1CuriousCreature
Songster
Had an emergency Saturday morning- let my hens out of their coop and noticed Skipper my bantam cochin had a dirty backside (white streaming poo) and the other hens were just starting to peck her vent. Swept her up and with Skipper in one hand I snatched my emergency ICU puppy plan pen with the other hand and put her in isolation in my office. On closer inspection it was a vent prolapse. After setting her all up I went online directly to Backyard Chickens and started reading posts what to do. I cancelled all plans for the weekend and devoted it to her.
You see, my bantams were hand raised since they were two days old. I sit in their run every morning and see who wants to sit in my lap that day. It's common for me to hold 4-5 hens every morning. I'm over the top in love with them.
Back to the story- Eggcessive's posts were a real standout to me. I followed the advice to use Epsom Salts in her bath to reduce swelling. That's working great. The first day was rough but it's getting much better. She got 3 baths the first day, 2 the second day and I'm on her first bath day 3 and starting to debride the brown tissue away. Her mood has improved and I swear she likes the blow drier now. There were times the first and even some the second day when the vent would come back out. I just kept at it and put either honey or antibiotic ointment on the area to keep it moist which is crucial. Also my flock is eating crumbles and oyster shells and nothing else just in case it was dysentery. I feed some treats but want to eliminate any hint of a food problem. I thoroughly cleaned their coop and made sure there were no smells. There is definitely an odor to a prolapsed vent.
So here we are. She is still in isolation sitting comfortably next to me and I won't put her back until this is fully healed. She is holding her vent in now and it's pink. Internally there are a few brown areas that I'll keep after during her bath. I'm also controlling her daylight hours to keep her from producing eggs. So far so good. I'm sorry I don't have pictures of the vent for you but I do have a picture of Skipper and her ICU unit. If there is any advice I would presume to give another it would be this- remove them immediately or it can escalate quickly. This is a no nonsense life threatening but manageable condition and time is of the essence. Trust your backyard chicken friends. They just saved her life.
You see, my bantams were hand raised since they were two days old. I sit in their run every morning and see who wants to sit in my lap that day. It's common for me to hold 4-5 hens every morning. I'm over the top in love with them.
Back to the story- Eggcessive's posts were a real standout to me. I followed the advice to use Epsom Salts in her bath to reduce swelling. That's working great. The first day was rough but it's getting much better. She got 3 baths the first day, 2 the second day and I'm on her first bath day 3 and starting to debride the brown tissue away. Her mood has improved and I swear she likes the blow drier now. There were times the first and even some the second day when the vent would come back out. I just kept at it and put either honey or antibiotic ointment on the area to keep it moist which is crucial. Also my flock is eating crumbles and oyster shells and nothing else just in case it was dysentery. I feed some treats but want to eliminate any hint of a food problem. I thoroughly cleaned their coop and made sure there were no smells. There is definitely an odor to a prolapsed vent.
So here we are. She is still in isolation sitting comfortably next to me and I won't put her back until this is fully healed. She is holding her vent in now and it's pink. Internally there are a few brown areas that I'll keep after during her bath. I'm also controlling her daylight hours to keep her from producing eggs. So far so good. I'm sorry I don't have pictures of the vent for you but I do have a picture of Skipper and her ICU unit. If there is any advice I would presume to give another it would be this- remove them immediately or it can escalate quickly. This is a no nonsense life threatening but manageable condition and time is of the essence. Trust your backyard chicken friends. They just saved her life.
Keep up the good work, Sister Chicken Mama!
