- May 1, 2010
- 3
- 0
- 7
Hello all,
Today when I went out to collect my eggs when I got home, I noticed a green egg in the run that had spots of blood on it. I was shocked because 1) I thought that all of my chickens had started laying and we didn't have any green layers and 2) I had just cleaned the coop and run this weekend and checked on the general well-being of all the chickens and everyone seemed fine. So, I was worried and grabbed each chicken in turn for an inspection. I started with our Easter Egger and sure enough she has a bloody vent. So, this green egg was her first egg. We had thought she was already laying brown eggs, up until today, as she's a little old to be just starting to lay (29 weeks). I immediately separated her from the rest of the flock. But, I'm not sure what to do now, as I'm not sure what is the root cause of the problem.
Some background info: About three weeks ago, we had a problem with our other Easter and the other chickens pecking on her. We isolated her at the time and nursed her back to health. She's currently still in her own pen, because we are awaiting a chicken saddle to protect her back until her feathers grow back in. So, we do have a history of cannibalism in our flock. We still aren't sure what caused the cannibalism. We have a large run (10 sq. feet/bird) and coop for our six chickens and we constantly give them fresh greens from the garden along with their food.
So, my questions are: Did she have problems laying the egg? Were the others just picking on her? Or, is it a combination of the two? I've read about prolapse, but I'm not sure what exactly to look for. I don't see any tissue coming directly from the vent. But, she does appear to have some bloody discharge through her feathers below it. I plan to clean her up as best I can with betadine and neosporin. But, I don't know what else to do for her. Do you have suggestions? I feel so badly for her and I don't want her to be in pain. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Thank you so much!!
Jen
Today when I went out to collect my eggs when I got home, I noticed a green egg in the run that had spots of blood on it. I was shocked because 1) I thought that all of my chickens had started laying and we didn't have any green layers and 2) I had just cleaned the coop and run this weekend and checked on the general well-being of all the chickens and everyone seemed fine. So, I was worried and grabbed each chicken in turn for an inspection. I started with our Easter Egger and sure enough she has a bloody vent. So, this green egg was her first egg. We had thought she was already laying brown eggs, up until today, as she's a little old to be just starting to lay (29 weeks). I immediately separated her from the rest of the flock. But, I'm not sure what to do now, as I'm not sure what is the root cause of the problem.
Some background info: About three weeks ago, we had a problem with our other Easter and the other chickens pecking on her. We isolated her at the time and nursed her back to health. She's currently still in her own pen, because we are awaiting a chicken saddle to protect her back until her feathers grow back in. So, we do have a history of cannibalism in our flock. We still aren't sure what caused the cannibalism. We have a large run (10 sq. feet/bird) and coop for our six chickens and we constantly give them fresh greens from the garden along with their food.
So, my questions are: Did she have problems laying the egg? Were the others just picking on her? Or, is it a combination of the two? I've read about prolapse, but I'm not sure what exactly to look for. I don't see any tissue coming directly from the vent. But, she does appear to have some bloody discharge through her feathers below it. I plan to clean her up as best I can with betadine and neosporin. But, I don't know what else to do for her. Do you have suggestions? I feel so badly for her and I don't want her to be in pain. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to e-mail me directly at [email protected]. Thank you so much!!
Jen
