OH NO!!! Help!!

[cthrash1]

I am out of town and my DD just called and said our Cochin pullet had some blood on her tush...She said she saw feathers then regular poo and some blood all around the same spot...I am worried she may be trying to lay her first egg and may be eggbound. My DD placed her in Raouls pen/coop and he's just going to have to sleep in the chicks pen outside their coop for a few days...Hate to do that to him but it is under the back of the leanto so he should be okay. I won't be home til Sunday either. Pray she will be okay til I get home

Now my question...I put "egg bound" in the search and it didn't show. I need to know how to check her vent? and I do know to rub vaseline around it from what I've read here before just can't find it again, do I also put it around inside the rim?

Of course if anything was to happen it will be when I'm not home...

 

[arlee453]

She may have prolapsed a bit trying to pass the first egg. Separating her is the thing to do so the other's don't peck her bloodier/worse.

You can give warm bath - just soak her in a tub of warm water - which can help her pass the egg

Also, lube up the vent with KY jelly or olive oil to see if that helps.

When you use the search feature, separate the terms with commas OR I usually use the "AND" - so I put in the terms like this:

Egg AND Bound

And came up with a slew of hits, including this one which has links in it to other pages with more information. Good luck!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69264

 

[cthrash1]

Thank you very much!!! I will call DD and ask her if she's up to soaking her in the tub...If not then the poor thing will have to be that way til Sunday...If she can last that long.

 

[Jenski]

Hey there! I am sorry that happened ~ isn't that always the way it goes!

Dang.

I had a minor issue with "eggbound bottom" with my little Ameraucana this spring, and after researching it I got some Preparation H and rubber gloves and I spread the stuff all over my poor Baby's vent area, being sure to cover the entire opening really well. The kind of Prep-H I got had some aloe or other soothing stuff in it as well, and it really reduced the swelling in no time.

You might also have DD check the vent carefully with a gloved hand (I put Baby on a waist-high perch, and gently held her chest with one hand while I spread the rear feathers with the other). Check for swelling, tearing, or even the sight of the egg itself. I also gently held a warm washcloth against the bottom for a few minutes before applying Prep-H, and that seemed to sooth her (and get things cleaned up a bit).

Anything lubricating would help, as the suggested KY (or even vaseline) if that's what you have available. Other folks have suggested warm sitz baths too, if your hen will tolerate standing in warm water.

Just make sure the hen isn't injured or pecked or something on her bottom, as that is another possibility.

Good luck!


Jen in TN