Clean and trimmed chicken butts mean healthier chickens, cleaner eggs, and keeps birds cooler in the summer months. Trimming your chickens vent feathers takes only a few minutes and is time well spent.

If your chicken has feces clinging to their vent area (butt feathers) it is a good idea to trim the encrusted feathers off. Crusty chicken butts attract parasites, cause infections, and can cause vent blockage. Trimming vent feathers also keeps birds cooler in the summer months (don't trim vent feathers in the winter). Trimming vent feathers also increases fertility rates. Check your birds daily. Trim and clean bird butts as needed. It is a good idea to soak your chicken a bucket in warm soapy water to loosen the feces and to get the feathers wet (do not let your bird drink the water and do not let their face go under the water). When the bird's feathers are wet you can easily see where your birds skin is so you do not cut your bird by accident. I usually soak the birds butt in shallow warm water with a squirt or two of Dawn dish soap for a few minutes, then I trim the vent feathers into a V shape. After trimming, I give my chicken a Chicken Spa Day which involves bathing, toenail clipping, spur clipping, trimming feathers around the eyes if needed, oiling wattles, combs, legs and feet.
Featured Video: Chicken Vent Maintenance and Trimming
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Chicken vent maintenance and trimming.. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 26 June 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5VMaY26HLM