Blood on eggs

[prplehailstorm]

Hey guys. I have two white leghorns that are molting. After they lost their vent feathers they started pecking each other so we separated them. One suffered a prolapse so I have her in a cage in a dark room trying to get her to stop laying. We’ve also been using preparation h and the prolapse seems to be healing and her feathers are slowly growing back.

The problem is that both hens are laying blood covered eggs. It’s been going on about a week. Despite our best efforts we can’t get the one with the prolapse to stop laying and we have no idea why the other would be bleeding as well since besides the loss of feathers her back side looks fine. I’m kinda at a loss of what to do. I don’t know what’s causing the bleeding and I don’t know of a vent that sees hens near me.

Has anyone had this happen before? I read that some blood on the shell can be normal but it’s concerning that it’s been going on for so long

 

[GoatGirl123]

not sure about the eggs, sorry, but I do know that darkness can premote egg laying. Hop this might help

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Please post some photos of their vents, the hens, their poop and of the prolapse.

Where are you located in the world?
How old are the hens?

Most of the time a hen will go out of lay during molt. So perhaps they are not molting? Speculation on my part until I see photos of the birds - but possibly feather loss is due to picking/plucking?
Blood covered eggs could be from injury to the vent due to picking since you noticed loss of feathers around the vent.

If the prolapsed tissue is still exposed, do keep it moist with your ointment. Daily soaks in an epsom salts bath may help reduce swelling so it can go back in.
Extra Calcium (give 1 Caltrate with D3 once a day for a week) can help with contractions and retention as well.

To stop a hen from laying eggs she must be in total darkness for 16 hours out of 24. Reduce feed a little. It can take days for a hen to stop production.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

not sure about the eggs, sorry, but I do know that darkness can premote egg laying. Hop this might help

Do you mean that darkness can prevent egg laying or promote it? Clarification please

 

[prplehailstorm]

Please post some photos of their vents, the hens, their poop and of the prolapse.

Where are you located in the world?
How old are the hens?

Most of the time a hen will go out of lay during molt. So perhaps they are not molting? Speculation on my part until I see photos of the birds - but possibly feather loss is due to picking/plucking?
Blood covered eggs could be from injury to the vent due to picking since you noticed loss of feathers around the vent.

If the prolapsed tissue is still exposed, do keep it moist with your ointment. Daily soaks in an epsom salts bath may help reduce swelling so it can go back in.
Extra Calcium (give 1 Caltrate with D3 once a day for a week) can help with contractions and retention as well.

To stop a hen from laying eggs she must be in total darkness for 16 hours out of 24. Reduce feed a little. It can take days for a hen to stop production.

 

[prplehailstorm]

Sorry for the late reply. Here is a photo of the hen that prolapsed before we got her cleaned up for the night. I assumed it was a molt because we got both chickens at the same time and they’re around that age. We have restricted her to about 7 hours per day of light and have switched her to a grower(?) food. It’s just weird that both girls are having bloody eggs at the same time. The second hen experienced some pecking but didn’t get a prolapse.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Blood may be coming from damage to the vent.
Have you had a fecal float to see if they have worms?

 

[prplehailstorm]

Blood may be coming from damage to the vent.
Have you had a fecal float to see if they have worms?

No. I’ve been trying to get some general advice without the intervention of a vet.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Well, first you need to determine if the blood is coming from those scabs when they lay their eggs. Probably is.
Apply some triple antibiotic ointment to the scabs.

If they are with the flock, then observe flock's behavior - they are getting plucked. Blood could be from fresh injuries.

Just speculation here of course. The vent's won't heal if they are continually plucked. Sometimes more space is needed. Sometimes a bully needs to be removed. Sometimes diet needs to be changed IF the offenders are plucking and eating the feathers.
Lots of things that can be going on, so studying behavior of your flock during the day and while roosting can shed light on issues as well.

 

[prplehailstorm]

Well, first you need to determine if the blood is coming from those scabs when they lay their eggs. Probably is.
Apply some triple antibiotic ointment to the scabs.

If they are with the flock, then observe flock's behavior - they are getting plucked. Blood could be from fresh injuries.

Just speculation here of course. The vent's won't heal if they are continually plucked. Sometimes more space is needed. Sometimes a bully needs to be removed. Sometimes diet needs to be changed IF the offenders are plucking and eating the feathers.
Lots of things that can be going on, so studying behavior of your flock during the day and while roosting can shed light on issues as well.

So the one with the prolapse has been separated for about a week. Before the prolapse I noticed that the two white ones were pecking each other’s butt so I tried the blu kote spray to prevent that. This whole week I haven’t seen any pecking of the one that was left in the flock but she continues to have bloody eggs. We have a small flock of 5 and they get along pretty well with plenty of space for them. None of them seem to be a bully.

I’ll buy some ointment for them because it could be coming from the outside scab if it opens back up when she lays. Would just regular ointment work or are there one specific for chickens. Unfortunately I was never able to get the prolapsed hen to stop laying and she was losing weight so we put her in an “infirmary” coop alone outside. We also gave her oyster shells that someone had recommended. She seemed to really enjoy that so maybe it was a dietary thing? What ever it is, this morning was the first egg without blood from the one that prolapsed. So hopefully it is healing and once she gets all her feathers she can rejoin her flock.