Sick grower - losing water from vent + pain when it poos.

[LynneP]

You can also get electrolytes for the water fountain with antibiotics if you think it necessary. Is there any indication of a bite, like a rodent bite? They're notorious for biting chickens around the vent. Your birds may need more protein than rice can provide, mixing yogurt with crumbles might provide more nitrition especially at this time of rapid growth...bathing should reveal what is there...poor thing, I hope you can fix this

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

he was 'run off' by one of the other chickens, which drew some blood, but the leaky vent was already there before that.

I don't know if he needs antiboitics yet. Probably wouldn't hurt, though...

 

[dlhunicorn]

This bird should be separated from the others immediately. Take a faecal sample in (fresh and ample>put on wire with saranwrap underneath to catch the sample and take this immediately to vet for a ful faecal workup....dont waste time with us guessing about it... if nothing definite at least you will know what it is NOT and we can go from there.

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

He was separated immeadiately.

I'm not so worried about wasting time as much as saving money. (I'm unemployed in about a month.) I'll check the vet's price, but the budget for this is only a few more dollars, especially for a breed that was shipped to me by accident. I'm already having a hard time justifying the pedialyte...

 

[dlhunicorn]

it should not cost more than ten max twenty ....
finding a vet within this price range is a must as faecals are really required in order to differentiate and choose the proper med (unless you are equipped to do your own)

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

It was a Prolapsed Rectum (and darn it, it turns out it was a rooster.)

I thought I was looking at swollen tissue from the wound the other birds had given him during thier pecking. I finally washed him (woolite actaully DOES work well on chickens) and got a real good look. It looked like Angelina Jolie puckered up. That's when I put it all together... I got good help from the UW Madison Extension Poultry Specialist.

I rubber-glove-fixed him (4 times) and now he's doing well and reintegrated into the flock.

 

[basicliving]

Oh my! Forgive my ignorance - but is that what you do for a prolapse? You just push it back in? Will it stay now? You said you had to do it 4 times - was that over a period of days?

Sorry for all the questions - I'd just like to understand in case I am ever faced with this. And by the way - I had to stand on my head to get my husband to agree to 2 roosters - and then McMurray sent me FOUR! I ended up losing 2 of the roosters as peeps, and I am over all really pleased with the chickens. But they sure do like to sneak those roosters in on ya.

Penny

 

[VetsJetsnGuns]

It just took VERY little pressure, and it kind of popped back in. He pushed it out 3 more times, and every time I saw it out, I put the glove on and pushed it back in. I suspect it was a muscle reaction on his part as much as anything. I barely touched it.

He's normal now, free ranging with the rest of them. I'll never buy cochins again, though. they grow too slow to eat, and of the 4 straight run I got from McMurary, I'm pretty sure I only got one hen, and I only got half of them the breed I ordered, and one of them has mutant feet.