First prolapse vent issue

[KCref]

First, I'm new to chicken keeping. We have 25 mix of large breeds at 8 weeks old. This morning one bird did not come out of the coop when I opened the door. This is unusual, generally all 25 birds run out to see what ever the new day my bring. When I opened the coop to check food and water and add some bedding I saw the bird that did not come out. The bird had clear eyes and was attentive to my voice but still strange that the bird did not go outside. I put some water in the waterer and the birdcame over for some water. I noticed that there was some wet, bloody looking discahrge hanging from the rear end of the bird. I checked the bird and there was definitely blood and poop caked around her vent and what looked like a big peice of poop hanging from the birds vent. I got a bucket of warm water and a cloth, cleaned the birds vent area and thought that maybe what was hanging from the vent was a big peice of poop.

Prolapse vent was something I had read about and associated this with egg laying.There is no way a bird this young could be laying, right? and honestly, I thought rooster not pullet, but what do I know...real close to nothing...about chickens. With the blood, I expected to see a wound and was thinking predator.

Went inside got the wife did some quich research on BYC. While the wife started a warm water bath I went and got the bird. We gave her the spa treatment of a warm water bath and checked the area again, now thinking we have a prolapse situation. I used some vasoline and massaged the area until the protrusion "went back in," everything looked normal again. I lathered the area with vasoline and put the bird in her own small box with some water here in the house.

There was some milky discharge that came out of the vent right after the prolapse was returned. The wife thinks we should avoid food so that we do not create the need to poop too soon...still talking about the bird .

Any advice on what we should do or plan for next?

 

[KCref]

The bird is not looking good now, standing with her eyes closed (if I'm not speaking), head drawn in tight. There is no poop in the box and it has been about 1.5 hours since the bird was placed in the box.

Shouldn't there be some poop by now?

 

[casportpony]

The bird is not looking good now, standing with her eyes closed (if I'm not speaking), head drawn in tight. There is no poop in the box and it has been about 1.5 hours since the bird was placed in the box.

Shouldn't there be some poop by now?

Is she in the house where it's warm? If not, get her inside and get her warmed up, her "spa treatment" probably lowered her body temperature". In the future, remember that only very healthy birds should be bathed, it's just too much of a shock when they are sick.

Is her crop empty?

 

[casportpony]

Sorry, re-read your post... She is in the house. Do you have a heat lamp you can put her under?

 

[casportpony]

From: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/avmed/cam/07_emergency_and_critical_care.pdf
Supportive Care
SICK-BIRD ENCLOSURES
Sick birds are often hypothermic and should be placed
in heated (brooder-type) enclosures


b (Fig 7.7) in a quiet
environment (see Chapter 1, Clinical Practice). A temperature
of 85° F (29° C) with 70% humidity is desirable
for most sick birds. If brooders are not equipped with a
humidity source, placing a small dish of water in the
enclosure will often supply adequate humidity. A moist
towel that is heated and placed on the bottom of a cage
or incubator rapidly humidifies the environment, as indicated​

by the fogging of the acrylic cage front.

 

[KCref]

Thnaks for your response we are covering her box for added warmth but it is pretty warm in the house, no AC yet, high 70s low 80s, feels hot to us. How do I check her crop, what is a crop? Thanks for your help we do not want to lose the bird and the learning opportunity is clearly upon us.

 

[casportpony]

Crop is on the right side of the bird, it's where the food is stored before digestion starts. Maybe try putting some hot water bottles under a towel for her, I bet she's hypothermic.

 

[KCref]

The chicken's chest area is full of fluid it feels like a water baloon, when checking for the crop all I feel is a fluid sac, the bird is eating a little and drinking . Every attempt at pooping results in a prolapse but it is going back in easy enough, when touched with a warm wet cloth and just a small amount of pressure the vent retuns to normal. The fluid is a problem though when I picked the bird up and held her butt up fluid started coming out of her mouth. really need some help here.

 

[casportpony]

Birds can aspirate and die when handled while the crop is full of fluid, so be careful. Does her breath smell funny? Is she large enough for someone to check the inside of her vent for an obstruction?

 

[KCref]

The bird is 8 -9 weeks old, the vent seems pretty small with small pointy bones so close to the vent, I would not want to use my fat fingers and neither would the bird, I'm sure. Would a vaseline coated cotton swab be an option? I do not smell anything on the chicken's breath.

I have now gently pushed the prolapsed vent back in 4 times since about 8:30am central time. The bird is not bleeding near as much but continues to push so hard that the vent prolapses. When the bird pushes the vent protrudes out at least a full inch maybe an inch and a half. There is still no poop in the box and it has been 9-10 hours since we put the bird in the box. I believe this bird needs to poop and is trying very hard to poop to the point of a prolapse, but I know very little so this is simply based on what I'm observing and the lack of poop in the box. (wow...that sentence was full of poop!)

The bird has been drinking some water, and eaten a small amount of grower starter feed that is wet (mash) as well as a little pit of plain yogurt. I went to the feed store picked up some Blu-Kote on their suggestion and some electrolytes and probiotic that is now in the birds water. I have been using the blue kote lotion after each return to a normal vent after a prolapse. I'm not sure what else to do for the bird. Any suggestion welcome and thanks castportpony for trying to guide me through this, I appreciate your willingness to assist.