6 month old White Leghorn in severe distress, please help!

Granolamom

Songster
11 Years
Sep 9, 2008
525
8
151
Dallas
She is standing up in a corner, clucking in a weird, high pitched voice every few seconds, and looks like she is straining to pass an egg. She has poop hanging from her backside, her eyes are closed, and she drops her behind to the ground every few seconds, only to stand right back up again. Have not examined her further, because I wanted to post this first. Going back outside to get her right now (she free-ranges during the day, and is locked up in a secure pen with hen house at night). She started laying much earlier than expected, and is a top producer.
Update: Looks like her "insides" are coming out. Vent swollen, edges have completely dissappeared, and in its place is a huge, blood-red blob, the size of 2 eggs. Looks like a blood-filled ball. I've never had an eggbound hen before, but am wondering if that's what I'm looking at. If so, and her insides have all but come out, can I still give her a warm bath and attempt to get this egg out, or is it too late? We have no vet who will deal with chickens, and I am not prepared to cut her open, myself.
 
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Sounds like prolapse of the vent. Do a search on this thread, I am sure people have posted before on what to do. Definitely separate her so others don't peck her. Good luck.
 
Prolapsed vent - that sounds like it could be. Already gave her a warm bath, which relaxed it some, but I was unable to push it all the way back in. On my way to get some Prep. H from the store now. Thank you...
 
Agree, prolapse. Can be painful. I use Prep H on one of mine who gets a very mild case of it. It seems to help. You will have to watch her very carefully. It can kill them. Vet visit if you can afford it. Good Luck.
 
Update: we ended up putting her down this evening. We gave her a warm bath, which relaxed her enough to try and attempt to put the huge mass back inside her, that was hanging from her rear (almost the size of a tennis ball, blood red, and so swollen, that it looked ready to pop). We cleaned the entire mass and surrounding area with Colloidal Silver, then slathered it with Prep H, and slowly started pushing it back inside. She was in severe distress during this, closed her eyes, and layed on her side. The entire process took around 20 minutes, until the entire mass was back inside. I made her as comfortable as I could, under the circumstances, and layed her on a towel in a plastic bin, to let her rest. When I carefully moved the bin into the house, she jumped up, and pushed everything back out. I repeated the entire process (felt again for an egg, but detected none), and felt her getting weaker and weaker. When I had the mass back inside her, she just layed there - comb purple, and barely breathing. We decided then to put her down, rather than prolong her suffering. I am sad beyond words - she was less than 6 months old, and possibly started laying too early...?
 
Oh dear, I am sorry.
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Sometimes these things happen. At least she isn't suffering. Sorry for your loss.
 
Sooo sorry about your baby
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I worry about this happening with one of my leghorns. She just started laying at 4 months, and the eggs are gigantic. I can't imagine what she goes through to lay them.
 

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