Do chickens bleed before first egg?

[helen1989]

Hey i have a 17.5 week old isa brown x leghorn x australorp who is bleeding. Last week i noticed a few blood drops under her roost and then yesterday the same again. Today i saw her sitting in her usual spot and there was quite a bit of blood under her bottom. Ive checked her feathers and nothing on them, her feet havnt been cut and i checked her vent and no prolapse. She hasnt laid yet but i did notice her vent kept opening and closing, i thought she might have been about to poop but she didnt. I checked the other hen too but her vent and feet are fine, shes also a bit smaller and a bit too early for her to lay. Is this normal before first egg?

 

[Judy]

No, sorry. Sounds like she has some internal problem. It's possible there is an egg stuck or broken inside her. I would isolate her and keep her quiet and at rest to maybe give her a bit better chance to heal on her own. You could try feeling for am egg as well. You might use a bit of Preparation H as the lubricant to help soothe and shrink any swollen or inflamed tissue up there. Good lusk.

 

[helen1989]

thanks. She isn't in any pain, eating, drinking, running around the garden as normal. She is with another chicken and they get distressed when not together so I will keep them together and maybe keep them in the coop for a few days instead of letting them out to free range in the garden. if there was an egg/ broken egg will it eventually come out? it might sound silly but wouldn't some pieces of a broken egg come out? I haven't seen any pieces in or around their coop.

 

[Judy]

There is a variety of possible outcomes when an egg breaks inside. It's also possible she is bleeding from something entirely different, like a cancer. I like the idea of letting her stay with her favorite pal; very thoughtful.

I;ve never had this happen to me. I hope things turn out well for you.

 

[helen1989]

Thanks, I took her to the vets and he said with all the wet weather its likely a bacterial infection. She's been given medication and told to stay in the coop for a few days (instead of free ranging) She's on her last day of medication and the coop has been filled with lots of extra bedding to prevent any dampness from lingering.