MadChickens5
In the Brooder
- Oct 16, 2024
- 8
- 2
- 11
Hen info: Dotty, light brahma hen, 24 weeks old, has not laid any eggs yet
Current State: she is separated, seems mostly alert, not eating or drinking much if at all, pooping but seems to be barely coming out and just dripping onto her feathers.
Timeline:
Sunday morning - we heard two singing their egg song and one sounded different than normal. Since we had two hens that hadn't started laying yet, we just assumed it was one of them laying their first egg. I checked on them right after and everyone looked fine.
Sunday afternoon - I went out and Dotty's bottom was dripping a little blood and was very bloody/dirty. We immediately separated her and got her in a warm epsom salt bath to clean her up. Her vent looked like it may have prolapsed, no tissue was hanging out but it was definitely swollen and "puckering outward" a bit if that makes sense. I used vetericyn and then once she was mostly dried off from the bath, covered her vent in a little vaseline.
Monday/Tuesday - She has remained separate, in our garage, it has mostly stayed dark in there, with just a short period of light each day. I put a little more vetericyn and veseline on her vent periodically. The swelling of the vent is not quite as bad. I don't see any blood anymore, but there is a white-ish ooze from time to time (poop?). I added some crushed calcium tablets to her food but she doesn't appear to be eating. I do believe she had a little amount of water but not sure. There is poop in her box but not as much as there should be over multiple days. She will occasionally look like she is trying to squeeze something out, but then just cluck a couple times, and then nothing comes out (or a small amount of drippy poo or something white might come). Her movement is normal but less frequent, however she is also confined to a smaller space.
Wednesday (today) - She got another warm epsom salt bath. She seems slightly more alert. She is still doing the occasional squeeze/cluck/nothing coming out process. Still seems to not really want to eat or drink and still not pooping normal. I am heading to pick up a syringe so I can try forcing some calcium water into her. There is no egg to be seen. Her vent looks not quite normal but I don't think it looks prolapsed either.
I would prefer to handle her care at home. Any thoughts on whether she's egg bound or if this sounds like something else? Any other suggestions to help her out?
Current State: she is separated, seems mostly alert, not eating or drinking much if at all, pooping but seems to be barely coming out and just dripping onto her feathers.
Timeline:
Sunday morning - we heard two singing their egg song and one sounded different than normal. Since we had two hens that hadn't started laying yet, we just assumed it was one of them laying their first egg. I checked on them right after and everyone looked fine.
Sunday afternoon - I went out and Dotty's bottom was dripping a little blood and was very bloody/dirty. We immediately separated her and got her in a warm epsom salt bath to clean her up. Her vent looked like it may have prolapsed, no tissue was hanging out but it was definitely swollen and "puckering outward" a bit if that makes sense. I used vetericyn and then once she was mostly dried off from the bath, covered her vent in a little vaseline.
Monday/Tuesday - She has remained separate, in our garage, it has mostly stayed dark in there, with just a short period of light each day. I put a little more vetericyn and veseline on her vent periodically. The swelling of the vent is not quite as bad. I don't see any blood anymore, but there is a white-ish ooze from time to time (poop?). I added some crushed calcium tablets to her food but she doesn't appear to be eating. I do believe she had a little amount of water but not sure. There is poop in her box but not as much as there should be over multiple days. She will occasionally look like she is trying to squeeze something out, but then just cluck a couple times, and then nothing comes out (or a small amount of drippy poo or something white might come). Her movement is normal but less frequent, however she is also confined to a smaller space.
Wednesday (today) - She got another warm epsom salt bath. She seems slightly more alert. She is still doing the occasional squeeze/cluck/nothing coming out process. Still seems to not really want to eat or drink and still not pooping normal. I am heading to pick up a syringe so I can try forcing some calcium water into her. There is no egg to be seen. Her vent looks not quite normal but I don't think it looks prolapsed either.
I would prefer to handle her care at home. Any thoughts on whether she's egg bound or if this sounds like something else? Any other suggestions to help her out?
