HELP!! Broken egg in vent, and fly eggs on feathers

[Maggpiefarms]

Best to trim her feathers in that area to reduce the poop build up that gets stuck in her feathers

Thank you I too agree. I think she needs to be drained. I think I am more worried that she will develop egg yolk Peritonitis because of the egg that was completely shattered as it exited yesterday. I will have to keep watching her carefully. She was still foraging it’s afternoon with the rest of the flock which I think is a good sign. Thanks for all the input.

 

[Chicalina]

I just found this really good video on how to do it yourself, if that helps.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok so I def think she has some fluid in there. She is acting okay. Her abdomen is softly distended. Def feels like there may be fluid in there. No evidence of any more fly eggs thank goodness. Fairly certain she payed an egg this morning bc she lays very light colored eggs compared to my other BO. She enjoyed her episode salt bath. More than I though.

I think she needs to be drained. I think I am more worried that she will develop egg yolk Peritonitis because of the egg that was completely shattered as it exited yesterday. I will have to keep watching her carefully.

I would be inclined not to drain her at this time if she's acting o.k. and laid a normal egg.
If the egg she laid yesterday was not intact and leaked egg into the oviduct, then I would treat with an antibiotic as mentioned previously. Amoxicillin can be ordered online or sometimes is found at Tractor Supply.

Draining may be needed at some point, but most don't drain unless the hen is showing signs of distress - difficulty breathing, comb turning purple, etc. Draining can be risky and can introduce bacteria into the abdomen. Draining is not a cure, but may make a hen more comfortable/improve quality of life when not well.

Since she's doing o.k., then offering a detox to see if that will help with the fluid may be a good idea. @coach723 has the info here https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/internal-laying-peritonitis-ascites.1196233/#post-18927497

 

[Maggpiefarms]

I would be inclined not to drain her at this time if she's acting o.k. and laid a normal egg.
If the egg she laid yesterday was not intact and leaked egg into the oviduct, then I would treat with an antibiotic as mentioned previously. Amoxicillin can be ordered online or sometimes is found at Tractor Supply.

Draining may be needed at some point, but most don't drain unless the hen is showing signs of distress - difficulty breathing, comb turning purple, etc. Draining can be risky and can introduce bacteria into the abdomen. Draining is not a cure, but may make a hen more comfortable/improve quality of life when not well.

Since she's doing o.k., then offering a detox to see if that will help with the fluid may be a good idea. @coach723 has the info here https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/internal-laying-peritonitis-ascites.1196233/#post-18927497

Ok. Thank you. Her comb does have darker tips. And she is eating and drinking. I suspect it was her egg but obviously can’t be 100%. She did go to peck one of the other chickens and did lose her balance.... nearly falling over. It’s like she has a balloon between her legs..... but she was able to get herself into the roosting bar without issue last night so that’s a plus. I will keep a close eye on her. I will post a picture of her so you can see her comb and let me know your thought. Maybe it looks okay. I think maybe I am overly concerned about her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you feel she needs to be drained, then do that and see if she improves.

 

[Chicalina]

I found that my hen who had it couldn't run properly, or jump up to roost, as it hung between her legs and she had to waddle, and sleep on the coop floor. It meant she was last in line for treats, got picked on, didnt have equal access to food bowls and spent precious energy just lugging around this heavy bag of fluid, so she got a bit thin. And the poop that stuck to her and dried was horrible. At various points she had vent gleet because of this. Luckily no fly strike.

Her daily quality of life improved a lot when I drained it. Not to mention the state of her butt! The first time I got the vet to do it. Vet knew nothing about chickens and I had to tell her what the problem was and what to do! I was too scared to do it myself, but having watched the vet I saw it was really easy so I did it a few times after that myself with sterile needles. She lived quite a while with the disease quite happily.

As @Wyorp Rock says, use your own judgment about your hen. But at least you seem to have identified the problem, and you have access to the solution as and when you decide to use it.

 

[Maggpiefarms]

I just found this really good video on how to do it yourself, if that helps.

Thanks you. I watched this one too!!!