how do I treat a GI hernia

[endo12]

A 2 year old hen has a 3-4 inch diameter pouch hanging from her back end, which is a hernia of the GI tract. Because it's red and boggy it seems like it might need antibiotics or something. Otherwise hen is fine. Anyone know about hernias??????

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Sounds like a prolapsed vent. Keep her in a dim area to minimize egglaying. Here's some info about it

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=793&p=1

Good luck
Imp

 

[endo12]

Thanks for the references, but I'm sure it's not a prolapsed vent. The vent looks clean and normal. The bulge is down from the vent, not up. It has stool in it. She is pooping fine. Still waiting for an egg since putting her in the box inside yesterday. When I felt up from the vent yesterday, there was no obvious egg. She is eating and drinking well - she just looks at me like, "why am I in this stupid box?" The only sign I had that something was wrong was that her tail was drooping a bit and there was this red pouch on her hind end that had no feather left on it. Any other thoughts???????

 

[zboyrocks1]

We have a chicken with the same thing. My son noticed it a couple of months ago. I thought she maybe ruptured something inside and would die but she runs around with the rest of the chickens like nothing is wrong. Her vent looks normal and like you posted, there is a large, soft, kind of squishy bulge an inch or two below the vent. When we first noticed it we picked her up and I gently pushed around on it because my son thought it looked like an egg was stuck in there and I had to "prove" to him that it wasn't an egg. My son is 8 years old so comes up with all kinds of crazy ideas ;-) It is about the same size as an egg though so I can see why he would think that ;-) We've been keeping an eye on her ever since and she seems to be normal besides the large squishy bulge below her vent she's been perfectly fine. We've named her Miss Bulgy Butt ;-) I agree also, definitely NOT a prolapsed vent but not really sure what it is.

 

[endo12]

Well, she is pooping and laying OK, so we put her back out with the others. There are no feathers left on the swelling. They had been plucked out, so we'll just have to make sure she's not a target for the others. Hope your hen does OK. Thanks for posting.