Constipated? (picture is kind of graphic proceed with caution)

[GingerGremlin]

This summer has been one illness/injury after another for my girls and even though fall is coming its apparently not over yet, we auctioned our aggressive rooster for tormenting our girls and then spent months eliminating a depluming mite infestation and as far as I can tell they are gone for real this time after an all out assault with DE in the coop and ivermectin for the ladies and just now I was getting the girls out to free range and noticed my favorite chicken Sister was standing a little awkward like she was trying to poop, I bent down to see what was up and noticed she's constipated? Maybe? I'm hoping she's just constipated but this looks really bad to me... she's behaving normally and is eating great and is catching all kinds of bugs but this looks insane to me. As far as I can tell her cloaca and vent area are normal until she tried to poop just now and had a rough time, something similar to this happened a month or so ago but within twenty or so minutes of seeing her have a rough time she pooped normally so I just let it go and didn't think much of it and now I'm thinking that was a mistake on my end. Also sorry in advance for the nasty picture, I figured seeing it would give me the best results in terms of steps to take to correct the situation!

 

[bockerchickens]

Check for being egg bound? All I can see here is a bit of prolapse, but maybe there's something further off if she's not acting right.

 

[GingerGremlin]

Check for being egg bound? All I can see here is a bit of prolapse, but maybe there's something further off if she's not acting right.

She's laying normally as far as I can tell, her eggs are a little odd shaped (slightly conical) compared to the others so I can usually tell whether or not she has laid I'm like 90% sure this one is hers from today but usually they're a little more pointed at the top. She's acting completely normal (for her anyways, she's weird that's why she's my favorite) by all other metrics. If it's just slight prolapse should I wait to see if it gets worse before doing anything?

 

[TropicalChickies]

This summer has been one illness/injury after another for my girls and even though fall is coming its apparently not over yet, we auctioned our aggressive rooster for tormenting our girls and then spent months eliminating a depluming mite infestation and as far as I can tell they are gone for real this time after an all out assault with DE in the coop and ivermectin for the ladies and just now I was getting the girls out to free range and noticed my favorite chicken Sister was standing a little awkward like she was trying to poop, I bent down to see what was up and noticed she's constipated? Maybe? I'm hoping she's just constipated but this looks really bad to me... she's behaving normally and is eating great and is catching all kinds of bugs but this looks insane to me. As far as I can tell her cloaca and vent area are normal until she tried to poop just now and had a rough time, something similar to this happened a month or so ago but within twenty or so minutes of seeing her have a rough time she pooped normally so I just let it go and didn't think much of it and now I'm thinking that was a mistake on my end. Also sorry in advance for the nasty picture, I figured seeing it would give me the best results in terms of steps to take to correct the situation!

Her vent is partially prolapsed. Meaning it's out of her body. This an happen to hens who lay unusually large eggs. I've never seen it happen from just a poop, but I guess it can.

This is fixable, but you need to help her. The cloaca tissue outside the body can easily get infected with bacteria. Other chickens will peck at it too, which is really dangerous.

You just need warm water and mild soap and vaseline or castor oil. And a rubber glove.

Wash her vent area and feathers very gently but thoroughly. Then apply Vaseline or castor oil to the tissue sticking out and very gently push it back inside her body.

She won't like that part. But it's necessary. Make sure you are bracing her from the front with one hand while you gently push the cloaca tissue back in.

Feed her soft, easily digestible foods like scrambled eggs for a few days. Don't give her anything roughage or fibrous like fruits or vegetables or dry feed or bread.

I hope the cloaca stays inside. Keep an eye on it. If it happens again, repeat the treatment.

 

[GingerGremlin]

Her vent is partially prolapsed. Meaning it's out of her body. This an happen to hens who lay unusually large eggs. I've never seen it happen from just a poop, but I guess it can.

This is fixable, but you need to help her. The cloaca tissue outside the body can easily get infected with bacteria. Other chickens will peck at it too, which is really dangerous.

You just need warm water and mild soap and vaseline or castor oil. And a rubber glove.

Wash her vent area and feathers very gently but thoroughly. Then apply Vaseline or castor oil to the tissue sticking out and very gently push it back inside her body.

She won't like that part. But it's necessary. Make sure you are bracing her from the front with one hand while you gently push the cloaca tissue back in.

Feed her soft, easily digestible foods like scrambled eggs for a few days. Don't give her anything roughage or fibrous like fruits or vegetables or dry feed or bread.

I hope the cloaca stays inside. Keep an eye on it. If it happens again, repeat the treatment.

So it's definitely inside at all times the picture I got is the only time I've seen it outside and I think it was because she was pooping, I watched it go back in when she stopped straining to poop.. This is her backside right after she was done, should I still do this treatment to clean the area even though there's nothing to push in?

 

[GingerGremlin]

So it's definitely inside at all times the picture I got is the only time I've seen it outside and I think it was because she was pooping, I watched it go back in when she stopped straining to poop.. This is her backside right after she was done, should I still do this treatment to clean the area even though there's nothing to push in?

Just saw the last question, I believe she laid today I posted a picture of the egg in one of the comments above her eggs are usually more pointed than this but they aren't overly big compared to the others. She's the only one who lays the conical eggs that's why I'm fairly certain it's hers.

 

[Chicalina]

Try giving her a calcium tablet once a day for a few days. It might help her pass eggs more easily and prevent a full prolapse.

 

[TropicalChickies]

So it's definitely inside at all times the picture I got is the only time I've seen it outside and I think it was because she was pooping, I watched it go back in when she stopped straining to poop.. This is her backside right after she was done, should I still do this treatment to clean the area even though there's nothing to push in?

Ah, I didn't know the other pictures actually caught her in the act!

I would just check her vent area, make sure there's no poop caked around it. If there is, give it a gentle wash.

What's her poop like? Is it runny? Any weird colors like green or yellow?

What's her diet like? Did she eat anything dry and/or fibrous or doughy? Like a lot of raw veggies? Or tough grasses? Or stale bread?

I'd make sure she gets plenty of fresh water to drink and try dampening her feed down with a little water as well.

 

[GingerGremlin]

Ah, I didn't know the other pictures actually caught her in the act!

I would just check her vent area, make sure there's no poop caked around it. If there is, give it a gentle wash.

What's her poop like? Is it runny? Any weird colors like green or yellow?

What's her diet like? Did she eat anything dry and/or fibrous or doughy? Like a lot of raw veggies? Or tough grasses? Or stale bread?

I'd make sure she gets plenty of fresh water to drink and try dampening her feed down with a little water as well.

Unfortunately I didn't see her poop afterwards so I'm not 100% sure but in the morning before this when I let them out she pooped and it was normal, they are on a great layer feed I get from a local farmer (don't remember exactly what's in it, she ran out of labels for the bags and I didn't mind) and the day before I did give them some leftovers from the fridge but it was all cooked, some green beans and ground beef..

She's a foodie so as soon as she's let out to free range she's grazing on grass, clover and any bug she can catch which is an impressive amount actually. I put an extra waterer in the run for them just in case the other girls are hogging it and when I get home I'll keep an eye on her a bit to see if she poops and what it looks like.

I do know a couple of the other girls had diarrhea once or twice and they have poopy butt feathers but that's mostly normal for those specific hens, not sure if related so I wanted to add it. One of the waterers has a little bit of diluted oil of oregano in it because the same lady I buy my feed from told me it helps her hens when she notices more diarrhea/poopy feathers.

 

[TropicalChickies]

Unfortunately I didn't see her poop afterwards so I'm not 100% sure but in the morning before this when I let them out she pooped and it was normal, they are on a great layer feed I get from a local farmer (don't remember exactly what's in it, she ran out of labels for the bags and I didn't mind) and the day before I did give them some leftovers from the fridge but it was all cooked, some green beans and ground beef..

She's a foodie so as soon as she's let out to free range she's grazing on grass, clover and any bug she can catch which is an impressive amount actually. I put an extra waterer in the run for them just in case the other girls are hogging it and when I get home I'll keep an eye on her a bit to see if she poops and what it looks like.

I do know a couple of the other girls had diarrhea once or twice and they have poopy butt feathers but that's mostly normal for those specific hens, not sure if related so I wanted to add it. One of the waterers has a little bit of diluted oil of oregano in it because the same lady I buy my feed from told me it helps her hens when she notices more diarrhea/poopy feathers.

This all sounds like a great diet. Maybe she foraged something a little hard to digest. Mine catch big frogs and lizards -- even snakes -- all the time.