Prolapsed Vent or Egg Bound

[KatGold]

Friends,

In my 10 years of chicken keeping, I have had very few health issues. I feel like I should have experienced more than I have, but on the other hand, I am happy to have happy chickens and a healthy coop.

Yesterday, a 5-year-old Easter Egger was lying on her side and did not get up when I let the rest of the girls out. I didn't think anything but picked her up to say hello and noticed she was a little limp and her butt was filthy. I went to the store to get Epson salts and a few hours later, I found her to be looking fine. I wrote it off to my imagination. Now I wonder if I picked up the wrong bird.

Today, I checked on her and her butt was filthy again. I gave her a 20 minute, warm, Epson bath thinking it might be a bound egg.

To preemptively answer other questions:

• She acts pretty much normally.
• There is no other sign of trauma.
• Nothing "happened" that I know of.
• I do not know if she is eating or drinking.
• The poop looks runny and maybe a little green.
• The hen house is VERY clean right now.
• No other hens seem to have any problems right now (note: see bottom paragraph).
• I did a deep spring cleaning a couple of weeks ago, Oxined it, put in fresh straw.
• The watering system is clean.

As she soaked, I felt her underside and if felt like an egg, so I felt confident that the treatment was appropriate.

I just got her out and she is standing in the sun. I looked at her butt and it looks weird. Of course, a wet hen's butt already looks a little weird with the feathers all flat and protrude-y, but what I see mades me wonder if it is a prolapsed vent.

I don't want to try to push her vent back in if that is not what I am looking at. I'm also wondering--if she is trying to lay an egg, could this be what is making her underside look like this?

I took pictures as best as I could. I will try again if anyone requests.

One last thought.

A few weeks ago, I had a 10-year-old Easter Egger who seemed to be dying. Fair enough at her age, but I wanted to help her if I could. I thought maybe she was egg bound, gave her a warm Epson salt soak, and made sure she had plenty of oyster shell. The next day, I thought she might have laid an egg, but I'm not certain. Nevertheless, she is back to normal and appears healthy as ever. I doubt these two events are related, but could I be wrong?

Thanks, friends.

 

[Eggcessive]

In this picture the vent does look puffed out. It might be constipation or possibly vent gleet, or a stuck egg or lash material. I would be tempted to use a disposble glove and insert a luricated finger inside up to 2 inches to see if you can get any dried poop or urates, or feel for a stuck egg.

 

[KatGold]

Yikes. What will happen if it is a stuck egg? I'm afraid of breaking it.

 

[KatGold]

Btw, I appreciate your speedy reply. I was called away and only now was able to come back. It's been 3 hours since her bath and she has not moved. She's been standing in the same place in the rock garden (the hottest part of the yard) for 3 whole hours. Mostly, her eyes are closed as if asleep.

I picked her up again. Her belly feels full. Not hard exactly, but full.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did you insert the finger to feel for an egg? Did you feel one? At 5 years old, has she laid an egg recently? Is her lower belly enlarged? It could be from fluid or she might have a reproductive disorder or tumor. Those are all common problems in order hens. How does her crop feel? Can you check it in the morning before she has eaten? Has she drunk any water or eaten today?

 

[KatGold]

I didn't feel an egg. I might. not have done it right. She has laid recently. I think her belly does seem enlarged.

I didn't feel her crop and she's up for the night. I'll check it out in the morning.
She has not eaten or drunk water all day.

 

[KatGold]

Good Morning,

I didn't give all the details last night.

At bedtime, I found her in the garden, on her back, legs straight up (just like my EE that I thought was dying about 2 weeks ago). I considered putting an end to her misery. After all, she spent about 6 hours yesterday standing like a statue, with her eyes closed and very messy butt and ended the day looking like a dead roach in the garden.

The only reason I didn't shoot her is because my other EE recovered and is perfectly fine now.

I put her in a separate enclosure and expected to find her dead this morning. Expecting to regret not ending her misery last night when I could.

This morning, when I checked on her, I was stunned to find her fluffy, bright-eyed, and active. I opened the door of the cage to pick her up, but she darted out so fast I couldn't! Yay!

I finally picked her up. Her crop felt fine, her butt was fluffy, bright eyes, the protruded vent was back in place, her feathers were beautiful. Unbelievable.

I was so delighted and stunned that I forgot to make note of what her belly felt like. When I can get my hands on her again, I'll be sure to check.

This experience, along with the other EE a couple of weeks ago, and (get this) a terrible event with my dog earlier in the week (she got into some kind of toxin, had seizure-like effects, and had to be admitted to the 24-hour vet in the middle of the night), I'm at my wits ends. I never have these kinds of animal problems. I cannot imagine that they are related, but I have to keep that as a possibility.

 

[Eggcessive]

Did she pass any droppings last night in her separate pen? I am glad that her vent and crop seem okay. Could your chickens have gotten into the same toxin as your dog did? Do they have access to a compost bed or plants that might be toxic to chickens.

 

[KatGold]

Did she pass any droppings last night in her separate pen? I am glad that her vent and crop seem okay. Could your chickens have gotten into the same toxin as your dog did? Do they have access to a compost bed or plants that might be toxic to chickens.

There are no fresh droppings in her pen. There was a huge, fluffy dropping in the garden where I found her last night. I thought that was encouraging because it wasn't runny. It was huge.

I don't keep a compost bed (kitchen scraps go into the coop) and I cannot identify any poisonous plants. I do have a single, leggy milkweed (poisonous to dogs and chickens), but it has clearly not been chewed on or pecked on. I have a large sage that they pick on, but I don't think that's a problem. (The dog doesn't go in the sage garden).

I cannot find any other possibilities. No fertilizer, no rat or roach poison, no antifreeze, nothing. I mean, there is something, but I cannot figure it out.