Pics- HUGE prolapse w/ 2 eggs. UPDATE- There's another egg... HELP.

Well, this was not something i expected to deal with on this chicken- the other I have is the only with history of prolapse.

I went to check the coop for the evening, and found my little year old(ish) frizzled Silkie hen with prolapse. One egg was hanging all the way out of her body, trapped in what I believe is inside out oviduct. I soaked her, but she was in more and more pain so went in and repositioned the egg and finally got it out without tearing more than a tiny bit of the membrane. The actual vent opening was up top and to the left, with the prolapsed tissue hanging all the way out, so I kind of maneuvered the egg sideways and helped her push it out. Imagine my surprise when the first egg to come out is shell-less, followed by an enormous, hard egg. Got them both out, the protruding matter was about the size of a quarter, and deep, dark red. There were a few blood clots that came off in the bath. I cleaned her up, slathered her backside with honey, and pushed the prolapse back in. It is staying in, other than the top of the vent pooching out like a lower lip. She's constantly pushing, so the vent is going kind of in and out, but the prolapse is inside.

I love this hen. She is my only frizzled Silkie, she has no history of anything bad, egg related. She has access to free choice oyster shell, and she is healthy. I'm very nervous that there could be some sort of internal damage, given that in the worst of the egg pushing, part of the vent kept poofing up with air and then going back down.

I've read every prolapse thread on here, but I'm still panicking. She's cleaned, the vent looks ok and has the honey. I am going to put her in the sick crate (large dog crate) on newspaper, darken the cage, and just offer her a tiny bit of food along with oyster shell and some boiled egg. What else do I need to be doing? I would very much appreciate help with this one, she is so special for me.

Here is the vent after getting the eggs out- she was in too much pain and panic beforehand for me to get pics of the eggs hanging, but picture a full sized egg covered in bloody red membrane hanging entirely outside of her body, with another harder egg behind her.





Here are the two eggs- one shellless membrane, one rock hard egg with sandpaper like texture. The shellless egg was out first, followed by the hard one. At first I did not even know there were two eggs. It's insane- I have never seen or heard of this with two eggs at once.

I'm sorry to bump this up again, but please, I need to know what to do next. Should I start her on antibiotics?

While it is difficult to tell from the pictures it appears she has retracted and is no longer prolapsed. If anything is still protruding apply vasoline liberally and push it gently back in. I feel that she is more in need of electrolytes than antibiotics and would give her some Pedialyte or Poultry Drench. Everything you are doing is correct but I wouldn't bother with the oyster shell at this time.

Thank you. I have electrolytes in her water now, though she just wants to lie there. I have her on a heating pad set to low, in the dark, inside a milk crate with a towel for bedding. I have water hung just next to the edge of the crate. I am thinking I may need to syringe her some water, but I'm thinking it may be better to wait a bit, give her 3-4 hours to rest first and recover from the nightmare getting those eggs out turned out to be. Does this sound ok, or should I get water into her sooner? I will get the food/oyster shell out of the way for the time being. In an hour or two I may offer her some crushed up boiled egg.

She has definitely retracted, and despite her trying to push the prolapse back out, it is staying in. The only sign of it is the slightly poofy lips of the vent, which I would guess is swelling from the egg removal.

Thank you for the help- it seems like despite reading about this condition like mad for the last month (I took in a different hen who was being given away because she is prone to prolapse, so I'd been researching to be prepared), it seems no amount of reading and research prepares you for having a bloody hen in your arms.

This is all I have to share and maybe you have already read it but it pretty much explains everything including treatment. I hope she recovers and feels better real soon.
BeakHouse's Mad Chicken Scientist

From: Larry, KS
Registered: 08/17/2008
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View My BYC Page Re: What is wrong with my chicken?Prolapse:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32448
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=26390&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=20555

Egg bound
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=32648&p=1
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22308


Here is info from one:

Flush the area well with sterile saline (boil 1 quart water for five minutes with 1/4 tsp salt and cool) If you have gloves (the throw away kind) that is good because it is important to keep all as clean as possible....
smear the prolapse with KY jelly (suppose you could use vaseline but the KY gel is first choice) and gently replace.
After replacing smear the cloaca and a wee bit inside the rim with Preparation H (Theis will help shrink the area and hopefully help to keep all in)
Place bird in a darkened room , stable temp and quiet... keep it dark .
That being said there is always the chance of a "backed up" egg and her laying again ...just repeat the above.

On same topic:

Follow dlhunicorn's advise. I had a hen do this a while ago and she has fully recovered. Just keep cleaning and treating and putting her back in if she continues to prolapse. If you don't have the KY or Prepration H on hand you can use honey, witch hazel, or sugar water to help reduce the swelling too. You can also search prolapse. Good luck!

Also:

Make sure the area is nice and clean before you start. You could try vaseline or KY jelly to replace the 'something' hanging out. To reinsert it, put vaseline on your index finger and 2nd finger (NOTE: I used two fingers on a turkey hen...you may only need one for a chicken hen). Fingers facing upward (palm up), gently push the stuff back in by pushing in and upward into the vent. You may have to hold it there gently for a short time for it to stay. If it comes back out, try again until it holds itself in. Prep H is best to reduce the swelling and I would typically use that over vaseline or KY jelly. Let us know how she's doing.

On a s side note, you may be able to 'fix' it now but hens that have this happen, it will typically happen again and again. This would be considered a cull to most, but if she's a pet just keep an eye on her moving forward and be prepared. Good luck.



And still more:

Prolapse Information and Treatment

When a hen lays an egg the lower part of the oviduct is momentarily everted through the cloaca. Normally the hen can retract the oviduct after laying.

A prolapse occurs when the hen cannot retract it and a part of the oviduct remains outside the body

Causes can be:
1. Being too fat
2. Older hens
3. And in early laying pullets with low bodyweight
4. Eating feed that has too high an energy level
5. Or a fright can cause the hens’ oviduct to prolapse
6. When the hen ruptures the muscle in her vent while laying and egg.
7. Obesity (excess fat)
8. Early sexual maturity contribute to this condition
9. Common causes of early sexual maturity are increasing day lengths during the growing period, obesity and switching to the laying ration too early


A mass of tissue, often bloody and dirty, can be seen protruding through the vent

This is a real blow when it occurs, because it is often the best layers that are affected

Fortunately, it is not very common

Prolapse is difficult to cure because the hen continues to lay, and forces the organs out again after they have been replaced

A prolapse attracts the other birds to cannibalism, pen mates seeing the blood usually pick the bird to death.

Debeaking or pick guards will reduce picking, but will not remove the underlying cause.

To prevent obesity in pullets, monitor their body weight and condition.

Restrict their energy intake if they are putting on too much fat.


First line of defence – Treatment:

Chickens that show signs of prolapse can be helped by preventing them laying. However, if there is any small prolapse gently push it back into the chicken with your fingers.

The chicken should then be put on a maintenance diet of wheat and water and put in a dark cage. Leave the hen there for a week.

In severe prolapse a purse suture and maintenance diet with the chicken kept in the dark, as above, works well. However, it is important to restrict the chickens diet to maintenance only for possibly a couple of months.

This does work!!

Alternative to maintenance diet is feeding the chicken enough to keep it alive, moving and keeping warm plus enough extra feed for it to produce eggs.

You may find that by reducing the feed it brings on a forced molt

By reducing feed intake so that the bird has just enough feed to keep it alive, moving and keeping warm you are feeding for maintenance only. The chicken will not lay eggs and so give it the best chance of recovery.

Treatment:
You can try to push the prolapse organs back in, very carefully

First, remove the hen immediately from the flock to prevent cannibalism

Clean the prolapse organ

Which will have become dirty

Use warm water and a very mild soap

Smear with a lubricating jelly like Vaseline and very gently push the prolapsed organs back into the body cavity

Isolating the bird and reduce the feed to try and stop her laying

She more than likely she has another egg already moving down the oviduct

The next egg laid could cause another prolapse

Helping to prevent further damage when a hen is prolapsed

1. Reducing swelling and allowing the muscles to contract
2. Preventing a yeast infection
3. Preventing them laying
4. If there is any small prolapse gently push it back into the chicken with your fingers
5. Put the hen on a maintenance diet of wheat and water
6. Put in a dark cage to stop the laying cycle (5 days to 2 months (severe case))
7. In severe prolapse a purse suture may be need to the cloaca

Wash area with sterile water and using preparation-H (this is an ointment used for humans who have piles or hemaroids)
Coat the extended portion in and around the vent area.
Preparation -H reduces the swelling tissue and thus allows the tissue to recede.


If the bird is left in this condition, the other birds will peck at her, and she will become infected and fly blown, die from loss of blood or blood poisoning
You should cull the bird immediately if this happens

A prolapse is not a disease and the bird can still be eaten

Even using some oral teething gel and put a dab of that on the vent and prolapse to numb it a little before you push it in. Some of the tissue doesn't have much in the way of nerves, but the vent will and it can be sore.

Check to see if any of the birds intestines are hanging out through the prolapse.. if there is .. you best option is to put the bird down, or seek vetinary help to have it put back in quickly or the bird will die from septic poisoning or obstruction (which is very painful)

If she is still able to pass droppings, then continue to push the prolapse in.

It will probably come out again, especially if it has been injured and has a scab forming on it. The scab will stimulate the hen to push the prolapse back out again.
Removed any scab that is "ready" to be removed (don’t want to cause further bleeding or injury by removing the scab if it isn’t ready to come off… so I only started to try removing it after about 5 days , it may take up to 10 to get it off completely).

Bath it twice a day, pushed it very gently back in after putting a bit of numbing gel on it and a bit of KY jelly.

Hold the prolapse in for a minute or two before sliding your finger out.
The prolapse would usually come out again after a bit, but if you do this twice a day, it seemed to "rebuild" the muscles where the tissue was supposed to be!

Keep the bird in a very clean pen with no shavings or anything to stick to the prolapse.
After this time the scabs should all be off and the tissue should be staying in place

Your vet may be able to give her a purse-string suture around her vent to keep the prolapse in.


Best of luck!!

Good luck. Hang in there. You like all the rest of us are on a constant quest for information but only time and experience can make you comfortable with the knowledge you have gathered.

Thank you so much, to both of you. I really do appreciate it. I am not normally one to get in a panic, with a medical mess of a child it takes more than blood/guts/etc to freak me out. This gal was a wonderful gift from a friend, and the first frizzled Silkie I have ever seen. She's just so precious, and she's a good broody. While i know this may be a recurring thing with poor Sizzle, she is a pet- not a layer for me. I had hoped to put some of her eggs in the incubator, but beyond that she's just a coop ornament. I just love her, antisocial little weirdo that she is.

Quote:
I have a Bantam frizzle and she is antisocial also but I love that little thing, she is a wonderful broody and mama, I'd be heartbroken if something happened to her, wishing the best for your little frizzle.

There is definitely something about those frizzles, they have a lot of personality. My girl likes to make disapproving clucks everytime I so much as look at her.

Sizzle spent the night in the house, and looks fairly bright. She pooped a few times, and one contained a bloody string type thing, but the prolapse is still inside and she is not bleeding. She's not much interested in food, but I think has been drinking- a little hard to tell. She has stayed in the milk crate all night without leaving, and when I removed her to put a clean towel in there for her, she just stood and did not even try to go anywhere. She's a bit puffed up (feathers, I mean), but her eyes are bright and she fights like heck when I pick her up. I'm keeping her inside, with honey on her rear end, the ants would eat her alive outside, I think.

Should I be washing her vent daily, and applying anything? She's a sticky, honey scented mess, but I'm afraid I might stress her into popping that prolapse back out. As of now, the vent still looks a bit swollen, but beyond that everything looks normal.

I love this little hen so much (and she despises me!), I really want her to make it.

Sizzle has been hanging out in her milk crate all day today and is eating, drinking and pooping... But, when I picked her up to put a clean towel down in the crate, I felt another egg. It is about halfway past the underside of her breast bone. How long should it take her to pass this one? At what point do I need to do something? I'm guessing I need to just leave it be and let her try to lay it, especially as it is so far up there... But I am not really sure.