Blocked vent

[shatfield350]

I have a lacy wing windotte hen with what is left of a blocked vent. I cleared the blocked egg yesterday and she then dropped two more eggs. Today her vent area looks bad and is covered with "stuff". I have been soaking her in warm water w/epson salts to try and clean all the "stuff" off. My question is that her vent is still sticking out and has what looks like some dried white and yellowish brown crud all around the end. Is this dried fluids that will soak off and if so do I try to get them off before I try to push her vent back up inside?

 

[Kelsie2290]

It sounds like your chicken has a prolapse. Below is a link with photos on treatment. You generally want to clean it as best you can, and apply Preparation H to reduce the swelling. Give her some calcium. I would stop with the Epsom salts. You could use antibiotic ointment like Neosporin alternating with the Prep H. It is best to try and stop the egg laying process by cutting back on her food, and in limited light, to help her heal and keep another prolapse from happening right away.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html

 

[Wyandottes7]

Your hens sounds like she has a prolapse. Here's what you should do:

• Isolate her from the other chickens, if you haven't already done so. She could get injured by the other chickens pecking at the prolapse.
• Decrease the amount of food you give her. I'd recommend only giving her food at night, and witholding it throughout the day. Her producing less droppings will decrease the irritation of the prolapse, and will help her stop laying.
• Along with decreasing food, keep her in the dark. You want her to stop laying eggs temporarily so that the prolapse can recede back in and doesn't get worse.
• Put honey or strong sugar water on the prolapse several times a day. Honey will reduce the inflammation and swelling, and will keep the prolase moist. Witch hazel also cuts down on the swelling. Some people use Preparation H, but when one of my bird has a prolapse, I just used honey and witch hazel, and she healed fine.
• Give her calcium. This will strengthen her egg laying muscles, and help retract the prolapse back in to her body. Too little calcium is one cause for a prolapse.
• A couple times a day, push the prolapse gently back into the hen's body. Don't do it too often, as you don' want to irriate her and cause more swelling.

The amount of time that a hen will take to recover from a prolapse varies. Some recover rapidly, while others take several weeks, and some never recover.

Some causes of a prolapse are too little calcium, laying too large of an egg, a hen new to egg laying, or an old hen whose muscles are growing weaker. Hens that experience a prolapse may have one later in their life, so some people recommend against breeding them. However, the one hen of mine who had a prolapse has never had another one, and continues to lay quite large eggs.

Hope this helps!