Is this vent gleet? (warning: pretty groddy picture)

brettzim

In the Brooder
11 Years
Aug 21, 2008
63
1
39
My hens are relatively self sufficient. I feel bad for not catching this sooner but we snagged a couple gals to put into a chicken tractor to do some tilling. When we were carrying one over we noticed she smelled terrible - like rotten terrible. So I turned her over and she has yellow crust/ooze on her vent. I soaked her in epsom salts and then snapped a couple pictures to get help IDing the problem. From what I have read this could likely be vent gleet. But, I don't want to avoid antibiotics if it's a bacterial infection and I don't want to give them if its fungal. Also, this is post butt-soaking so that's why her feathers are super special. Thanks for your help. And, any suggestions on how to deal with this are greatly appreciated. I already give my flock apple cider vinegar in their water and recently did an epsom flush for everyone when I switched them to a new coop/area (my old coop had mold in it that I worried was impacting their health).

 
Looks like some type of infection, but it might also be something else. Can you take her to a vet?

-Kathy
 
My hens are relatively self sufficient. I feel bad for not catching this sooner but we snagged a couple gals to put into a chicken tractor to do some tilling. When we were carrying one over we noticed she smelled terrible - like rotten terrible. So I turned her over and she has yellow crust/ooze on her vent. I soaked her in epsom salts and then snapped a couple pictures to get help IDing the problem. From what I have read this could likely be vent gleet. But, I don't want to avoid antibiotics if it's a bacterial infection and I don't want to give them if its fungal. Also, this is post butt-soaking so that's why her feathers are super special. Thanks for your help. And, any suggestions on how to deal with this are greatly appreciated. I already give my flock apple cider vinegar in their water and recently did an epsom flush for everyone when I switched them to a new coop/area (my old coop had mold in it that I worried was impacting their health).

It does not look like vent gleet. Vent gleet is white to pasty gray and smells sweet not rotten.

It looks more like internal laying or a broken stuck egg. Look into treating for that.
 
Ron, right click and open the picture in it's own window and let us know what it looks like. To me it looks like pus.

-Kathy
Yes, it looks like a bacterial infection. There is also some nasty red around the vent. Mites might be involved too but there was likely a broken egg involved.

Check for masses in the area above the vent.

added: there is also mareks cancer and a new reproductive cancer that presents at two years old or so.
 
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Not positive, so don't quote me on this, but I think they can get pox on their vents, and maybe canker, too.

-Kathy
 

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