Large red soft organ protruding from nether regions

[johnronit]

Hi,
As you can see from my description I am not a farmer or a biologist.
All the other chickens in the flock are healthy.
This chicken began laying a few days ago, maybe laid two or three eggs till now.
Yesterday she began pulling out all the feathers from the nether region, this exposed a large soft red organ. Maybe this is always there and usually hidden under the feathers.
Any ideas as to what has happened, is there anything that we can do?
John & Ronit

 

[Troela]

Cloaca prolaps, that means the cloaca has come out.
I have no experience myself, but I've read the advise is to put her bottem in water (bodytemperature) to clean, after that gently push/massage it back with some oil (oliveoil, babyoil, ...) in, and prevourably put her in a position tilted forwards for 24 hours, so gravity is in her advance to keep it in.
Some chickens keep on having this problem though and ultimately have to be put out of misery.

This is how it's done in my country. Hope to hear additional solutions also!

 

[dcba flock]

This is from the natural chicken care thread

A little bit about prolapsed vents and problems in laying.

A prolapsed vent on a laying hen occurs when there is degeneration to the muscular system responsible for laying- it is a form of herniation. This can occur when the shell of eggs is not forming properly due to a lack of calcium. Soft shelled eggs are harder to pass through the oviduct and can cause this strain injury. Hens can also be more prone to this injury if they are being forced to continue laying passed a natural cycle of laying (using lamps to extend their laying in the sorter days of winter).

 

You can help prevent a prolapsed vent if you 1) provide enough space for the hens to walk and scratch. This retains the muscle health of the hen. 2) Support a natural laying cycle and 3) provide calcium supplement to their diet. 4) I have also read that common weed, Shepherds Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), provides a general boost to chicken health. 5) Provide a good diet. 6) sunshine and fresh air.

 

However, if your chicken already has a prolapsed vent (signs: swollen red bottom, blood, egg oozing from cloaca, other hens pecking at her vent), you have to treat her. There are  common and effective ways to treat your hen. The first step is to remove the hen from the flock to prevent cannibalization. Reduce the hens feed (or even don’t feed her for one day) to interrupt laying. This will give her a much needed break in laying. I never recomend adding lights to induce laying. If your birds are not laying there is a reason.

 

Effective herbal care:

Wash the protruding organ in lukewarm water and using a natural oil (linseed oil or sweet oil), gently press the vent back into the body. Repeat several times as needed. Then wipe the vent area with a cloth or cotton ball that has been soaked in witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana).

 

Witchhazel is an astringent and anti-inflammatory that tightens skin, soothes, reduces swelling. It is used, among other things, to relieve the pain of hemorrhoids and bruises.

 

Effective non-herbal care:

Wash the protruding organ in lukewarm water and using petroleum jelly, gently press the vent back into the body. Repeat several times as needed. Then treat the vent area with a combination of Preparation H and antibiotic ointment. Preparation -H reduces the swelling tissue and allows the tissue to recede.

 

Continue these steps until the hen is healed. In severe prolapse where a purse suture may be need to the cloaca, contact your local veterinarian to find out if they can provide this procedure, or if you eat your hens, cull the flock of this bird. I personally would cull if it happened the second time.

 

literature does recommend free feeding calcium supplement in a separate feeder.

 

[realsis]

you can try using preparation H to shrink the tissue
or a vet can put a purse suture to help keep In place. separate her give some antibiotics for swelling. don't let the organ dry out. it might take several times of pushing back in with the preparation H. before it stays put if it will. some use honey to help it stick back in but try to shrink the swelling before you try that.i wish you the best and good luck.

 

[johnronit]

Thanks for the advice, I will bathe and push back again.
I doubt that there is a calcium deficiency, the eggs from the other chickens in this flock have thick shells.
What is preparation H?
John

 

[dcba flock]

Thanks for the advice, I will bathe and push back again.
I doubt that there is a calcium deficiency, the eggs from the other chickens in this flock have thick shells.
What is preparation H?
John

It is used to treat hemmroids you can find it at any drug store, Walmart, Target etc.