Egg bound chicken, maybe prolapsed vent - need help

[Skyla]

My chicken, Labird, was showing signs of her being egg bound 2 days ago. At 4 years old and a consistent layer of large thin shelled eggs it brought no surprise. She was puffed up, sick looking, and her vent seemed to be working hard to push out an egg. I brought her into the garage with some feed and electrolytes, then put her in an Epson salt bath. The next morning I checked on her and saw no signs of a passed egg, however throughout the day she was eating, drinking, and scratching, not puffed up and normal looking. I did notice that she was still pushing but since no other symptoms arose I put her back in the coop. This morning I checked on her again to find she was acting completely normal and healthy, but she still seemed to be constantly pushing. Upon checking her vent I found the top of it sticking out or swollen. I have been looking at pictures of prolapsed vent and it does not resemble it but perhaps it's at an early stage? Is she still egg bound and should I continue treatment (Epson salt baths) ?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have been looking at pictures of prolapsed vent and it does not resemble it but perhaps it's at an early stage?

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

Sorry your hen is having some issues.

If she was egg bound, she would be dead by now.

That angry red skin is telling of a couple possibilities... can you get a pic of her actual vent?

These possibilities are either parasites like lice or mites... notice the broken feathers? Look for any clumps around the feather bases. Also use a flash light and look after dark for crawlies running away. In fact the feathers tell quite a story when I zoom in... that says TREAT NOW... If you are in the US, a permethrin based treatment is my preference for ease of use, cost, and efficacy... found int he equine section under many names and concentrations. The one I use...

A simple spritz right below the vent, under each wing pit and at the back base of the head... repeat in 7-10 days... done after roost keeping it dim helps prevent any chasing. Treat ALL birds... Not for use in cats. If you are using DE, please don't as it will not benefit her skin condition.

The second possibility would be ascites... or water belly. Or depending on what you see maybe even Egg Yolk Peritonitis..
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/ascites
To help her get harder shells... you might be able to offer some Tums. It's usually used as a quick source to help support muscle contractions when bound and won't do anything for the egg that has already passed the shell gland. But it MIGHT help her specifically. What is your current feed including treats and supplements? What breed is she?

The Epsom salt bath allows magnesium to absorb through the skin which can help support muscles.

There might be more than one issue going on here... definitely treat for parasites asap. But also keep your eye out for any binding or other concerns.

 

[Skyla]

Hope this image works. I feed them layer feed with plenty of grit and oyster shells added. As for treats they get very few, a few meal worms here and there or a piece of bread. I have not been giving them scratch due to worms appearing in it (probably from the mouse that got in their magically) last summer and never got around to getting new bags of it. With each feeding I give them a little scoop of Diatamacious Earth and mix it in. She is a red sex link. As for the Epson salt bath I planned on giving her, it did not go well and wasn't able to happen. Sunday night she took the bath like a champ, I tried an hour ago and couldn't get her in. She is very calm around me and lets me pick her up usually but for what ever reason she just did not want to go in. Lets just say me and the surrounding area are soaked in water. I plan on getting some preparation H as I hear it can reduce swelling. As for the parasites I had not noticed anything running around on her and the chickens appear fine, does the treatment have any side affects? Are the eggs still edible? Thank you so much for your help, I'm really hoping this won't turn life threatening.

 

[Bantam BCM]

Hi there. I tried prep h for a prolapse and wasn't impressed. I started giving chaga tea and it took the swelling down and within 2 days all her bits were back where they belong. She drank it up with enthusiasm.
I swear by it for a wide range of ailments.
I keep it on hand always.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

As for the parasites I had not noticed anything running around on her and the chickens appear fine, does the treatment have any side affects? Are the eggs still edible?

Adding DE to their feed to achieve what exactly??

No the permethrin is very safe for chickens and requires NO withdrawal time for eggs. However, I would not use it unless seeing actual bugs or nits. My chickens always appear fine... but I still have to treat for lice on occasion. On your second picture when I zoom in.. what is that weird white looking stuff about dead center of the pic? And is the darker slit just left of it the actual vent?

What you are dealing with is NOT prolapse... at least not the root issue if a prolapse is there... I still haven't made one out and it still looks to me like ascites MAYBE couples with parasites...

4 years is considered a decent run for a RSL. I also would not use Prep H.

Is veterinary care a possibility for you?

@Eggcessive, @Wyorp Rock do you happen to have a different assessment or suggestions here? TIA

 

[Skyla]

I had heard and it was recommended to me to add DE in order to prevent against parasites and overall improve health. I plan on looking tonight for parasites and if I do find any i'll definitely try that spray, it's nice it doesn't cause a withdrawal time. As for the white stuff I am not quite sure what it is based on the picture, perhaps it's just a weirdly lighted feather but I will take a closer look tonight. The dark slit you are referring is just a dark wet feather.

Looking over ascites it does seem like a very likely possibility. I did end up using Prep H however as someone commented above I also will try the chaga tea to reduce swelling. 4 years is definitely pretty good, out of my 5 red sex links she is the last one left by a year.

Veterinary care unfortunately is not a possibility, it simply is just to expensive and while I love my bird I cant justify spending 100+ dollars to save a 4 year+ chicken. I do have a concern that she will continue to try and lay and become consistently egg bound due to her swollen and problematic vent. Do you believe this is likely or will she be ok to lay. I ended up putting her back in the coop as I believe she is more comfortable there and since she is at the top of the pecking order she should not receive any unwanted pecs.

 

[coach723]

I circled two area's on your picture that are suspicious for parasites, look like lice eggs/nits, see below. Lice/mites will often find a bird that is weakened by something else, so if she does have a reproductive problem that would not be a surprise. I would still treat the parasite problem as that is not going to help things. This link has lots of pictures and info to help with identifying external parasites, it's something that can happen to anyone at any time.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/I would monitor her to see if she is actually laying, or not. If my birds are doing relatively normal chicken things and are not isolating themselves or being attacked, I leave them with the flock, you are correct that it's much less stressful for them. Some birds with reproductive problems will live for quite some time, some will not, it depends on what the actual problem is and on the individual bird. There are differing philosophies on how long to keep them depending on how you look at your birds, as producers or pets or somewhere in between. For me, if they are seemingly happy then I leave them be until the point comes that I feel they are suffering or their quality of life is poor. Reproductive problems in high laying breeds (sexlinks being one) are sadly all too common and generally aren't very treatable. If it's ascites then I have found that Lily of the Desert Aloe Detox formula will sometimes help to reduce the fluid and help make them more comfortable, picture below. I use a dose of 4ml a day orally, for up to 7 days, and I repeat as necessary if it's effective. The bottle last's 6 months once opened and needs to be refrigerated. Let the dose come to room temperature before giving it, don't give it cold.

 

[Eggcessive]

Keep an eye on her, and feel of her lower belly between her legs (comparing it to others,) to see if her lower belly is enlarged or tight. When they have had feathers pulled out, they tend to appear fuller, but ascites or salpingitis could be things that cause an enlarged belly. I agree that she needs to be back in the flock for now. Spend some time with them and watch to see if any are pecking at her vent area. They sometimes do this on the roost in the evening as well.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I had heard and it was recommended to me to add DE in order to prevent against parasites and overall improve health.

Total fallacy! Keep health up by treating parasites WHEN needed, and using a formulated chicken feed while not diminishing it's nutrients with extra treats to support the birds natural immune system.

DE is already in many feeds and approved by the US as an additive to animal feed as an anti clumping agent at a rate of up to 2%. In reading the directions written on the label... you will find it is ineffective in wet conditions... like that of the guts. It has zero effect on internal parasites and is an over used, over rated, dangerous, false sense of security...
https://the-chicken-chick.com/diatomaceous-earth-de-benefitrisk/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/raising-chickens-naturally-diatomaceous/
This wiki link shown it was ineffective at treating internal parasites in other livestock like cows...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
Many of us cannot take our chickens to the vet. I think returning to the coop was a good choice. I would probably just do my best for her until she appears to be diminishing, isolating, or not eating. At which point I would seek euthanasia.. either by myself (since I am able) or I would ask a friend to help or even call the vet and see how much they charge, out of curiosity.

Hope she stays strong!

 

[Skyla]

I use a dose of 4ml a day orally, for up to 7 days, and I repeat as necessary if it's effective.

Those definitely look like eggs from a parasite and I would be lying if I said I'm not quite a bit grossed out now that she was in our house. When treating her (and the rest of the chickens) for parasites will I also have to spray the coop down and do some excessive cleaning? Or will it be find to just treat the birds and not their surroundings (feeders/coop).

Will the detox formula harm her if she doesn't have ascites? When you say orally, do you mean like directly through an eye dropper or to put it in her water/by itself for her to drink. In that case would I have to separate her from the coop again in order for her to drink it?

Thank you all so much for all the help, I really appreciate it and all the well wishes for Labird!