Hen with Swollen booty

[Cowgirl08tiff]

This is the newest hen. She’s a students bird. 1 year old, beautiful but doesn’t lay eggs so the breeder sent her my way. Student just needed a bird for showmanship. Cleaned her up today before sending her to my student and noticed she was swollen. I gently wiped the dried poop, soaking it off with a warm wash cloth, and used hen healer ointment. By her reaction it must have been soothing. I also gave her some antibiotics just in case.

 

[Eggcessive]

Her vent area does appear swollen. Has she ever laid eggs? They can sometimes lay internally into their abdomens, and can sometimes have lash eggs, a product of oviduct infection which may come out normally or be deposited into the belly. I would glove up and insert a lubricated finger inside her vent one inch, to feel for a stuck egg, lash egg, or hard dropping that might be causing the swelling. Cancer is also common in chickens. If she is constipated, she may need to have that cleaned out. Let us know what you feel.

 

[Cowgirl08tiff]

Thanks for responding, she has never laid. I will definitely glove up later, not something I want her student to see. He has difficulties so he probably wouldn’t understand.

 

[Eggcessive]

There is some crusting around the bottom of her vent which might be a sign that she has been pecked or injured by another chicken. A damaged vent can lead to problems pooping, and in ones that lay, problems passing eggs. Let us know what the vent check shows. Is she a serama or other bantam? It is odd that she has never laid eggs. She might be laying internally or have some other reproductive disorder. Her comb looks very dry as well.

 

[Cowgirl08tiff]

She is a Serama. I will be doing a vent check here shortly. I put some hen healer ointment on her comb and legs they look so much better!!

 

[Cowgirl08tiff]

Ok vent check done, nothing except poop. She chirped a bit but no major complaints during the process. I put more ointment on. It’s odd her vent is moving like it has a pulse.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does she seem constipated? Vents can pulsate normally. You can give a few drops of mineral oil or molasses if she is constipated.