need a very light trim just to help the poop fall straight to the ground and not get stuck on their butts, especially when they're drinking a lot of water.


----------



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

robin416 said:


> You get to have a lovely time with both of them then. Bathe her. And do the same with her as Raisen. In this heat they will drink more water and their feces will become runny.
> 
> Then keep an eye on both of them for any changes.


Absolutely! Will shampoo help soften all that mess back there so I can get it off? That one piece has been there a while  
Yeah, it's broiling down here in the South. That 5 gallon waterer has been doing its job.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You might want to look at if there's any way to keep them cooler until this nutty weather passes us by.


----------



## Lillith (10 mo ago)

Wigwam7 said:


> Absolutely! Will shampoo help soften all that mess back there so I can get it off? That one piece has been there a while
> Yeah, it's broiling down here in the South. That 5 gallon waterer has been doing its job.


I fill a bucket with warm water and a good tablespoon of dog shampoo and let them soak for ten minutes if it's really bad. Then I put on some rubber gloves and start working the mess out their feathers. A toothbrush with hard bristles can be helpful. A second round of shampoo might be in order if the water turns black.


----------



## Wigwam7 (Mar 29, 2017)

Lillith said:


> I fill a bucket with warm water and a good tablespoon of dog shampoo and let them soak for ten minutes if it's really bad. Then I put on some rubber gloves and start working the mess out their feathers. A toothbrush with hard bristles can be helpful. A second round of shampoo might be in order if the water turns black.


Great! I'll use our dog shampoo and let each one soak, mostly for Petal since she's the one with the super-dried feces. I'm doing it today : )


----------

