My chicken has her insides out!

[Dominique11]

I have fourteen Red Sex Link chickens, and one of my girls a few days ago has lost all of her feathers on her bum. At first I just thought that because she is around 1 year of age she was molting, but now I am really starting to worry. She keeps pooping on herself, and when I was cleaning her I noticed that its almost as if her insides came out! Like her intestines ripped and came out from her bum. I've also noticed that some of them have blood on their eggs when they lay. Could this possibly have been caused by this? Im just wondering if they are having a hard time laying and ripping their insides out?? Help!!

 

[Alethea]

It sounds like a prolapse, but I've never seen one, I hope someone here can help. Good luck to you and your hen.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Research prolapse. There are treatments but I don't imagine the long term prognosis is good.

 

[Blue_Myst]

It definitely looks like a prolapse.

This thread here has some good information on what to do for her: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=540224

It may look very bad for her, but don't give up yet, there are a few things you can try. A warm bath to clean her off would be a good idea (don't scrub the prolapsed part, though. It would probably just irritate it more). A lot of people use Prep H or Honey to shrink the prolapse. If you can, try pushing the prolapse gently back into the vent.

Good luck with her, please keep us posted

 

[PamB]

I've only dealt with this one time when a hen laid her very first egg. The only thing that worked for me was Preparation H and keeping the area clean. She has laid eggs without any problems since. Best of luck!

 

[Dominique11]

Thanks I will go look it up, does anyone know how to stop bleeding when laying eggs? I read that it could be a lack of vitamin K? How do you obtain vitamin K? I went to the pharmacy and you apparently need a prescription for liquid form. Can I use the pill form and put in their water? Other then that I do not know what they are lacking in vitamins, they get a mixture of pellets and mash. They also free range for most of the day, eating grass and bugs.

 

[M@M@2four]

I have used Prep H when this happens, but I will tell you I JUST learned a new trick that works!!! Wet sugar!!! Just take about 1 tsp. of white sugar and add a couple drops of water to it just so it's wet but not dissolved and rub it on the hen's vent gently, all around and carefully push the vent back in, all the while rubbing the sugar on. Leave on for about a minute, rinse off and voila!!!

You need to keep an eye on her for the next few days to make sure it doesn't pop out! Good luck!!!

 

[redhen689]

It looks like prolapse to me. About 8 years ago, I had a hen with prolapse, and most people gave me no hope, but one person told me to separate her out. Keep her in a dim place and reduce her feed or at least the protein in her feed, (I think I fed scatch grains) to induce a molt. She needs to stop laying eggs so she can heal. Clean her up really good. Coat all the prolapsed tisssue that is hanging out with Preparation H, and push it back in. I really don't remember all the details, but I think I got her to stop laying eggs for at least a month, maybe two. I put Preparation H on the prolased tissue at least twice a day, pushing it all back in everytime I found it hanging out. Eventually it stayed back in. I think within a week, but I'm not sure of the exact timeline. I used to squirt a little Prep H in her even after it stayed in for a week or so. Once it started staying in, I put her back out in the coop. When she did start laying again she would prolapse briefly, but it would go back in on it's own after a few minutes. She lived a good long life. Her eggs were huge and very round, more than oblong. Her eggs also always had a few streaks of blood on them. Not much though.

 

[redhen689]

I just bought Sav-A-Chick vitamin and electrolyte solution frrom the feed store, and it does contain vitamin K, but I really doubt that a vitamin K deficiency is causing the bleeding. Either the eggs are too big for her, and she tore, and everytime she lays and egg it re-tears, or maybe some type of parasite is irritaing the skin, or the other hens are pecking her vent.

 

[Blue_Myst]

Quote:
It's very hard to lack vitamin K, and her diet sounds good, so she shouldn't be lacking. Moldy corn can cause vitamin K deficiency in horses, perhaps it's the same in chickens.

I agree with redhen, it's probably the eggs re-opening her old wounds, or if it's a shallow prolapse, perhaps even her droppings are irritating it.