Hens vent

[Wyorp Rock]

The poor thing has been plucked. I'd continue to keep ointment on the raw areas to help poop from sticking and get the skin to heal up.

She looks a bit bloated as well. When was her last egg?

Is she eating/drinking o.k.? It wouldn't hurt to try to encourage her to drink well and eat. Electrolytes for 1/2 a day, then plain water. Wet mushy feed may be enticing along with bits of egg or fish (mackerel, tuna, sardines).

You mention she groaned in another post. Was it like a relief groan or misery groan?

Any lice/mites?

Your in MO so are fairly cold right now, but monitor the wound to make sure there's not any bugs or maggots. In warm weather often flies will lay eggs on a wound like that and this can cause further difficulties.

 

[Kandees Clucks]

A few in focus pictures of the area would be an enormous help for anyone who visits the thread to try and help.

 

[MarlaMac]

I would proceed as @Wyorp Rock decribed in post #11 in case you didn't see that.

 

[Kandees Clucks]

I took these pics this morning. Hopefully they will be of more help. She is swollen or bloated than yesterday. She does eat & drink. No problem there. She was eating when I went out to take out & put her in sunshine. Some of pics might be repeats but downloaded them as they came. My problem is this. Its cold out & to put her in water to let her soak. To hopefully help with her big belly. Dont know when she last laid an egg but her vent is clean so am guessing she has been pooping. Any suggesting will be appreciated

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She is swollen or bloated than yesterday. She does eat & drink. No problem there. She was eating when I went out to take out & put her in sunshine. Some of pics might be repeats but downloaded them as they came. My problem is this. Its cold out & to put her in water to let her soak. To hopefully help with her big belly

Why are you soaking?

Treat the wounds. If possible, get some NuStock cream and apply to the skin, this will help it heal and hopefully deter some picking. The skin is raw from picking and urates from the poop.

Bloat/Swelling may be due to fluid which is a Symptom called Ascites (some people call it Water Belly). The symptom Ascites can be seen in hens with reproductive disorders and/or with organ failure among a few other conditions.

Soaking doesn't usually help or resolve Ascites. Draining the fluid from the abdomen can sometimes be helpful and give the hen some relief. Draining is not cure, but a supportive care measure to give the hen a better quality of life. There are risks with draining, you can introduce infection through the needle stick(s), draining too much too fast can also send a hen into cardiac arrest. But it can also help - so its up to you to do some research and figure out the best course of treatment for your hen. Video is below of how to drain, there's many videos and more info on the web if you search for them.

An alternative is to try a detox which might help with reducing fluid, but sometimes draining first still may be necessary especially if a hen is in crisis and is having difficulty breathing or is going down hill quickly. Some use Aloe Detox as described in this post. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...le-to-move-now-laid-egg.1446105/post-24045478