I have a 6 month old bluebelle hybrid with a very swollen rear end (not the vent itself, more her underbelly).
She's an extremely vigorous, fiesty and happy hen, eats like a total pig and has laid an egg every single day since starting a month or so ago (although she has had two bouts of laying soft shell eggs in that time, lasting about three days each). She's behaving normally in every respect, except this hard swelling underneath her, and has very messy rear end feathers, starting from the vent and going right down between her legs to the belly. The skin is also beginning to look red and stretched in that area. This only started when she came into lay.
I noticed a few weeks back that when I picked her up, a small amount of clear fluid leaked from her rear end onto my shoe (just a couple of drops) and I wondered if she might have a cyst. It didn't look gelatinous enough to be egg white, it was more watery.
But, I handled her today and found that the lump is getting bigger, and her feathers are increasingly sticky and messy. Seeing the redness of her stretched skin also got me worrying.
Can anyone figure out what this might be? Our BO lives with her and is completely fine - she came into lay with no problems about a week ago and is looking great.
I will try and get some pictures onto here later on today to help you all see what I mean.
Right, got some, here they are...
But she really is very well, and looks it, in every other respect (except that she hates being handled, hence the rubbishy pics)...
Am very worried about her - what if her heart gives out suddenly or something?
Extra Details:
Main feed: Layers pellets offered free choice
Food Supplements: 'Poultry Spice' http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Poultry-Spice-450-grm-MD34.html , powdered probiotics and oyster shell mixed into food (along with crushed egg shells).
Water supplements: Soluble calcium, 'Poultry Drink' vitamins http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Battles_Poultry_Drink_200ml.html , ACV, grapefruit seed oil and 'Respite' http://www.ascott.biz/acatalog/Respite-250-ml-MD115.html used in water, on a rolling basis
Treats: BOSS, shelled SS, veg and greens, fruit (not citrus), mixed grain and corn, scrambled egg, earthworms (if I can find them!)
Medication: my BO had to have a recent one week course of soluble Tylan for mycoplasma (the bluebelle was not actually affected but drank from the same waterer and did not end up getting sick at all)
She's an extremely vigorous, fiesty and happy hen, eats like a total pig and has laid an egg every single day since starting a month or so ago (although she has had two bouts of laying soft shell eggs in that time, lasting about three days each). She's behaving normally in every respect, except this hard swelling underneath her, and has very messy rear end feathers, starting from the vent and going right down between her legs to the belly. The skin is also beginning to look red and stretched in that area. This only started when she came into lay.
I noticed a few weeks back that when I picked her up, a small amount of clear fluid leaked from her rear end onto my shoe (just a couple of drops) and I wondered if she might have a cyst. It didn't look gelatinous enough to be egg white, it was more watery.
But, I handled her today and found that the lump is getting bigger, and her feathers are increasingly sticky and messy. Seeing the redness of her stretched skin also got me worrying.
Can anyone figure out what this might be? Our BO lives with her and is completely fine - she came into lay with no problems about a week ago and is looking great.
I will try and get some pictures onto here later on today to help you all see what I mean.
Right, got some, here they are...
But she really is very well, and looks it, in every other respect (except that she hates being handled, hence the rubbishy pics)...
Am very worried about her - what if her heart gives out suddenly or something?
Extra Details:
Main feed: Layers pellets offered free choice
Food Supplements: 'Poultry Spice' http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Poultry-Spice-450-grm-MD34.html , powdered probiotics and oyster shell mixed into food (along with crushed egg shells).
Water supplements: Soluble calcium, 'Poultry Drink' vitamins http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Battles_Poultry_Drink_200ml.html , ACV, grapefruit seed oil and 'Respite' http://www.ascott.biz/acatalog/Respite-250-ml-MD115.html used in water, on a rolling basis
Treats: BOSS, shelled SS, veg and greens, fruit (not citrus), mixed grain and corn, scrambled egg, earthworms (if I can find them!)
Medication: my BO had to have a recent one week course of soluble Tylan for mycoplasma (the bluebelle was not actually affected but drank from the same waterer and did not end up getting sick at all)
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