prolapsed vent UPDATE** graphic picture warning**

[Wynette]

Lamprey, if you're seeing yellowish fluid coming out of her vent, she's either had an egg break inside, or she's laying internally. Both are critically dangerous. If you can do the epsom salts soak, that may help if she's had an egg break inside; after about 10 mins. they'll relax a bit and you can GENTLY search for bits of shell left inside, and help along anything that needs to come out. You need to make sure to wear a glove and be VERY careful. If she's laying internally...you can give her antibiotics to clear any infection, but she'll eventually pass away. I think you may need to consider putting her down. I'm very sorry!

 

[LampreyGirls]

Our hen just laid a shell-less egg and has perked up a bit. There's still yellowish fluid coming out. Perhaps that really huge egg yesterday was hers and now this one with no shell. What our next step here? We let her free range thinking it was her last day and she's scratching around like the others. We have some powdered antibiotics from when they were chicks. Can we use that?
Thanks.

 

[Wynette]

Was the shelless egg intact, or torn?

 

[LampreyGirls]

The egg was intact in a membrane. I gave her an epsom salts bath, cleaned out more poo and she seemed to like that. We put her in the basement but the vent is bulging. The antibiotic we have is tetracycline hydrochloride soluble powder. Should we try that?

 

[Wynette]

I'm really not a huge believer in starting antibiotics unless you have a definitive diagnosis; however, in this case, it might be a good idea. When you say the vent is bulging - are you seeing a prolapse? Are you sure that's what it is? If so, you need to get it back in, asap. The faster, the better. Put some hemerrhoid ointment on it and GENTLY push back in. Then, sort of hold it there for a few minutes; if you've caught it early enough, often times, the hen's musculature in the vent area will hold it in place. It probably will not STAY in place, though, and that's where you come in - you need to check on her often - I would check every 15 minutes - and when she prolapses again, gently press it back into place, holding there for 30 seconds to a minute or longer until she can hold it in herself. You'll see her "twitching" back there and you can sort of feel the muscles trying to hold it in. But, I think it feels to them like a big poo or something and unfortunately they try to push it back out. I had a girl that had a minor prolapse - I caught it in time, left her in a dog crate for several days and kept on putting the prolapse back in. I noticed that more and more time would pass between having to put it back in, and then, after a full day of having it in, I put her back with her flock. I never hd any further issues with her, but I think my success was due to catching it & addressing it quickly. BEST of luck on this!!!

 

[LampreyGirls]

We've kept our hen indoors last night and she pooped a good deal. The vent is still bulging and she's straining to push out. She did eat a scrambled egg. I guess we'll give her the antibiotics to help with the infection. Thanks, Wynette.

 

[Wynette]

Are you pushing the prolapse back in? You MUST do that or she won't survive. Good luck!!!

 

[LampreyGirls]

We bathed her twice a day pushing the prolapse back in and returned her to the pen last night. Today there's yellowish discharge and she's squatting to defecate but nothing's coming out. I'm going to clean her up again and let her soak in warm water again and we'll call a nearby vet for an antibiotic. She roaming with the others and still eating and drinking. Thanks for you input.

 

[Wynette]

Oh, goodness. I'm sorry she doens't seem to be doing much better. Is she able to hold the prolapse in now? If not, I would NOT put her in with the others. They'll peck the prolapse and eventually kill her...chickens are very cannibalistic when they see blood or red things like a prolapse. GOOD LUCK!

 

[LampreyGirls]

She laid another shell-less egg today after I cleaned her up and let her sit in the warm water. She's in the basement again and has eaten yogurt and a scrambled egg. We got baytrill and will start it tonight. The prolapse is in again and her droppings are brown and somewhat hard. The others have not been pecking at her and were concerned when I had her in the water. How do we get her eggs to form shells again?