1st. egg and trouble

[Kleo]

My 19 week old Buff Orpington tried to lay her first ever egg yesterday and she was having a difficult time and when I checked on her later she had left the nest box and there was no egg. Later I noticed her outside and there was a red bulbous egg sized pouch thing coming out of her vent. This morning when I put her in the hospital box and checked her over it appeared it was an egg in this clearish sack. I gave her a warm soaking bath and upon drying her could see the egg actually was all outside of her body but still hanging in this sack with a bit of insides around it. She doesn't seem to be hurt but more confused, if chickens get confused. Does anyone have thoughts on this and what to do. My chicken vet is closed for the weekend. Thanks for any suggestions and what this sack is. Thanks, Kleo

 

[HopieGirl4Ever]

Hi!
It sounds like it may be a prolapsed vent. Here is a link to a website that offers advice on this. I'm not sure what to do about the egg though... Hopefully someone with more experience chimes in soon

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html

 

[azygous]

If you are still wondering what to do, my recommendation is to place your patient in a crate with comfy nesting material with a heating pad underneath set on low to medium. Before you put her in the crate on a heating pad, smooth on some Preparation H or coconut oil around her vent.

Leave her in a quiet place for a few hours or even over night. Once the egg is out, the tissues should shrink back.

 

[Kleo]

Thanks but I have followed all the instructions for prolapse with warm baths, showering her poo off (we have a warm outside shower) etc. Washing gently, but the prolapse area after the egg dropped from the membrane sack and a second one followed is quite raw looking and I can't clean it 100% so know it should not be reinserted. It looks rather nasty. I called the vet just now but have to make the decision if she will recover at all. She is active and eating but sometimes I know you have to toss in the towel so to speak. Such a beautiful gal. Will wait out today and continue treating her best we can. Thanks for the help.

 

[rebrascora]

If you soak her in a warm epsom salt bath again and then dry her on a clean towel, apply Preparation H and gently reinsert it, she should be fine even if it isn't absolutely completely clean. You then need to keep her in a dark box with clean bedding for several days to a week to give her a chance to heal. Give her food and water twice a day and clean bedding. The darkness will encourage her to stop laying and hence reduce the chance of her pushing the prolapse back out and keeping her in the box will prevent the prolapse getting dirty if it does re-emerge. Bathing and pushing back in with more cream may be required until she stops laying. I would suggest that you have probably done the hardest part by getting the eggs out, so well done for that but don't give up now when you could be approaching the home stretch!

It's important for that tissue not to dry up, so the sooner you get it cleaned and coated in prep H or honey and pushed back inside, the better chance she has of recovery.
Good luck with her.

 

[chickens really]

I have never had that problem happen to any of my Birds...Knock on wood!
My friend with Orpingtons Has had it and She will cull the bird...She says that if it happens once? It will be a problem continually and usually it is a sign of a serious problem in the reproductive track...

Hope this helped a bit??
Good luck!

 

[Kleo]

Just a bit of an update on my Rosie and her prolapse. After 9 days of care... hospital box, baths, warm showers and cleansing, Prep. H she still displayed a dirty leaky back side. On Mondays shower and shampoo and an insertion of a clean smaller prolapse her vent looked just normal. After she got her feathers blown dried she looked just like her sisters with that fluffy fluffy butt. This morning she had no drippage still and remains her beautiful, friendly, happy self. Thanks for the help, folks. I am so delighted that this has been a success so far. I told her that I didn't care if she ever laid an egg, she would be well cared for for life. Kleo

 

[rebrascora]

Oh WOW! Well done you!!

Fingers crossed it stays put now but really applaud your dedication. That's a lot of effort you put in. So pleased you have been rewarded with success... long may it last.
It might be worth reducing her exposure to daylight to prevent her from starting laying again until; things have had a chance to really settle down. Maybe just 8hrs of daylight a day should keep her healthy and happy but suppress laying.

Wishing you lots of luck with her.

Barbara .