Chick with a red extended vent - need help *warning Pictures*

[Eureka Jennifer]

Well I got my checks on thrusday and lost 2 barred rocks already, now I have another barred rock with a bit if a pasty butt issue but this one has a really red vent that is extended and really red.... it doesnt help that the other chicks want to peck it I am sure. I have her a little warm bath to clean the area and took some pictures.

Bantam Barred Rock
Born sunday or monday
3 days shipping
eating well
sleeping well
drinking well
and pooping well, heathly poops, no blood or anthing out of the ordinary.


Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks !
See pics

 

[threehorses]

Although the hen you're showing seems to be prolapsed (or well on the way to it) we'll need more information:

Exactly what are you feeding them? Hopefully chick starter medicated with amprolium. How is your brooder set up? Are they all eating and drinking, for sure? You've seen each one of them do so?

What are their droppings like?

After shipping or moving, babies are apt to do this. That's why it's a good idea to start them on probiotics on the first week. (I use plain yogurt) to help the good bacteria get established (better) in their digestive tract. That's for healthy chickens.

At this point, your birds are experiencing something else. Can you tell us what you consider a healthy dropping ( just so we can make sure we're on the same page) and what their bedding is please?

For the probiotics (until we can get more information) use a dab of yogurt per chick. personally I like to mix it with their starter crumbles, a little boiled egg yolk (mushed up), a little water, and a teaspoon of yogurt. Mix this til slightly moist but not sopping wet - poke at it to get them to eat it. The live bacteria in plain yogurt help inject the gut with good bacteria to help them get through the stress of their first few weeks. (Use it weekly at least).

Until we hear from you, i wouldn't treat them with anything. You might pick up a thing of Sulmet or Corid from the feedstore if you're by there before we answer back. Just don't give it yet - it might not be necessary if the probiotics help jump start them back into health.

On this bird, you should have her separated or those other chicks will peck her vent right out. She should have the same brooder conditions as they all do at week one. You can use blu-cote on the bleeding. If you get her digestive tract back in order, the inflammation causing her vent to protrude should improve.

Honestly, every time I've bought feedstore chickens that were just shipped, I see this in at least one chick. Usually two or three days of probiotics fix it right up as long as they're on good medicated food and all other conditions are good. The trick is keeping the others from picking it.

You might also try using a red light in your brooder - not for heat, but above them to make all things in the room red. That way nothing looks especially red and thus especially pickable. I'd do this if you can't separate her. You can get red bulbs at most stores, like Walmart. Red bulb, not UV heating lamp.

 

[Eureka Jennifer]

Quote:
Thank you for responding...

I am feeding them Countryside naturals organic chick start, there are 3 or 4 probiotics in the feed already. Do yu think I need to give them more that this? Yogurt, etc...

INGREDIENTS
Organic Field Peas, Organic Wheat, Organic Corn, Fish Meal, Organic Oats, Organic Flaxseed, Organic Alfalfa Meal, Calcium Carbonate, Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate, Dried Organic Kelp, Dicalcium Phosphate, Salt, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, d-Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Biotin, Folic Acid, Iron Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex, Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Cobalt
Polysaccharide Complex, Yeast Culture, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Bacillus Licheniformis, Bacillus Subtilis, Lactobacillus Lactis, Enterococcus Faecium, (Dried Aspergillis Oryzae Fermentation Extract)


They are eating and drinking for sure as I have been set up next 2 them for a day and 1/2 now and have watched them all day. Very intense chicken TV going on, in fact I am feeling a bit obsesive.

See my page for a visual of the brooder set up, and the heat is at the instructed temp per instruction from the site.

There droppings are light brown with a little white, some of them are semi solid and some are looser.

I have not exposed the bedding yet as I have only had them for a day and a half, they are on a towl right now. underneath the towel are wood pellets.

I will definatley separate her and get an additional red light, thank you.

any other suggestions are welcome...

 

[threehorses]

Personally, I prefer at least two weeks of amprolium medicated food for starting chicks - particularly if they're shipped or from a feedstore, really any place but home-grown. Then the rest of their lives can be dedicated to organics. However, I can see from the design of the feed that their cocci-prevention program lies in the byproducts of acidophilus and what appear to be living culture bacteria. Is there a note on the bag saying anything about colonizing units? It looks as if they use Probios (brand) probiotics.

The thing with bagged feeds - is that the bacteria of probiotic need a media to eat to continue to live while they're in storage. That's why Probios and pretty much every other probiotic manufacturer (including those for humans) usually use a dairy whey base for their products. However, if not kept very cool and sealed, probiotics can lose their efficacy quickly. So with these babies - yes - I'd give them additional probiotics and hedge your bets. If you can get a small thing of Probios (since that's the brand your feed manufacturer seems to deem acceptable - it's also my favorite as well, so that tickles me) then that would be a good investment. I prefer the powder as you can refrigerate it and it's very very easy to feed dry, mix, etc. They also make a tube that might be more in one's budget. Or you could just order online and then give plain organic yogurt (live culture) in the mean time or when starting babies. That way you don't compromise your feeding program while still giving them a little more live bacteria during stress or during starting periods.

Otherwise their droppings sound absolutely perfect. It's this one that I think has had shipping or new-baby stress.

On the bedding, I've heard from others that sometimes the ddroppings are hard to determine. But I think I'd go ahead and put them on that now. Sometimes the towel can be an issue. I found it to be so with a batch of babies I had. (Still I chose to use it because of footing, which is probably why you did as well - and making sure they eat). I just try to get mine off as soon as I can because of poop issues.

I hope this helps. I'm very interested in this food and will be looking more into it. It looks pretty well designed!

 

[Eureka Jennifer]

Thank you it feels good that I chose some good feed. I gave all of the chicks some yogurt, they didnt like it very much but took it fine after hand feeding. I took the towel off the pellets and they ran around a bit but settled into it without a problem. We will see how this goes. I really appreciate your experience.

 

[purpletree23]

So sorry to hear about your troubles. I would keep her separate from the other chicks because they can eventually kill her if they pick enough. I know this sounds funny but I got it straight from Storey's book on Raising Chickens. After you give her a gentle bath and pat dry put a little Preperation H on your finger and gently rub the area including inside. If your finger is too big gently use a Q tip. DO this for 3 or 4 days and the swelling should go down. Make sure she gets god food to eat and water and love. Let me know how she does.