Please help! Sick chicken!

[countrycakelady]

The past few days have left me and my family busy with cleanup after a recent natural disaster, so I didn't notice this before now...My daughter brought it to my attention yesterday, however. One of my Red Sex Link hens has a very nasty rear, and yesterday laid an egg that had a few spots of blood on it. All of the hens have been laying all winter, and part of last fall, as well, with none of them showing this sort of behavior before now.

My little hen, though, has what appears to be a mixture of egg and chicken manure smeared in the feathers just below her vent, and acts very lethargic. She isn't walking around clucking and searching for grass and insects like her sisters. Instead, she's standing on an expanse of concrete in front of one of our storage buildings, with her head drawn close to her back, and her chest sticking out. When my daughter picked her up earlier so that we could get a closer look, she acted like her tail and around her vent was very sore/tender, and tried desperately to get away from us, flailing out with her wings and feet. I have enclosed a photo of her bottom here:




Should we just take some scissors and carefully trim away these sodden feathers? Give her a warm bath? Or do both and separate her from her sisters? The others do not appear to have taken notice of her condition as of yet, and have not tried to peck at her, or otherwise intimidate her, so there isn't any bullying going on in regards to her here and now.

 

[countrycakelady]

bump....

 

[PSJ]

The past few days have left me and my family busy with cleanup after a recent natural disaster, so I didn't notice this before now...My daughter brought it to my attention yesterday, however. One of my Red Sex Link hens has a very nasty rear, and yesterday laid an egg that had a few spots of blood on it. All of the hens have been laying all winter, and part of last fall, as well, with none of them showing this sort of behavior before now.

My little hen, though, has what appears to be a mixture of egg and chicken manure smeared in the feathers just below her vent, and acts very lethargic. She isn't walking around clucking and searching for grass and insects like her sisters. Instead, she's standing on an expanse of concrete in front of one of our storage buildings, with her head drawn close to her back, and her chest sticking out. When my daughter picked her up earlier so that we could get a closer look, she acted like her tail and around her vent was very sore/tender, and tried desperately to get away from us, flailing out with her wings and feet. I have enclosed a photo of her bottom here:




Should we just take some scissors and carefully trim away these sodden feathers? Give her a warm bath? Or do both and separate her from her sisters? The others do not appear to have taken notice of her condition as of yet, and have not tried to peck at her, or otherwise intimidate her, so there isn't any bullying going on in regards to her here and now.

def clean her bottom with warm water. It may also be necessary to trim the feathers. Is she eating/drinkiing?

 

[Chickie Baby]

Although my hens aren't laying yet, I have 2 with vent gleet. Thought for a while it was pasty butt, but after much research, vent gleet it was. There is a great article on here about it - search for 'vent gleet nasty butt' written by Sally Sunshine. I started with warm soaks in epsom salt and gently wash away the crud. The smell is horrible! It basically a yeast infection. I asked my vet for Nystatin liquid and he kindly called it into the pharmacy and I gave it by mouth once per day. Also treated the vent with a cream for athletes foot. Trimmed the feathers away to help with the mess.

My two babies stand like you're describing with neck tucked in and chest out. One peeped ALL the time, so I know she was very irritated by it. The vent will look like it's contracting all the time and a white slimy liquid comes out. Sorry, I know that is gross. Just wanted to give my experience. It has helped my babies so very much. Again, mine aren't laying yet, but they can all get vent gleet.

Best of luck... my babies didn't get meds as prescribed "daily".... sometimes I couldn't catch the little rascalse