Help - my Orp is in distress - need answers

[The Vargas Chics]

My Orp just came into laying and she had an aweful time. Yesterday, I checked on her and her vent area and feathers are all gross. I cleaned her up as best I could and isolated her from the other chickens. This morning I set her in warm water and cleaned her again. This time I noticed she had a tear just below her vent and it looks black and blue. I dried her up (blow dryer) and put neosporene on the wound. She is in a dog crate to keep calm and rest. Does anybody know what might be going on with her? Any other suggestions? This is my first flock and everyone I know that has chickens has never had this problem. Please help! She has passed 2 eggs so far. Thank you for your help.

 

[redhen]

hi...sorry to hear about her!!,,heres a bump up..Wendy

 

[beakkeeper]

Has she laid any eggs since you found the wound? It kinda sounds like a vent tear...

Keep doing what you're doing, except you might want to use triple acting antibiotic instead of neosporin. Also, patch her up with those butterfly or liquid bandaids and keep her clean. Best of luck!

 

[The Vargas Chics]

She has laid 2 eggs. The last one yesterday. I can't tell if she is drinking or eating much. I put food and water in the kennel, but she made a mess out of it. So, not sure if any got into her. I'm thinking she will lay tomorrow again, since she is just coming into laying. Should I keep a good amount of petroleum jelly on her vent area? I'm afraid she is not going to be healed up enough for the next egg. She rump area does not look pleasant and it is hard to clean. Any other suggestions on cleaning the area? Thanks for the input. Monika

 

[beakkeeper]

Petroleum jelly might not work as well as neosporin or some other kind of antibiotic. I don't know what to do about cleaning the area... but you could prevent a flood of potentially harmful egglaying if you drastically reduce her feed. Keep her on greens and put vitamins in the water, but she should slow up egg production without a lot of food. She sounds like she's hangin' in there...

 

[The Vargas Chics]

Well, she is hanging in there. I can not get below her vent area cleaned up. It seems like her poo has run down and got all crusty. I put her out in the yard and she is a happy camper. But, whenever I put her with the other chickens they try to kill her and peck at her vent etc...Is it hard to reintroduce a chicken after they've been out of the coop for a while? I'm going to keep her in a kennel until the area looks totally clean. Any suggestions on reintroducing her to her buddies? Thanks, Monika

 

[chickenlady]

Define "try and kill her" all chickens need to determine the pecking order so to speak. If they are only going after her vent area, that is because there is something interesting there to peck. Being away from the flock for 3 days should not matter at all. Ive had chickens apart for a month and still put them back in the same coop with no problems.

As for her poopy problem, have you checked for mites or lice? Usually this will make the poop cake on there. Check real close in the day and at night with some kind of light. Some mites only feed at night. Best of luck with your girl.

 

[ashyannehand]

I hope it all turns out well for you and your girl!

 

[speckledhen]

Perhaps she doesn't have the proper amt of elasticity in the skin of the vent area. Always try to give your hens some Black Oil Sunflower Seeds-the vitamin E and oil and methionine in them helps with laying. The runny poop could be lots of things and not necessarily related to the tear. One of my hens seems to have runny poop often and she eats the same things the rest of my flock does.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

You can give your hen a sitz bath just put some warm water in a tub and let her soak, she should just sink right into it, that might help clean her up. Good luck.