HELP! Losing all my chickens!

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namastechick

namastechick

In the Brooder
5 Years
Jul 10, 2014
19
1
24
We are in the middle of winter here and just two weeks ago I noticed one of my hens had a bleeding vent. I swooped her up and took her in following all the instructions I could find to help her - warm bath, feed her greens and water and kept her warm.....well until my husband got home, but we put her in the barn in a dog crate with a heating pad underneath. She was eating and drinking fine for a few days and then I noticed another with the same problem the next day. It was storming out so bad that night that I could not do anything for her and I did not have another dog crate. She was not eating or drinking like the other one and she stayed in the nesting box away from the other chickens so I knew she would be safer there. The next night my husband checked on her and she did not make it the night. I knew when she was not eating or drinking so I figured she was not going to make it. The one in the barn did end up dying after 4 days as well.
So, today another blizzard I went to check on them and noticed another with the same bleeding vent. This time my husband said ok to taking her and leaving her in the house, but I think she may have went into shock as she was fine out in the coop eating and drinking and now that she is in the dog crate in the house she won't eat any greens or drink. I am hoping she will come around, but she certainly is not wanting to do anything other than lay down. I am worried about the last chicken now as this is either because of the cold.....we researched so much on what to do and not to do for winter, so I am hoping it is not that.....Or it is some sort of virus or bacterial infection that is going right through the flock. I am also worried as well because I have only one left and I know that their body heat together keep them warm. I feel like I have FAILED BIG TIME. I feel like I am a bad hen mommy because I cannot protect them. If anyone can give me any advice as I do not know what to do to fix this and if I cannot fix this I am certainly not going to put any other hens through this.

Failed hen mommy :(
 
Is it their actual vent bleeding from some sort of physical trauma or does I appear to be more on the order of internal bleeding that is simply exiting the cloaca
.
Do their abdomens seem lumpy or full of fluid?
How are their poops?
I know it seems like a lot of questions but the more we know the more we can help. Also pictures may be helpful.
 
So sorry for your loss. Your not a failed chicken mommy...saw that at the bottom of your post. Things happen, chickens get sick and sometimes there is nothing we can do. As the other member requested above we do need more information to try to understand what is happing in order to help. Wishing you the best.
 
Sorry, I should have mentioned that their vents are swollen and bleeding. I know that the other chickens were pecking, but when I cleaned them up it stopped bleeding, but their vents were very swollen and purple. Their abdomens do not feel full or lumpy. The one I had in the dog crate before had some liquid coming from the vent later on and also had poop stuck to her vent. I cannot tell what type of poops the one I have in the house has now, but I have been watching their poops in the coop and one of them had normal poops and the other was more runny.....couldn't tell who's was who's though. The other thing is the were all laying eggs fine and then the next day their vent is swollen, bloody and purple. Hope this helps. Thanks!
 
SD Bird Lady said:
Is it their actual vent bleeding from some sort of physical trauma or does I appear to be more on the order of internal bleeding that is simply exiting the cloaca
.
Do their abdomens seem lumpy or full of fluid?
How are their poops?
I know it seems like a lot of questions but the more we know the more we can help. Also pictures may be helpful.
Click to expand...
x2

I assumed it was bloody droppings but this is a good question are their abdomens full of fluid- is it internal bleeding or some other problem instead of droppings?
 
Thanks ChickensAreSweet for all the URLs. I checked them all out, but the only symptom I have is a swollen vent. No other symptoms. They are literally fine one day laying eggs and fluffy butt and then the next day I check and they are bleeding from the vent and swollen. I am racking my brain to remember anything that may have happened that could potentially cause this......one I remember that the chickens pecked a mouse to death weeks before this happened and the day after I had to look after the neighbors chickens (who all seem fine) is when the issue started. I cannot imagine that I could have taken a virus or bacteria from that flock to my own could I? Especially if their chickens are fine? I know that mice can also transmit disease, but they did not eat the lone mouse, but pecked a hole through it and it was missing half its tail. These as well as the cold and horrible weather are the only things that make me think could be the cause. I believe now as well that we should have done a better job in closing off drafts for them, but was no nervous that they would have no ventilation. Our neighbors have over 20 chickens, but have better housing for them. Since we only had 4 chickens we did not go as elaborate as our neighbors. If I decided to go through this again I certainly will educate myself more and follow our neighbors housing construction.
 
Hey, I will send a picture of our coops construction when I find a picture. It should be large enough for 6 hens, but we only had 4.
 

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