Hen with encrusted vent, underweight and not laying

[Eggcessive]

For debriding a chicken vent, I would use a rough wash cloth, and rub the skin after soaking in epsom salts, chlorhexidene, saline, or weak betadine. It has to be done to try and get down to the pink tissue. It does make it bleed, but that's when to stop. This can be done several times, not all at once.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

For debriding a chicken vent, I would use a rough wash cloth, and rub the skin after soaking in epsom salts, chlorhexidene, saline, or weak betadine. It has to be done to try and get down to the pink tissue. It does make it bleed, but that's when to stop. This can be done several times, not all at once.

Learned something new! Thanks for all the help.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@ctrl-alt-doll how is your girl doing?

 

[ctrl-alt-doll]

@ctrl-alt-doll how is your girl doing?

@Wyorp Rock Thanks for asking. She's coming along nicely. She is resigned to her nightly bath now. I can just leave her to float. I'll check her later on, but last night she had slimy stuff coming out so I'm hoping that's the break down of what was encrusted rather than something nastier.

I'll put her on antibiotics I think.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

@Wyorp Rock Thanks for asking. She's coming along nicely. She is resigned to her nightly bath now. I can just leave her to float. I'll check her later on, but last night she had slimy stuff coming out so I'm hoping that's the break down of what was encrusted rather than something nastier.

I'll put her on antibiotics I think.

Awww...the image of a floating chicken, its just too cute

You have done very well through all of this and I commend you on your dedication.
I'm glad she seems to be doing well. Is she putting on any weight?
I'm hoping the slime is a "cleaning out" and not something else. Is it like pus or more like egg white/egg matter or neither? Has she tried to lay an egg through all this?
I do appreciate the update.

 

[User395221]

I do appreciate the update.

Yes, I get concerned about peeple that I join threads about, I like to get the progress updates, especially when you thought it was "really bad" and you were wrong and they get better.

 

[ctrl-alt-doll]

Awww...the image of a floating chicken, its just too cute

You have done very well through all of this and I commend you on your dedication.
I'm glad she seems to be doing well. Is she putting on any weight?
I'm hoping the slime is a "cleaning out" and not something else. Is it like pus or more like egg white/egg matter or neither? Has she tried to lay an egg through all this?
I do appreciate the update.

I'll check again tonight. I bought some plastic gloves today so I can get "in there" and get a feel for what is in there. The slime looked more like egg white I think. Definitely not yellow or green though.

This girl has never laid an egg. I don't know if she has tried lately. I don't know about her weight either but her gullet has been full which it wasn't the first few times so she is eating more and she feels more solid. Not as frail.

As for the dedication... I would have culled her a week ago but my husband is home from his overseas work and he has different ideas. I tend to think that taking the pain away is better than having them struggle, possibly in pain. My husband sees it differently. He sees them as pets.

Having said that, if it was my black silkie that was afflicted, the one with the character that comes running when I call her and is a gentle mama when she's broody, then different story but again, I would have leaned towards taking the pain away and euthenase her too. I hope I don't have to make that decision with her.

I thought chickens were supposed to be easy. Our introduction to keeping them has been afflicted with all sorts of problems including respiratory disease and a mites infestation which we found we both reacted badly to it. We started with 5 and we are down to 3, possibly just 2 if this last one doesn't survive.

Thanks for listening.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Bless your heart.

 

[User395221]

Just a run of bad luck, hopefully.

 

[ctrl-alt-doll]

It's been over a week now and apart from the initial improvement, there has been no movement forward or backward. I'm now managing my husband who has refused to admit defeat. To be honest, I don't know if the chicken is suffering and I would prefer a humane ending for her. He wants to take her to the vet tomorrow to see what else can be done.

I'll let you know what happens.