Chickens pecking at other Hens vent

[cottagecheese]

This is really difficult to guess, but if she lays her eggs, soft-shelled as they are, then there's nothing left inside to feed bacteria, so if no internal laying, no egg yolk peritonitis and that's a relief. It occurs to me that maybe the stress is a factor here too, the more they pick at her, the more shell-less she lays, the more they pick at her. Do you have another thread about this hen?

 

[Shezadandy]

The safest thing is separation. Is there a way to pen her so she can see everyone but they can't hurt her? You don't want to come home to a chicken with her intestines hanging out her vent.

 

[vantain]

This is really difficult to guess, but if she lays her eggs, soft-shelled as they are, then there's nothing left inside to feed bacteria, so if no internal laying, no egg yolk peritonitis and that's a relief. It occurs to me that maybe the stress is a factor here too, the more they pick at her, the more shell-less she lays, the more they pick at her. Do you have another thread about this hen?

She doesn’t exactly “lay” anything. I occasionally find the remains of a soft shelled egg mess beneath the roost, but it is always a yolk and egg white, and very little “shell”. I have also observed her pooping out this mess in the run.

Again, this is maybe once every other day, sometimes two days. On the other days, she doesn’t expel anything, but still goes to the nest often to sit in there.

Today she is just acting off. She stayed away from the others, and by herself. She also walks with a waddle, and seems to be having som balance issues.

 

[Shezadandy]

Another idea: Can you induce a molt so she stops trying to lay eggs for a while? Usually done by limiting daylight hours - should be multiple threads about how to do it. If she hasn't broken one inside yet, she may not have the dreaded infection. If she resets maybe that will help?

 

[vantain]

The safest thing is separation. Is there a way to pen her so she can see everyone but they can't hurt her? You don't want to come home to a chicken with her intestines hanging out her vent.

With the pick-no-more, they are not pecking her. I work from home, and can check on them often. I also have cameras on them.

 

[Shezadandy]

You mentioned she's walking with a waddle- is her abdomen full of liquid - ascities?

 

[vantain]

You mentioned she's walking with a waddle- is her abdomen full of liquid - ascities?

I’ll check again tomorrow, but her abdomen didn’t feel any different than the others.

 

[vantain]

This is really difficult to guess, but if she lays her eggs, soft-shelled as they are, then there's nothing left inside to feed bacteria, so if no internal laying, no egg yolk peritonitis and that's a relief. It occurs to me that maybe the stress is a factor here too, the more they pick at her, the more shell-less she lays, the more they pick at her. Do you have another thread about this hen?

Here is another thread about this hen: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...le-molting-at-one-year.1302765/#post-21225184

 

[cottagecheese]

One more suggestion ... Sometimes the answer can't be found if we only look in just one place. And as with everything medical, second, third, even fourth opinions should be sought. Some independent research on the web could provide more answers. Many interesting things could await on sites dedicated to parrots, pigeons, etc. I did find something exceptional and saved my hen with a 'terminal' prolapse, just by spending some time in a heart to heart with google.

 

[vantain]

You mentioned she's walking with a waddle- is her abdomen full of liquid - ascities?

I’m starting to think this may be the case. I felt her abdomen again today, and it is larger than the last time I checked. Compared to the other three hens I have, hers is quite a bit bigger.