Hi all!
I know that the answers are here in the forums somewhere, I just can't wrap my head around reading right now (lack of sleep, probably) and I know that some of y'all have had to deal with this issue, I just need some advice. And comforting. And tequila...
Let me start on Sunday, 01/12/14...
Usually I let my 5 hens and 2 roosters out at around lunch time to free range and sun bathe, but because of the weather for this past week, I haven't been able to and they've been coop bound. Yesterday (which was my birthday, BTW!) was a BEAUTIFUL, sunny morning, so I was going to let the flock stay out all day. When my son got to the coop to let them out, he said "Hey mom, the chickens made you birthday presents!" ... my 6 month old pullets had become layers!!! There were 6 little brown eggs and 1 full size (?) brown egg. I have a mixed flock of orpingtons, d'uucles, seramas and silkies - so I wasn't sure who was laying. As I was congratulating my girls, I noticed that something was wrong with "Rooster", my orpington cockerel. Or who I THOUGHT was a cockerel! "Rooster" is now "Shirley". And Shirley has a prolapsed vent. I don't know if she's the one that laid all 7 eggs, but she's the only one that should be laying brown eggs.
Unfortunately, we don't have chicken insurance and hubby's job doesn't really afford us the luxury of taking possible stew meat to the vet... so home treatment or culling were my only options.
Her treatment so far:
Warm bath soak (once she's in, she LOVES it!) to clean off the poop and let the muscles of the vent relax.
Isolation in my portable kennel with heating pad and a blanket over it to keep it dark and discourage laying.
NO scratch, little bit of feed pellets but mostly greens when she coos for something to eat (she doesn't have much of an appetite, but neither would I if my butt was falling out).
Plenty of water.
I tried GENTLY pushing the vent back in, but it popped right back out, so I'm leaving it alone for now. I did put on a glove yesterday and checked to see if there was an egg stuck up there, but I didn't go very far, maybe an inch (not sure how far to go, and didn't want to cause any more discomfort) didn't feel anything in there except swollen tissue. She seems to be more calm today so I'm just going to keep applying the heating pad/soaking in a bucket therapy.
I've heard that Preparation H could help? Anyone ever try this?
Any advice from the experienced flock keepers out there in BYC land?
Thank you all in advance!
Chelle
I know that the answers are here in the forums somewhere, I just can't wrap my head around reading right now (lack of sleep, probably) and I know that some of y'all have had to deal with this issue, I just need some advice. And comforting. And tequila...
Let me start on Sunday, 01/12/14...
Usually I let my 5 hens and 2 roosters out at around lunch time to free range and sun bathe, but because of the weather for this past week, I haven't been able to and they've been coop bound. Yesterday (which was my birthday, BTW!) was a BEAUTIFUL, sunny morning, so I was going to let the flock stay out all day. When my son got to the coop to let them out, he said "Hey mom, the chickens made you birthday presents!" ... my 6 month old pullets had become layers!!! There were 6 little brown eggs and 1 full size (?) brown egg. I have a mixed flock of orpingtons, d'uucles, seramas and silkies - so I wasn't sure who was laying. As I was congratulating my girls, I noticed that something was wrong with "Rooster", my orpington cockerel. Or who I THOUGHT was a cockerel! "Rooster" is now "Shirley". And Shirley has a prolapsed vent. I don't know if she's the one that laid all 7 eggs, but she's the only one that should be laying brown eggs.
Unfortunately, we don't have chicken insurance and hubby's job doesn't really afford us the luxury of taking possible stew meat to the vet... so home treatment or culling were my only options.
Her treatment so far:
Warm bath soak (once she's in, she LOVES it!) to clean off the poop and let the muscles of the vent relax.
Isolation in my portable kennel with heating pad and a blanket over it to keep it dark and discourage laying.
NO scratch, little bit of feed pellets but mostly greens when she coos for something to eat (she doesn't have much of an appetite, but neither would I if my butt was falling out).
Plenty of water.
I tried GENTLY pushing the vent back in, but it popped right back out, so I'm leaving it alone for now. I did put on a glove yesterday and checked to see if there was an egg stuck up there, but I didn't go very far, maybe an inch (not sure how far to go, and didn't want to cause any more discomfort) didn't feel anything in there except swollen tissue. She seems to be more calm today so I'm just going to keep applying the heating pad/soaking in a bucket therapy.
I've heard that Preparation H could help? Anyone ever try this?
Any advice from the experienced flock keepers out there in BYC land?
Thank you all in advance!
Chelle
