Chicken vent injury :(

[aimz127]

I think I've done nearly all I can for my little silkie right now, but wondering if someone else has had a similar experience.

I've got my ducks and chickens in the same run. There's a divider I can put up if needed, but both sides can fly over it, so I just opened it up to avoid injury. The two groups have been getting along fine. I have one drake and one roo plus 3 ladies for each.

When going out for afternoon chores with fresh water, my silkie was tucked away and I realized she was injured.

Now she's prolapsed once before when trying to lay her first egg, but hasn't again since. Nothing was hanging out the vent like before and no egg to be found (granted, the others usually grab it thinking it's food, pop it and eat it as she isn't laying eggs with a shell).

Which leads me to question whether the drake may have mounted her and caused damage even though I haven't seen him mount anything to this point (he's about 5.5 months old). Right now she's inside with my other silkie (they're buddies and keep each other company) and I plan to clean the vent area a couple of times a day with Microcyn and/or epsom baths. She's eating a bit and will get extra vitamins in her food.

Anyone else experience a similar injury? What was the outcome?

 

[Eggcessive]

Can you post any pictures of the vent? Is there any bleeding or damage? Any bulging that might indicate an egg? I don’t think that having a drake in with a silkie or other chickens would be a good idea. Epsom salts soaks are good to do daily.

 

[aimz127]

Yes, there was bleeding, but it's stopped now. Her vent looks like there are bites in a couple places which made me think one of the other chickens did it, but I honestly don't know.

If she prolapsed, I'd have expected them to pull the insides out. Unless there was something stuck to her feathers that they found interesting and just kept pecking.

If the drake did it, I would think there'd be ruffled back feathers or scratches, but there's none of that either.

But she's warm and safe now at least.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hard to know what happened and if it's prolapsed or just damaged from picking and/or possibly the drake.
I would clean her up well and apply some honey or vetericyn spray. Keep the vent tissue moist and cleaned the best you can.

I would not keep a male duck with chickens. It's time to make that fence where they can't get over it.

 

[Chelseyx3]

Yes, there was bleeding, but it's stopped now. Her vent looks like there are bites in a couple places which made me think one of the other chickens did it, but I honestly don't know.

If she prolapsed, I'd have expected them to pull the insides out. Unless there was something stuck to her feathers that they found interesting and just kept pecking.

If the drake did it, I would think there'd be ruffled back feathers or scratches, but there's none of that either.

But she's warm and safe now at least.

How did this heal? My hen has a similar injury like this from a fox.