Help! Rooster has hard vent, impacted with poop

[chickennovice]

Please help if you can...My rooster was attacked by another rooster and was under a lot of stress. I isolated him to protect him, but he was depressed and upset. After a couple of weeks, I found a new home for the other rooster and reunited this rooster with his flock. He was very happy, but I noticed him straining to poop and he seemed to cry in pain or discomfort. When I examined him, his butt was closed with poop. I have given him a couple of baths, oiled his bottom, and tried to scrape or cut off the dried portion. It is very hard and his bottom is very swollen. I considered a laxative but am concerned that he won't be able to void, as there is no opening. I will try to reach a vet tomorrow (discovered this problem late Friday and have been trying to fix it over the weekend). He eats but he is also very thin and I fear we will lose him.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

How long did you soak him in the bath? I think keeping him soaking submerged in warm water would be the best way to get it softened. If it's a really large, really hard mass, I think it's just going to take time to soften.

 

[spook]

Poor guy, soaking him in the warm water and placing vaseline over his vent when you are done soaking him. Poor guy, you should not give a lax as it may rupture his bowels. I'd suggest adding a bit of sugar to his water, this will make it taste better and the sugar will loosen him up. Poor guy, how humiliating for him. Does he have feathers that you could clip around him?
You are both in my thought!
Kel

 

[kycklingar!]

Yes, I'd dunk him for a while longer in the warm bath, then use neosporin to keep the skin from callousing. I like the sugar water idea. Good way also to give him a few carbs without lots of solids that he'll have to pass.

 

[ivan3]

Have one person hold him firmly and, in very good light, use a pair of tweezers to start crushing the dried poop (it will take some time, but will get the job done). Don't try to get a lot at once, just small bits. Once you start to see some `light at the end of the tunnel', soak again (feces can bind to the tissue so much so that simply trying to pull it away gently will take the surface layer of skin with it).

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Yes, this is going to take some time. Work diligently at getting the rest of the crust off. Massage the crust with your fingers. I do it with little ones all the time and it really is the only way to get it done.

Use malassis on the water, just a bit. Keep the roo well hydrated.
I would bring him into a warm and unstressfu environment.

I would cut the feathers around the vent to keep this from happening again. If he is a good roo, he will realize you are trying to help and will stay calm for you.

When you both make it through this, he will be your bud forever.

 

[MandyH]

One of the best ways to remove dry poop is to take some warm baby oil and put it in a syringe and THOROUGHLY soak his butt with it. It will fall off by itself usually, but if it's as bad as you say, you may have to put on some gloves and squeeze the turd ball after the baby oil has time to permeate throughout. You may have to do it a couple of times. I keep a small syringe of baby oil in the top of one of my incubators out in the hatching house so it's warm and ready at all times for baby chicks that get pasty. Works like a charm. Time is of the utmost here, not being able to poop can kill a chicken VERY quick.

 

[Cetawin]

Yes keep him in warm water a bit more and try not to pull on it or etc if it does not give freely away. If it does not give way freely..dunk his butt again...literally.

sugar, honey, molasses in the water in small amounts will help boost him, easy him going and not loosen his stool too much.

If you have horses...mix some sweet feed (a tablespoon full) in with his food. That has molasses in it, they love it and it will help him go a bit. Just do not over do it.

 

[Judy]

Poor fellow.

Molasses is good but only in small enough quantities, and I don't know what that is. Mostly he need to drink, after the butt is cleaned. I'd certainly isolate him though this might not take long.

Something with petroleum jelly around the vent should help, or even baby oil or veggie oil, after you get the clog off. Vaseline, plain Neosporin or generic tripe antibiotic ointment, Prep H -- anything with ointment as a base.

Except do avoid ointments with painkiller -- anything ending in "caine" -- benzocaine, lidocaine, etc.

 

[Judy]

I'd also give vitamins (baby liquid ones, a few drops by mouth or a dropper full in his water) and some extra protein -- scrambled eggs, cheese, meat scraps, etc.