Newbie needing help quickly please!

[HelenRen]

Hi there, I'm really hoping someone can help please, as I'm in a bit of a tizzy! I'm having a problem with one of my girls - just not sure what. Does this look like she is egg bound or is it a prolapse do you think? The picture with the blood on was from Sunday, but that had cleared up by the next day. The other I have taken earlier this morning. She is eating and I have seen her drink, but she definitely isn't herself. She doesn't seem able to poo properly (it's very runny and she's seems to be straining), which makes me wonder about being egg bound. She didn't lay yesterday and the egg the day before had specks of blood on. I've just been out to see her again now and there's a bit of blood visible again. I'm really in a bit of a state about how best to help her and my vet doesn't treat chickens. I'd really appreciate any advice please. Thanks SO much.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She keeps looking like she's straining to poop (or lay???) and her 'insides come outside a bit' while she's doing it - if that makes sense. There's leaking poop, but that's all I've seen her do for the last two days now. The last time she laid was on Monday.

To be honest, nothing that's been suggested. I can get to a store tomorrow, but it's just a supermarket.

Have you felt inside her vent?
Sometimes just doing that will open up enough to let her expel what's in there.
No first aid supplies on hand at all?
If tissue is getting exposed, you can apply a bit of vaseline or honey.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks so much for all your suggestions. I'm more than a little overwhelmed and wishing I had some backup with me here. I'll take another look at her now, try and check for any blockages and take it from there. Thanks again, I'll update later...

Do the best you can.

 

[Chicalina]

Thanks, moral support is what I need. Had a big cry thinking that I might be letting her down and then rolled up my sleeves and created her an enclosure within the coop, so at least she won't be pecked at. Still haven't 'explored' yet, but am going to ask my nephew to come round to see if he can hold her for me while I do.

That's a good idea about the pen. Sometimes a cry helps too! Go get your big girl underwear on and get stuck in to sorting it! You are doing great. Hope your nephew helps because 4 hands are better than 2!

 

[dawg53]

Was there a very foul odor coming from her rear end? That's how you can tell if it's vent gleet.
If you trim back fluff and feathers, dont trim back too much. Urates in feces will scald her skin causing redness and inflammation, probably painful too.

 

[dawg53]

Oh, sorry, my first time posting on here...hopefully these will be better.View attachment 2325900View attachment 2325901
Thanks so much for replying. The other chickens are having a peck now and again, but it isn't incessant and she's keeping out of the way on the roof of the coop most of the time. I'm just worrying because I keep reading how being egg bound or having a prolapse can kill quickly. I haven't felt for an egg yet; to be honest, I'm not very confident handling her other than just to pick her up. I put her in some warm water yesterday to clean her up a bit, but that's as far as I've got. My husband is working away until Friday and he's the Chicken Whisperer, NOT me!

Is there a foul odor around her rear end? If so, it looks to be vent gleet. The blood might be from an internal broken eggshell that has pierced blood vessels or it's from other hens picking at her rear end, or both.
I agree with Chicalina, she needs to be cleaned up.

 

[Isaac 0]

She needs to be brought inside, into a towel-lined clean environment first. After that, I'd trim off the feathers around the area, to prevent repeated contamination of the area. After that, I might flush some of the debris with some saline, to dislodge any foreign matter. Once it appears to be clean, apply either DMSO gel, or something like Prep H hemorrhoid cream to the area, and hopefully the tissue will shrink back down enough that it will pop back in.

If you think soaking her in warm water may help, go for it, just realize chickens do not like to be wet, so the extra stress of that, may or may not send her over the edge. That might be a last option for me, but we are all different on how we proceed with these type of things.

If you add anything to her water make sure to provide a separate clean dish of water, in case she doesn't like the taste. Very important that she stays hydrated.

I'd be inclined to think the blood is NON- coccidiosis related.

If you think she may be egg bound, you can give her some calcium, either in the form of some tums, calcium gluconate, or calcium citrate.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The picture with the blood on was from Sunday, but that had cleared up by the next day.

She doesn't seem able to poo properly (it's very runny and she's seems to be straining), which makes me wonder about being egg bound. She didn't lay yesterday and the egg the day before had specks of blood on. I've just been out to see her again now and there's a bit of blood visible again.

The other chickens are having a peck now and again, but it isn't incessant and she's keeping out of the way on the roof of the coop most of the time. I'm just worrying because I keep reading how being egg bound or having a prolapse can kill quickly. I haven't felt for an egg yet; to be honest, I'm not very confident handling her other than just to pick her up.

She keeps trying to poo and then tries to clean herself up afterwards. Poor girl.

How is she doing?
I would separate her since she's getting picked at. She may also be picking at herself too.
You may need to feel inside the vent for an egg.
Looking at your most recent photo with the blood, her struggling to poop, etc. I would say she may be trying to pass lash material (has Salpingitis). Feel inside the vent for anything blocking the cloaca.
Do what you can, give her a soaking if she's not lethargic. Work on keeping her hydrated.
The blood is concerning and she may have prolapsed at some point and the tissue was damaged.
If she's not able to poop that's not good.
I would not treat with Corid, this is something else.

if you pick her up and put one hand under her abdomen and press your fingers gently upward towards her pelvis between her legs, you may feel a hard round lump which is an egg in transit.

Hard lump in abdomen between the legs would not be an egg in transit.

 

[HelenRen]

Best of luck. We can only do the best we can in any circumstance. Can you get a neighbour, friend or family member to come give you a hand? Sometimes even moral support is helpful, or to pass you things or help hold her while you examine.

Thanks, moral support is what I need. Had a big cry thinking that I might be letting her down and then rolled up my sleeves and created her an enclosure within the coop, so at least she won't be pecked at. Still haven't 'explored' yet, but am going to ask my nephew to come round to see if he can hold her for me while I do.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So it will be quite obvious (to someone without a clue) if there is an egg stuck when I feel inside the vent? And is there an easy way to do it???

This is the latest photo. She's messy again, but I don't think that a prolapse is the problem...is it?

The only way to feel inside the vent is to feel inside about 1-2" if you feel something hard, there's an egg. If it's a soft shelled egg, then you may not feel that.
Looks like she's leaking poop(?).
Have you seen her poop?