Prolapsed Uterus

[mcbridb]

I have a Red Sex Link who is at least one year old .... I've only had her about 2 1/2 months.... Yesterday afternoon I noticed her butt looked "funky". Upon closer inspection I saw her insides hanging out about one inch. I came in and did a search for prolapsed uterus and read through. Proceeded to go to the pharmacy to obtain the Betadine and hemhorrhoid cream. I made the water (lukewarm) with sugar and betadine. Cleaned her up, clipped back her feathers, put the cream on and pushed everything back inside. Did this numerous times yesterday.

I called a friend who gave me a number for an old veterinary. He said I was doing things right and it would take time. Well, this morning when I went to check on her in the quarantine pen (she's being kept in the dark) it was hanging back out again. Went through the entire process all over again. It refuses to stay in. I don't feel an egg at any time. She isn't pooping much and what is coming out is kind of watery.

She has access to water and food and is alert. A friend told me last night about a vet that I'm going to call tomorrow. In the meantime, is there anything else I can do for her in the meantime? I really hope to save her and don't want her to be in pain.

 

[Judy]

You are doing well, keeping her in the dark and resting, etc. Some have had good results from using raw honey on the prolapse.

Good luck!

 

[mcbridb]

I thought I was doing well except that it keeps coming back out. Then this afternoon when I went to check on her and put it back in again I saw she had laid an egg! Daggone girl! Keeping her in the dark wasn't keeping her from laying an egg. Hopefully this vet I'm calling in the morning works on chickens. I haven't been able to find one in Spotsylvania or Fredericksburg that accepts chickens. : (

Is raw honey the kind you get in the store? Or should I see about going to a natural store? She was talking to me today but she isn't looking too comfortable. I just don't want her to be in pain.

 

[squig2]

I have had this experience with my silkie, i would get everything to stay in and it looked like she was doing good until she would lay another egg. I have went as long as aprox 3 wks without laying an egg and every time she laid one we would have to go through the whole process. So i looked it up and they stated that once a chicken gets prolapse that it will most likely be a reacurring thing. So i had to cull her.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Our first prolapse took a week to heal. The second (same hen) took 6 days, but we kept her in for a month until our second coop was built so that we didn't have to put her in with the others. I now think that it was lack of calcium since she may not have had access to the oyster shells - outside. She always stayed in the coop.

If you are patient, and she is a pet, then put Prep H or honey, keep it clean, (I used a spray bottle to put water on it) and hang in there. There is a great sticky with a picture of our hen when she prolapsed. She is now doing fine.

 

[CathyTiffany]

My chickens are 6 months old (2 Easter Eggers, 1 C. Wyandotte, 5 Golden Buffs & 2 B. Australorps) and today I discovered that one of My EE, Galadriel, had rather painfully laid an egg - the shell has blood smeared all over it. I noticed something wrong when I saw other chickens pecking at her rear and went to investigate. I referenced my handbook - "City Chicks" and this web site. I do not think she has prolapsed, as there is nothing hanging out. The egg was in one piece, so I think that there is not any broken pieces within the bird. Her vent is very irritated looking and keeps pulsating (?). It seems rather oozy and still a bit bloody, but not actually "leaking". If anyone's stomach can handle this further (sorry!), she has pooped normally, is eating, drinking and in general good spirits, except for she is now in solitary confinement. I have cleaned it, applied Neosporin and Hemorrhoid cream. Should I get antibiotics at the store? I think I remember seeing some for birds....

I read about keeping the birds in the dark to prevent them from laying eggs. I feel bad keeping her in the dark - a fine suburban farmer I am - does this work? I am concerned for her if she lays again; at least she's an EE and it should be another day or two. Should I try to shove either of those creams inside (eew)?
I have to say I've been blessed so far - this is my first medical issue with my peeps. Any other thoughts are appreciated!

 

[happyhappy]

Cathy,

I just did what you are wanting to do, but I am a proactive urban farmer. I also have an egg eater in the group and not sure she isn't picking at it on the roost, so I put her in one of the nests so she doesn't do it at night. I didn't care to do it but like my birds so.... If you have some iodine I used that to clean it and then used Prep H put it inside her and then pushed the prolaspe back in and used more prep H clean it again wiping off some yucky stuff and cleaning her bum she pooped so I cleaned her again and then put more Prep H around her vent.

Really not complicated and your only using one finger to push and apply the Prep H not the funniest thing but I had a hen three weeks ago that had maggots in her bum and that was not fun! ewe but shes better now, she's the low hen on the pecking order so she's nervous and gets the runs and the heat we had here in CA did not help her.

Good luck

 

[stcroixusvi]

I wonder if there is another egg up there? You might want to investigate - as hard as that sounds. Ours laid an egg after one broke and we had to make sure all the egg came out. Keeping her in the dark is imperative so that she has some time to heal.

 

[CathyTiffany]

Yes, thank you all; I am planning on keeping her in the dark now for a couple of days especially because >> I put her out for fresh air today, thinking it would do her good and since she's an Easter Egger I wouldn't have to worry about another egg today. NOPE! That bird laid another egg today!! Oh no! I will say this one was not nearly as bloody as the one yesterday, but now her vent must really be throbbing. She's acting fine, but her little rear is pulsating. Yes, lots of cleaners, hemorrhoid cream and dark. I don't think anything is hanging out, though, so I think I'm safe so far with that. I will make sure that I get a few good doses of the H cream inside so that it all heals. Yikes.

 

[haychick]

I just had my first prolapsed vent experience yesterday after raising chickens for 20 years. This particular hen was hatched on March 4 and yesterday was September 18, so she is 6 1/2 months old. I did not expect this to happen to any of them at this age.

I caught her and held her upside down by the legs just to control her and calm her down so I could gather what I needed to treat her with my other hand. By the time I had gathered everything and looked her over to work on her, things had been sucked back inside of her body from the gravity of her own internal organs. I separated her from the others so she could rest and today she laid an egg and her vent looked nearly normal. I've never heard of hanging them upside down as a treatment for this condition, but it may just be the ticket in some cases. It was an easy fix and involved no risky probing, medications, or delays.

Has anyone else heard of this working?