home remedies for a plugged vent??

[starryhen]

One of my Barr Rocks has been waddling around and her belly is quite swollen. It's soft. I noticed it yesterday and it's bigger today. I remember seeing some interesting suggestions years ago. Can I do something other than take her to the vet? My experience is that it is the rare vet who will bother with a hen.

 

[chickenzoo]

Sounds like she is either egg bound or is retaining fluid from an infection. If you can get pics, please post. Her her backed feels balloon like and squishy, it could be egg pereotisis (sp) or another infection. Put her on antibiotics like penicillin. She may need to be drained. If she is egg bound, give her some calcium, you can squirt mineral oil into her vent and try to massage the egg from the outside. A warm bath to relax the muscles can help also........

 

[starryhen]

Thanks, you've given me a few things to try. I have never imagined trying to bathe a chicken! Now how does one really bathe a chicken? Don't they squawk and carry on? I don't know if I can get a good photo - she looks and feels like a very pregnant mammal.

 

[chickenzoo]

Actually once they get over the fear, they actually relax and enjoy sitting in a warm bath. Search the egg pereotisis , seems like that may be it..... She'll need an antibiotic like amoxicillin or penicillin ......

 

[Pete fernBonnie]

i have a serama hen who is a year old and just 3 weeks ago she had 2 chicks hatch. we had to go to alabama so i took her to a friends house for 3 days and she was fine when i took her there. when we came back she was very lathargic and her eyes were filled with fluid that would spill out when she opened her eyes. after two days i looked at her vent and it was plugged so i removed it gently and she was ok but was still lathargic and we gave her some epison salt which is suppose to clean out any infection and she was gettin better but she is still lathargic and my serama rooster got into the pen and breed with her and some white fluid came out of her mouth. she has been like this for about 4 days. i have been giving her some pedelite (i dont know how to spell it) and layer mash to eat the pedelite she drink with no water added please help i dont have enough money to take her to the vet and i need answers before she gets worse