Prolapse after care

[WaveyCreekChickens]

This is my favourite hen, Becky Pecky.

Becky is 1.5 years old and lays an egg practically every single day. She occasionally lays very large eggs, and has had vent prolapse 4 times. The first 3 times it was egg bound prolapse (don’t know if that’s the right word). It was fixed within a day or two. The last time was last Sunday. I found her with these 2 marble sized red lumps hanging out. It had not been pecked at, luckily. I washed her and tried to push it back in twice that day, and it wouldn’t stay in. I brought her in the house and washed her vent in epsom salt water 4 times a day for 3 days, and then 3 times a day. Each time I put raw honey on the prolapse. Over the days small parts fell off while washing her. There was a crust of poop on one of the lumps, from every time she pooped. I soaked it every time, put it never came off. Becky was never down, just quiet and obviously in some pain whenever she pooped. She is doing a ton better now.
Today there was nothing hanging out anymore. However, I believe the “poop crust” still is on that lump that she sucked back in. Do I need to do something about that?
This is what it looks like today:

Do I keep washing and soaking her until that ”crust” comes out, or will her body look after excreting it?
Also, I have kept her in darkness, except for 8 hours each day, and fed her different food (not layer crumble), so she hasn’t layed eggs.
I am wondering what to do about her laying. I am worried when she goes back out, and eats regular layer feed, she’s going to lay eggs and it will happen again. How can I prolong her break from laying? Feed her seperately?
Any suggestions welcome. Thanks

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would continue to keep her clean. Soaking won't hurt her. If the crust went back inside with the tissue, there's probably not a lot you can do about that, hopefully it will be expelled at some point.

Layer feed does not cause hens to lay eggs. Light exposure and hormones control egg laying. With your reducing daylight she should stop laying eggs after a while.
It's up to you how long to keep her from laying.

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

I would continue to keep her clean. Soaking won't hurt her. If the crust went back inside with the tissue, there's probably not a lot you can do about that, hopefully it will be expelled at some point.

Layer feed does not cause hens to lay eggs. Light exposure and hormones control egg laying. With your reducing daylight she should stop laying eggs after a while.
It's up to you how long to keep her from laying.

Thanks for replying.
I’m thinking I will give her the soak once a day for as long as she is indoors. Once back out there I can’t get her wet, even with blow drying I would worry about her getting sick. (Too cold).

She has only layed one egg since the prolapse, last Monday, then she quit. Currently the chickens get additional light in the barn. I guess I have to decide if I should just let them all sleep in until the sun comes up. (Goats and chickens). Does a red heating lamp stimulate their laying hormones?
She will have to go back out eventually, as she is better, and only has a small cage in the house. And my partner is allergic to the feather dust.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would probably discontinue the additional light in the coop to stimulate them to keep laying once she goes out, but that is up to you. When I used light in my coop, I only provided light in the mornings to reach 12 hours of daylight. No more than that is needed, and many people let their hens take a break from laying in winter. You can temporarily stop laying in this hen by keeping her in darkness for 16 hours daily, allowing 8 hours a day for eating, drinking, and walking around. The scab on the cloaca that went back in will probably slough off in her droppings eventually.

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

I would probably discontinue the additional light in the coop to stimulate them to keep laying once she goes out, but that is up to you. When I used light in my coop, I only provided light in the mornings to reach 12 hours of daylight. No more than that is needed, and many people let their hens take a break from laying in winter. You can temporarily stop laying in this hen by keeping her in darkness for 16 hours daily, allowing 8 hours a day for eating, drinking, and walking around. The scab on the cloaca that went back in will probably slough off in her droppings eventually.

Thanks so much!

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

What about the red heat lamp? Does it stimulate laying?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for replying.
I’m thinking I will give her the soak once a day for as long as she is indoors. Once back out there I can’t get her wet, even with blow drying I would worry about her getting sick. (Too cold).

She has only layed one egg since the prolapse, last Monday, then she quit. Currently the chickens get additional light in the barn. I guess I have to decide if I should just let them all sleep in until the sun comes up. (Goats and chickens). Does a red heating lamp stimulate their laying hormones?
She will have to go back out eventually, as she is better, and only has a small cage in the house. And my partner is allergic to the feather dust.

Yes, I do believe the red lamp would also stimulate laying. To stop laying she would need total darkness for 16 hours a day.

I understand some folks do provide light during winter to help keep production rates going. If production is important to you then continue with that. If it's not, then start tapering off the light. Personally, I prefer to let my hens take a break. My pullets will generally lay through winter while older birds take a winter break after molting.

Prolapse can be common in production birds, hopefully this won't continue and she will stay healthy.

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

Thanks @Wyorp Rock .

 

[WindingRoad]

This is my favourite hen, Becky Pecky.
View attachment 2492302
Becky is 1.5 years old and lays an egg practically every single day. She occasionally lays very large eggs, and has had vent prolapse 4 times. The first 3 times it was egg bound prolapse (don’t know if that’s the right word). It was fixed within a day or two. The last time was last Sunday. I found her with these 2 marble sized red lumps hanging out. It had not been pecked at, luckily. I washed her and tried to push it back in twice that day, and it wouldn’t stay in. I brought her in the house and washed her vent in epsom salt water 4 times a day for 3 days, and then 3 times a day. Each time I put raw honey on the prolapse. Over the days small parts fell off while washing her. There was a crust of poop on one of the lumps, from every time she pooped. I soaked it every time, put it never came off. Becky was never down, just quiet and obviously in some pain whenever she pooped. She is doing a ton better now.
Today there was nothing hanging out anymore. However, I believe the “poop crust” still is on that lump that she sucked back in. Do I need to do something about that?
This is what it looks like today:
View attachment 2492319
Do I keep washing and soaking her until that ”crust” comes out, or will her body look after excreting it?
Also, I have kept her in darkness, except for 8 hours each day, and fed her different food (not layer crumble), so she hasn’t layed eggs.
I am wondering what to do about her laying. I am worried when she goes back out, and eats regular layer feed, she’s going to lay eggs and it will happen again. How can I prolong her break from laying? Feed her seperately?
Any suggestions welcome. Thanks

I had a WLH prolapse last spring. I got a wire dog cage and put down a nice thick rug on the bottom and put food and water in there. I took a dark navy fleece piece of material and draped it over the cage NO LIGHT at all. Kept it in the coop. Put her on the roost at night. Took 3 days of pushing it back in. No relapse so far. Used coconut oil as a lube when pushing in. Also trim some feathers on her bum and smeared Bag Balm all over her bum. Sorry you are having continued problems.

 

[WaveyCreekChickens]

I have to come up with a good plan to have her live in the barn, warm enough, but also with16 hours of darkness, with the other chickens. To stay in the house all winter would not be a life for her. To switch to indoors every night all winter would be too hard on her system.
For now she is indoors, until she is not getting baths anymore.
The problem is the cold weather...