Hen with Vent Problems- Prolapse??

[ChickenPeep]

I am a little concerned for my dear Ebony.

Just a few minutes ago I was watching her and she squatted and lowered her vent feathers; the way chickens do when they're pooping. Nothing unusual. Usually when they do this, they wait a second, poop, and then stand back up again and get back to business. Well, Ebony just stayed in that position for a while, which I have never seen her do before. So I bent down and looked at her vent, and I saw that there was a little bit of flesh sticking out. It was not very much at all, but I did see that it looked like a section of it was a little bloody. After a while, she stood back up, but then she did the same thing again, and this time I saw that there was a bit of poop hanging in the flesh, and she was trying to get it out. She managed to get all of the flesh back in to her abdomen, but after she was done, she bent back and preened around that area, which makes me think that it is painful for her. I noticed that the area under her vent is also slightly red. She seems fine otherwise; eating, drinking, moving around, etc.
After I saw this happen, I realized that I had seen her do the "poop position" unusually long yesterday as well, but I didn't think much about it and I hadn't seen her vent.
Ebony is my little sweetheart and I will do whatever it takes to fix this. I am not so worried about what I saw but more so that it could get worse. I have heard about cases of badly prolapsed vents and I don't want to have to deal with it, or not to mention Ebony suffer through it.
All information and advice is greatly appreciated. If you need any more information then just ask. Thank you so much!

 

[Eggcessive]

It's good that you saw this. I would keep an eye on her in case she becomes eggbound or has a prolapse. I have a hen that has a little bit of internal tissue that sticks out and goes back in, but she is fine.

 

[ChickenPeep]

Is there any way to help fix it or will it just heal on its own.. Or just stay there?
Thank you very much for your reply.

 

[tofupup]

I have a hen who gets this problem once in a while. The first time, it was a pretty big prolapse, but it must've just happened just before I found her because it hadn't dried out or gotten picked at or gotten maggotty or any of those other horrible things you read about. I soaked her in an epsom salt bath and pushed it back in and it stayed in.

Every month or so, it seems to sort of come out again, but not that much -- just like barely -- and I just soak her in a bath and push it back in. So far, she's okay with it. She did lay a shell-less egg the last time after I soaked her, so I suspect this happens when she's having trouble pushing out a no-shell egg. I gave her a dose of oral calci-boost the last time.

 

[ChickenPeep]

Can someone tell me what I should do if she does end up with a prolapse? Thank you all for your helpful replies.

 

[tofupup]

You should be able to just push it back in w/ some mineral oil and a latex glove, unless it has been out for too long and is all dried up.

 

[Eggcessive]

Most people use a lubricant such as KY and try to push it back in. Honey is also good to apply to shrink the tissue. Give a dose of calcium, since prolapse may happen due to a deficiency. Here is a link to read: http://www.avianweb.com/Prolapse.htm
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html

 

[ChickenPeep]

Thank you guys so much! Ebony has not been having problems since I saw her do this last time and she laid a perfect little egg today. I am keeping an eye on her though. Merry Christmas!