Is this normal?

[Wyorp Rock]

My 8 1/2 mo old Cornish cross hen has something going on...about 2 months ago switched her feed to Scratch & Peck's layer & 2 1/2 wks ago applied pet amour plus for northern fowl mites. The feathers have been trimmed for months now to prevent caking. Her last egg laid was oct 25. In the 12 o'clock position in the photo is whitish fluid/feces & the area in question is the reddish bulbous protrusion below it(almost egg shaped). She does have normal feces throughout the day. Last night she didn't eat much except some cracked corn & grubs & she ate just a bit more this am of the layer feed & picked only a bit on dinner.

My ?s...she was laying every 2-3 days. After the insecticide drops were applied(she laid normally up until the 3rd dose(a rescue group mentioned they followed a protocol of 3 treatments 3 days apart due to persistent infestation-which is what we had) so her eggs were always light brown & the last one was bigger & oblong & almost white. My concern is with toxic build up. Does this sound like a health issue? Is the reddish protrusion an egg?

Thank you if you care to share your experience.

Quote:

It looks like you have been given some good advice.

If her abdomen feels fluid filled or spongy, then she may have something like Ascites, Egg Yolk Peritonitis (internal laying/reproductive disorder), tumors or cancer as suggested by @rebrascora
The photo you posted looks like she is swollen and could also possibly have some vent gleet as well. As stated earlier, there is not a lot you can do for any of the conditions mentioned. If she is building fluid/infection in her abdomen, then sometimes it can be succesfully drained to provide supportive care/relief.

As for your other questions:

How do hens stop laying for the winter? Hens can stop laying when in molt around 16-18months of age. They can also have a reduction in production in winter, when days are shorter and light is limited.

If one of the 2 roosters mated with her how long would it take from mating to giving birth? 3wks? Could this be a sign of pregnancy? When a rooster mates with a hen this can fertilize her eggs. When she lays eggs they will be fertile. To hatch eggs, you would need either a broody hen or an incubator. A broody hen is a hen that will sit on eggs (for 21days) to keep them warm so fertile eggs will hatch. You can also put fertile eggs in an incubator to hatch as well. Hens themselves do not become pregnant.


Hope this helps.


Peritonitis and internal egg laying issues:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx

Vent Gleet:
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment-html/
http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/09/vent-gleet-symptoms-causes-and-natural.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/vent-gleet-aka-nasty-chicken-butt

 

[PeepersMama]

A hen stops laying in the winter because that's when they "take a break". Laying eggs is really hard on a hen, especially a more industrial productive breed, like leghorns. They will also stop laying if they are under stress from mites, sickness, etc. If she does have ascites, I wouldn't be at all suprised if she has stopped laying.

Chickens do not give live birth. The eggs are their children. When a rooster mates with a hen, his sperm goes to her ovaries and fertilizes all the yolks. After she's mated, the next egg to be laid will be fertile and can be hatched under the right circumstances. Sometimes a chicken will "go broody" and sit on a clutch of eggs to hatch them, which makes the baby chicks. An artificial incubator can also hatch chicks. It takes three weeks for a baby chick to develop inside the egg.
Here are a couple links that explain everything. This whole website is an awesome resource. Her name on her is ADozenGirls, I think. She's so cool

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/01/how-hen-makes-egg-egg-oddities.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/06/chicken-mating-how-does-that-work.html

 

[M EGG]

So vet found a mild prolapse only when tech was holding her, it doesn't protrude externally. Should I still be pushing this back in? Seems stressful to hold her back against my chest like tech held her & manually push the uterus? or colon? whatever is sticking out a bit back in? Or wait til it is externally sticking out of her?
She did lay an egg twice in the last few days, so we are just going to keep her in the natural day light cycle & not add too much artificial lighting to hopefully stop the laying.
She is foaming a bit on the sides of her beak & some saliva drips down...respiratory, heart, crop issue??

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So vet found a mild prolapse only when tech was holding her, it doesn't protrude externally. Should I still be pushing this back in? Seems stressful to hold her back against my chest like tech held her & manually push the uterus? or colon? whatever is sticking out a bit back in? Or wait til it is externally sticking out of her?
She did lay an egg twice in the last few days, so we are just going to keep her in the natural day light cycle & not add too much artificial lighting to hopefully stop the laying.
She is foaming a bit on the sides of her beak & some saliva drips down...respiratory, heart, crop issue??

Do what your vet has advised. If you are concerned about having to push it in, then you may want to contact them for further instructions.

How does her crop feel? Have you checked at night and first thing in the am to make sure it's functioning properly? (Night=full; morning should be empty before eating/drinking)

 

[M EGG]

Now I'm worried!!!!! Foaming around beak subsided today then within the hour she has blood now coming from the beak & a bit of froth. She ate crumbles only today & grit. Her poop was normal, a few hours ago one smelled like rotten meat but then was fine. Crop is filled not hard, softer.

 

[M EGG]

she is drinking. she rattles her beak like something keeps coming up(the saliva/froth)?? She hasn't regurgitated. I noticed her eating some pine shavings in her area today. She preens herself & it's noisy, maybe painful to turn & stretch crop area?? Vet yesterday mentioned mild prolapse & gave metacam & amoxi. not sure what to do. Her fecal is negative

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Now I'm worried!!!!! Foaming around beak subsided today then within the hour she has blood now coming from the beak & a bit of froth. She ate crumbles only today & grit. Her poop was normal, a few hours ago one smelled like rotten meat but then was fine. Crop is filled not hard, softer.
Quote: Can you take her back to the vet?

The blood coming from the beak with froth is not normal.

Separate her so you can monitor her.

 

[PeepersMama]

She could have impacted crop. Try to get her to drink/eat some olive oil to loosen the contents, and then masssage it to further loosen it. Don't massage it to much, as it can be very stressful. If she's "foaming at the mouth" then she could have a really serious impaction. Take her back to the vet ASAP. Call ahead and tell them you are coming in with an emergency, and they'd better make room for her. If they don't let her in then they're some seriously stupid vets

If she does have an impacted crop, she might have stretched her crop to the point that it started bleeding, but if that's it, then she will need really limited feed so it can heal.

 

[M EGG]

We went back to vet yesterday. I asked if it could be ILT(infectious laryngotracheitis) but upon exam of the inside of her beak, trachea, etc.. vet said all looked clear & not irritated. Our 19 lb rooster jumped on her, she's 14 lbs & we supervise them when they're free ranging but, he got to her this time & the vet said this possible trauma may have injured an air sac to cause the bleeding(the bleeding started 3hrs after & lasted throughout the night, by am she was ok). The froth around the beak started 3 days before this though a few hours after she laid an egg(this was her 1st egg in 3 wks. Perhaps prolapse related.

So, I'm thinking her last egg laid on oct 25th was her stopping due to the cooler temps(in the 50's) & then the increased artificial lighting caused her to start laying(she laid 3 in the last 5 days). Whatever is causing the mild prolapse & if the protrusion under the cloaca is the colon she can possibly be having pressure on all of her internal organs & this can possibly be pushing further up into diaphragm/lungs or down into colon causing everything to shift.

Since 3wks old she has appeared to have possible weaker lungs & she was usually the one panting/open beak breathing while the others weren't.

 

[PeepersMama]

WHAT!!! A 19 pound roo!!! Holy cow, that's HUGE!!!
Anyway, it is possible that she has weaker lungs, and getting "squished" by a roo that big could have caused some damage.
Now that my brain juices are flowing, she might have a punctered air sac. You know how when you try to suck water up a straw with a hole in it, it doesn't really work? That's kinda what it's like. Chickens actual lungs don't move; the air sacs expand and contract, which pulls air though the lungs and pushes it back out. If you study it in more detail, it is actually way more efficient than a mammals respiratory system, because when a bird exhales, almost all the air goes out, which lets more fresh, oxygen-filled air tale it's place. But anyway, back to the main subject

The next paragraph is pretty much all from the chicken health handbook, and isn't my exact words.
If she does have a punctered air sac, then that would explain why she seemed bloated, because air would've leaked into her abdomen. The most common sign of a ruptered air sac is a "balloon" under her skin. It can look like she swallowed a small balloon if an air sac closer to her head popped, or her wing may stick out at a weird angle, depending on which one ruptered. If her coop/run setup isn't necisarilly a peacful environment, then isolating her or letting her freerange by herself may help it to heal more quickly. If she is having serious trouble breathing, then you can deflate the bubble with a sterile needle and syringe. This can introduce certain pathogens and germs into her respiratory system, so it is only recommended as a last resort. If it very severe (as your girl might be) she may die.