Prolapsed vent??? HELP!

[Abbkayx]

Hi!

So I came out to visit my girls this afternoon... and noticed my one hen was having a real hard time in the nesting box. She had a lot of caked / poop, so we took her in... gave her the spa treatment and got her mostly cleaned up. BUT her vent doesn’t appear normal to me. Is this a prolapsed vent? She seems to be acting normal otherwise, eating drinking etc

 

[Eggcessive]

Her vent looks a bit swollen and pecked at possibly by the chickens or irritated. But it doesn’t seem to be prolapsed at this time. She may have had one, and the red tissue has gone in on it’s own. I would glove up and insert a lubricated finger inside the bent to check for a stuck egg or poop. She might be egg bound, or just have a little leftover swelling from straining. I would put a little hemorrhoid cream or some cortisone cream on it. Check her often in case it comes back out, especially if she lays an egg.

 

[azygous]

Ah, success! Giving a calcium supplement immediately upon suspecting a hen is having trouble passing an egg almost always produces results, sometimes very quickly.

However, I caution not to assume she's finished. Sometimes the cause of a stuck egg is another egg, usually shell-less wrapped in only a membrane, traveling down the reproductive track close behind the first egg. Continue to monitor her.

If she's clear and no more eggs are clogging up her works, she will behave like a chicken reborn, happy, free, and back to the business at hand. On the other hand, if she has another egg to get out, she will continue to behave in a lethargic manner, usually holding her tail flat and low due to pain and discomfort. Another calcium tablet is then in order along with moist heat to relax laying muscles.

 

[Thechickenchick2]

When you let her back out to hang out and roost with the other girls I would try some blukote on her bare bum. I know sometimes it may attract attention but in this case a bare bum itself is going to attract attention. I would certainly try the letting her back out without it first but if they're still picking at her it's worth a try!

 

[Eggcessive]

You might want to coat her vent area with some pine tar to keep them from pecking her. It is sticky and tastes bad, and is an old time remedy that will allow her vent to heal. Apply it as often as necessary to keep her bent protected. I would spend some time watching for the bullies. Here is a link for the dark pine tar:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P7JMEI/?tag=backy-20

 

[Eggcessive]

If you get the pine tar, you might just try her with the flock. The longer she is separated the worse it may be to get them to accept her. They sell cheaper pine tars at Tractor Supply, but after some reading the brand that I posted is supposed to be more dark and thick as the old fashioned pine tar used to be. It has healing properties. If you (or a friend) have Amazon Prime, the shipping is free.

My hens will lay in a crate without a nest box. I would provide some extra bedding for her to lay. Or you could put the box in there and remove it with each egg.

 

[azygous]

Observing symptoms without considering behavior tells only half the story.

Your hen has a very swollen, irritated vent. We need to figure out why. Her behavior can provide important clues.

-Is she pooping (besides on her butt feathers)? Can you post a photo of her most recent poop?

-Is the poop watery? What color is it?

-Is she drinking more water than usual in place of a normal appetite?

Try smoothing some coconut oil on her vent to reduce swelling and discomfort until you figure out her real issue.

-Have you felt her crop?

-Has she spent more time than usual in the nest without laying an egg?

-If she's walking around the run, is she standing often in one spot, pumping her butt up and down? Is she squatting and straining, appearing to try to poop?

Depending on these questions, your hen could have impacted crop or gizzard or is egg bound. Treatment depends on which she's suffering from.

 

[azygous]

It might be a good idea to slip her another calcium tab and keep an eye on her. Be ready to give her another round of moist heat if she begins to act like she's struggling to pass something. Keep watch for a collapsed membrane to appear in the run. It will most likely be from this hen, and it could signal the crisis is over if she's acting relieved and happy.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try it maybe just 1/2 inch from her vent. It has been used for a century to put on feather picked areas. Here is an article about it’s use:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ever-use-pine-tar-update.30367/

 

[Eggcessive]

I would keep her confined to a dog crate in the house or out in the coop if she is good and dry, on a towel or puppy pad, to make sure that she is able to poop. If they get an egg stuck, it might prevent her from pooping. I would give her some calcium (human calcium tablet, Tums, crushed egg and shell) just in case she had a prolapse or is egg bound.