chicken may be constipated or have large egg stuck! Please help!

[Wilmer Gehman]

Prolapse is like haemorrhoids in humans. The treatment is also much the same but it’s important to supplement calcium and it helps to keep the hen in a darkened room to prevent the urge to lay . There is also a possibility of vent gleet when you see a thick whitish discharge. It is treated with antifungal cream. A pic would help .

I have not seen the other hens pecking at her, my neighbor caught her yesterday and she suddenly bled a lot and pooped. She doesn't like to sit down and continuously looks like she is trying to lay or go to the bathroom...Not sure if i will be able to a get a pic..

 

[Wilmer Gehman]

Yes, I just looked at her and she does have thick white discharge. She is been having some today and yesterday. Do you think we should clean her up a bit? Would it help to massage her?

 

[Wilmer Gehman]

Sorry I couldn't get a very good picture... right now she just stands around or lays on her side.

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you know when she last laid an egg? Can you insert a finger into her vent 1-2 inches to feel for a stuck egg. The white discharge is probably urates, the white part of droppings. If you can feel something solid, then give her some calcium (human calcium tablet, Tums) and offer some wster to drink.

Sometimes if they are not drinking enough, or they have some kidney problem, they can have increased urates. She sounds like she might be showing signs of a reproductive problem which can make them feel poorly, have a decresed appetite, and have runny poops.

You can see if she will eat some soft cooked egg, and some wet chicken feed with a lot of water. Here is some reading about egg binding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/

And on reproductive problems with symptoms:
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/egg-peritonitis
http://www.regenbiocorps.com/index.php/poultry-diseases/17-disorders-of-reproductive-systems

 

[Wilmer Gehman]

I see her straining and pushing every 30 seconds to a minute. While she is pushing a red round something covered in waste comes out a little bit then goes back in. Is this an egg? I am not the kind of person to go to extremes to help a chicken so is there anything simpler i could do for her?

 

[Eggcessive]

You are seeing her cloaca protrude. That is what gets stuck outside during a cloaca or vent prolapse and is the junction where the oviduct and large intestine meets. As long as it goes back inside, that is fine. I have seen a couple of mine do that when they were straining. The photo below is of a vent prolapse—photo by armorfirelady.

 

[CCUK]

If your hen is eggbound you must try to get the egg out if you can. If you don't she will die. I had a hen that did. She was fine in the morning she hadn't layed the day before. She started showing problems at about lunch time. She was dead by 9 pm the same day. I tried all the techniques and still couldn't shift it. If she is still eating and drinking give her a crushed calcium tablet in her food. Don't give her alot of food just a treat or something she will completely eat with the tablet crushed in it. Keep her away from the other hens in a darkened area. Keep a watch on her and try the other methods. Hopefully she will lay. Eggcessive has give you some good advice.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you are squeamish about inserting a finger into the vent, put on a disposable glove. It is very easy, and if you don’t feel an egg stuck, it may help some.

 

[Wilmer Gehman]

If your hen is eggbound you must try to get the egg out if you can. If you don't she will die. I had a hen that did. She was fine in the morning she hadn't layed the day before. She started showing problems at about lunch time. She was dead by 9 pm the same day. I tried all the techniques and still couldn't shift it. If she is still eating and drinking give her a crushed calcium tablet in her food. Don't give her alot of food just a treat or something she will completely eat with the tablet crushed in it. Keep her away from the other hens in a darkened area. Keep a watch on her and try the other methods. Hopefully she will lay. Eggcessive has give you some good advice.

she has been acting this way for over 2 days now. She was eating yesterday, but i didn't see her eat yet today, and i'm not out there 24/7 so she may have. I just went over alittle while ago and she seemed to be doing better.

 

[CCUK]

I would advise you to get hands on. Has she layed an egg today? Is she still straining? Has she passed any more blood? If you can feel for an egg by inserting your finger in her vent you will get a better idea of what is going on. Still give her a calcium tablet crushed in a small amount of feed or treat. If you are not sure then it would be best if you could take her to s vet. If she is prolapsed it will probably be caused by a problem with laying. It could be a big egg. It could be a soft shell or shelless egg. There is no structure for the hen to push out when trying to lay so can cause problems. Have you noticed any egg around the run or any strange looking shell membrane anywhere?