One of my hens is ill.

[Klimmek6]

I need help or advice. One of my hens is sick and I am not sure what it is. She has like a white pasty foul smelling substance on her vent area and feathers in the rear. She is listless and has a hard time walking, her feathers are fluffed up and she hides her head at times and she is very skinny you can really feel her breast bone. Her comb and the area around her face is not pale in color not the pretty red it should be. I have tried ACV, yogurt, garlic in her water. We are at the last resort wondering if she will pull through.

Help please!

Charmaine Klimmek

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Hi. Please read this article. Im thinking it could be egg bound!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I need help or advice. One of my hens is sick and I am not sure what it is. She has like a white pasty foul smelling substance on her vent area and feathers in the rear. She is listless and has a hard time walking, her feathers are fluffed up and she hides her head at times and she is very skinny you can really feel her breast bone. Her comb and the area around her face is not pale in color not the pretty red it should be. I have tried ACV, yogurt, garlic in her water. We are at the last resort wondering if she will pull through.

Help please!

Charmaine Klimmek

Can you post some photos?
How old is she?

It could be, as mentioned above, egg binding, but a white pasty foul odor can be an indication of Vent Gleet. This is like a yeast infection.

Either way she needs to have a soaking and cleaned up so you can see what going on. Gently feel inside the vent about an inch to see if you feel an egg. If so, soak her in epsom salts bath, lube the vent a bit and give her some calcium (Tums or liquid calcium). Keep her in a quiet place and see if she will pass the egg.

For vent gleet, clean her up, a soaking in epsom salts won't hurt, apply some anti-fungal cream to the vent area. You may need to find some Nystatin from a vet to get it under control.

Make sure she is drinking. Offer her some extra protein like egg, tuna or mackerel.

Let us know how she's doing.
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/12/vent-gleet-prevention-and-treatment-html/
http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2013/09/vent-gleet-symptoms-causes-and-natural.html

 

[Klimmek6]

Don't think it is egg binding as it has been going on since spring it seems. I sure she would have not made it this long with egg binding am I correct in my thinking. I just started to use an anti-fungal today and I have been washing her vent area almost daily. As well as yogurt and garlic in her water. We hope she gets better. Thanks for you advice.

Charmaine

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Don't think it is egg binding as it has been going on since spring it seems. I sure she would have not made it this long with egg binding am I correct in my thinking. I just started to use an anti-fungal today and I have been washing her vent area almost daily. As well as yogurt and garlic in her water. We hope she gets better. Thanks for you advice.

Charmaine
Vent Gleet is the most likely candidate for the discharge, if it has gone on too long, it can cause the listlessness, but if you have been treating her, she should have improved at least slightly.
You may want to take a fecal sample to your vet to have a fecal float test performed. They can test for cocci, worms and infection. If it is only Gleet, then they can prescribe an oral anti-fungal to help knock this out.

Having a hard time walking, she may also have some type of internal laying/reproductive disorder as well. Something like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Salpingitis, cancer or tumors are common causes of listlessness, weight loss, difficulty walking, etc.

How does her abdomen feel? Normal, hard, soft, fluid filled, etc.?

Peritonitis and internal egg laying issues:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx

 

[Klimmek6]

So I was doing the bathing in epsom salt, oil and other routine things for egg bound hens, I noticed my hen has a slightly hard mass on her abdomen area behind her rt. leg. Not sure if an egg can get down there, if its a tumor or I just read about ascites could it be that? Any suggestions?