Australorp hen

I cannot advise on which of those two products would be best as I live in the UK and am not familiar with either. I would suggest to use the thicker, greasier one, whichever that is as it will stay on the surface of the skin better and therefore prevent poop sticking for longer and keep the skin supple.
How much cracked corn do you feed? The problem with that can be that some hens seem to love it and others don't, so one individual may get a lot more than their fair share even if you are not giving them a significant amount between them all. Personally I would cut it out and give them a few dried meal worms as a treat instead. The greens are not generally a problem although I am told that excessive spinach and kale can inhibit the absorption of calcium and possibly lead to weak egg shells which can cause eggs to break inside them and then possible infection, as well as the mess of eggs being broken in the nest after being laid. Again, what affects one hen adversely may not affect another. Sometimes it is just a question of being aware of these things and keeping an eye on them and if you start to see a trend of certain problems or ailments, knowing what you need to change to stop it.

There is the chance that this will prove fatal for her just like hernias (assuming it is a hernia) in any other animal, including people. The problem with hens is that they lay eggs regularly and that is going to put an almost daily strain on it which increases the risks. If she is a favourite hen and you have the funds for veterinary advice/treatment, then that would probably be the route to take but do some research regarding the vets available.... an avian or possible an exotic animals vet would be best as most dog, cat and livestock vets have little knowledge of poultry.

If it is salpingitis, then an antibiotic in the very early stages may help and possible hormonal implants (expensive) to prevent any future ovulation, but with a swelling like that, it has probably gone too far already.

If you decide not to take her to a vet (and I am not critical of that decision as I don't have the money for veterinary treatment for my chickens) then keep her clean and "greased up" and as happy as you can and be prepared to euthanize her as/when her quality of life becomes untenable. Remember that any of us can die at any time, so enjoy the days and weeks and hopefully months of life she has ahead as a blessing and not worry too much about how many of them there may be......

.... And perhaps I am totally wrong and she will have years of long life ahead.... or a vet will be able to fix her relatively cheaply.
Remember that I am just one person looking at a photo of a hen's bottom on a computer monitor several hundred miles away..... I can't give you a definitive diagnosis.... just my best guess based on that photo. Perhaps do some research yourself.... that is how I came to know about such things. BYC has been a wonderful resource for my poultry education :thumbsup

Best wishes

Barbara
 
I am sitting out in the coop watching all of them after cleaning the coop - her butt actually looks a little better today. But I have another Australorp hen with no hair on her face and head I will attach a picture. It's just so weard
IMG_20180114_122204.jpg
 
This is the one I have been most worried about she is a loner and has liquid poops or maybe it's pea I don't know
IMG_20180114_122516.jpg
 
That second photo is the girl we are discussing with the vent issue isn't it..... I'm afraid that photo adds a lot to the situation and it is not good. She is seriously ill by the look of her and probably not long for this world.
What does her crop feel like? It looks like she may be impacted or have a slow crop, probably due to blockage at the other end. Is she interested in food? Will she eat anything? Hens that are sick but not too sick will pretend to eat so that they do not appear weak. Once they reach a certain stage they no longer have the will to pretend... that usually indicates that they are near death.

If you are thinking of taking her to a vet, I would not delay.

If you do not intend to use a vet and she is not eating, then I would put her out of her misery. If it was me, I would also open her up afterwards and try to figure out what the problem was, so that you improve your knowledge and perhaps better care for your remaining flock. For instance, if she has a thick layer of yellow fat around her belly and encasing her organs and her liver is blotchy or a funny colour and not solid, but breaks apart when you touch it, then you may need to rethink your flock's diet as this would suggest Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome. She may have a major worm burden which would suggest that it would be a good idea to worm the rest of your flock. She may have an egg stuck inside her or a mass of "lash egg" material in her oviduct, which she would never have recovered from but could not have been treated in which case you get peace of mind that you did the right thing for her by ending it and will help you decide what to do next time you see these symptoms.
I know many people do not seem to be able to get their head around cutting a pet chicken open after they have died but if you are not squeamish it is a very interesting opportunity to learn. You can also send the body off for a professional necropsy to a state lab or agricultural university. If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to take photos of anything that looks unusual, so that we can help you figure it out.

The other hen with the bald head could just be moulting. She seems to have feather loss elsewhere too.

Best wishes

Barbara
 
That second photo is the girl we are discussing with the vent issue isn't it..... I'm afraid that photo adds a lot to the situation and it is not good. She is seriously ill by the look of her and probably not long for this world.
What does her crop feel like? It looks like she may be impacted or have a slow crop, probably due to blockage at the other end. Is she interested in food? Will she eat anything? Hens that are sick but not too sick will pretend to eat so that they do not appear weak. Once they reach a certain stage they no longer have the will to pretend... that usually indicates that they are near death.

If you are thinking of taking her to a vet, I would not delay.

If you do not intend to use a vet and she is not eating, then I would put her out of her misery. If it was me, I would also open her up afterwards and try to figure out what the problem was, so that you improve your knowledge and perhaps better care for your remaining flock. For instance, if she has a thick layer of yellow fat around her belly and encasing her organs and her liver is blotchy or a funny colour and not solid, but breaks apart when you touch it, then you may need to rethink your flock's diet as this would suggest Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome. She may have a major worm burden which would suggest that it would be a good idea to worm the rest of your flock. She may have an egg stuck inside her or a mass of "lash egg" material in her oviduct, which she would never have recovered from but could not have been treated in which case you get peace of mind that you did the right thing for her by ending it and will help you decide what to do next time you see these symptoms.
I know many people do not seem to be able to get their head around cutting a pet chicken open after they have died but if you are not squeamish it is a very interesting opportunity to learn. You can also send the body off for a professional necropsy to a state lab or agricultural university. If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to take photos of anything that looks unusual, so that we can help you figure it out.

The other hen with the bald head could just be moulting. She seems to have feather loss elsewhere too.

Best wishes

Barbara
no the second photo is not the same hen, this girl is only a year old and has no hair loss on her butt or any place else. I picked her up today and checked her over; the only thing that concerns me is her poop and also how she only sleeps on the ground, she will not roost. I don't know if that's normal or not she also has a very pale comb.
 
Ok, it helps if you don't confuse the issue with photos of other hens at this stage. Maybe make new threads for them. You certainly need to be concerned about the one in the second photo though. She is not well.
Can we see a photo of the one that is the subject of this post.... the one with the swollen bald vent area, so that we can see her general condition and demeanour?
 
Ok, it helps if you don't confuse the issue with photos of other hens at this stage. Maybe make new threads for them. You certainly need to be concerned about the one in the second photo though. She is not well.
Can we see a photo of the one that is the subject of this post.... the one with the swollen bald vent area, so that we can see her general condition and demeanour?
well I really thought it would help if I showed the other hens for comparison
 

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