Prolaspe and possible egg bound

[GreenMeadowChickens]

Hi all, I need your help!
I had a chicken with a prolasped vent a few weeks ago. I was able to get the prolaspe back in after a couple of tries over the course of a day or so. Kept her inside, in the dark until the vent stayed in and I thought she was well enough to go back with the flock.

Fast forward a few weeks. I noticed a tan egg and wondered if maybe Mallory laid again. I wasn't able to check her that night but the next day sure enough she had a prolaspe again. Brought her inside Sunday morning and gently put the prolaspe back in a few times. When I checked on her before bed, I noticed she had laid an egg! A huge beautiful egg. I could have cried with joy....the vent stayed in! I thought we were out of the woods. But I kept her inside just to be sure. This evening I heard some funny noises and sure enough her prolaspe popped back out but she was pushing and pushing and softly crying. Now I think she's trying to lay another egg despite my attempts to keep her in the dark. Anyway the real issue is that the part that keeps popping out this evening is about the size of a ping pong ball and I can see an opening but there's skin/tissue between the mass and the outside. Now I'm calling it a mass because it's not a regular Mallory-sized egg so I'm not sure it's an egg. It feels firm but I don't want to squeeze it. She hasn't pooped in a few hours. Which isn't normal. So this mass could be poo. That happened before with the first prolaspe, she was pretty plugged up. I've soaked her in salt water twice this evening and I've given her some tums for the calcium. I'm not sure what else to do. The sad crying/moaning sounds are breaking my heart.

Suggestions? I really love this bird and want to save her!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Are you using regular salt for her soaks? You need Epsom salts, which you can get practically anywhere. Walmart has it and any pharmacy does, not sure if Dollar General would or not, but they might. You can also grease the tissue up with Prep H, it will soothe and also shrink the tissues and help keep it moist. You don't want to let it dry out or it will begin to die and you don't want that. Don't let it get crusty. Let me tag some better helpers.

@azygous
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive

Keep her warm and dry between soaks, don't let her get chilled. Poor baby.

 

[GreenMeadowChickens]

Are you using regular salt for her soaks? You need Epsom salts, which you can get practically anywhere. Walmart has it and any pharmacy does, not sure if Dollar General would or not, but they might. You can also grease the tissue up with Prep H, it will soothe and also shrink the tissues and help keep it moist. You don't want to let it dry out or it will begin to die and you don't want that. Don't let it get crusty. Let me tag some better helpers.

@azygous
@Wyorp Rock
@Eggcessive

Keep her warm and dry between soaks, don't let her get chilled. Poor baby.

Thanks BigBlueHen53. I have been using espom salt. She cried until about 2am this morning. I got up to check on her and gently pushed the prolaspe back in. There was a small about of poop in her kennel but mostly what I'm seeing is a mucus type substance which is helping to keep everything moist. She did quiet down after my 2am visit and the prolaspe is still inside at this point this morning (7am). There isn't an egg yet. So we will do another salt bath this morning and go from there.

Also I should mention that it doesn't look like her crop is emptying. She ate yesterday and it still looks full this morning. :/ I'm wondering now if maybe she is blocked.

*update she has passed a few loose stools this AM. Prolaspe is still inside but she is very swollen.

 

[azygous]

Here is my protocol on treating prolapse. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

 

[Eggcessive]

Please try to find calcium with vitamin d, and calcium citrate is good to use. Give her 600 mg a day for a few days. She may have been struggling to lay, and another egg was coming along. Unfortunately some hens make suffer more than one prolapse. The trauma can damage the vent, and too large of eggs may make it difficult. Keep her in a warm humid spot on a towel, somewhere like a steamy bathroom, rather than soaking her.

 

[GreenMeadowChickens]

Here is my protocol on treating prolapse. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

This is incredibly helpful. It sounds like I do have an egg bound hen. Luckily no other birds got to her prolaspe tissue so it's still healthy and perfectly intact. I'm going to run to the store to grab some calcium and go from there. She's nice and warm and has access to fresh water. She's in good spirits so hopefully I can still turn this around. Thank you Azygous!

 

[GreenMeadowChickens]

Please try to find calcium with vitamin d, and calcium citrate is good to use. Give her 600 mg a day for a few days. She may have been struggling to lay, and another egg was coming along. Unfortunately some hens make suffer more than one prolapse. The trauma can damage the vent, and too large of eggs may make it difficult. Keep her in a warm humid spot on a towel, somewhere like a steamy bathroom, rather than soaking her.

Very helpful! Thank you. I'm going to run to the store and get some calcium citrate. She's in the bathroom with a space heater, so she's nice and warm. And yes, the poor girl lays HUGE eggs.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Now I think she's trying to lay another egg despite my attempts to keep her in the dark.

Also I should mention that it doesn't look like her crop is emptying. She ate yesterday and it still looks full this morning. :/ I'm wondering now if maybe she is blocked.

*update she has passed a few loose stools this AM. Prolaspe is still inside but she is very swollen.

How is she doing?

It would take days or even a few weeks to stop her from laying and she would need to be in total darkness for 16 hours each day.

Hopefully she'll be able to pass the egg and the tissue will go back in. Getting the calcium into her may help.

I wouldn't be surprised if her crop is not emptying currently, if she's got some swelling and there's an egg blocking everything up, this will cause the crop to be very slow to empty.

 

[GreenMeadowChickens]

How is she doing?

It would take days or even a few weeks to stop her from laying and she would need to be in total darkness for 16 hours each day.

Hopefully she'll be able to pass the egg and the tissue will go back in. Getting the calcium into her may help.

I wouldn't be surprised if her crop is not emptying currently, if she's got some swelling and there's an egg blocking everything up, this will cause the crop to be very slow to empty.

This is helpful! Thank you! She took the calcium like a champ! I put some cortisone cream on the vent area to maybe, hopefully! help with inflammation. The tissue is holding inside for now. Seems like all pushing has ceased. She's just resting quietly. Now we cross our fingers! Now, since her crop is still full, do I hold off on food?

 

[Eggcessive]

She needs some food, such as runny watery chicken feed and egg, but fluids are especially important. No whole grains, scratch, or hard to digest treats. You can give a few pieces of chilled coconut oil cut into peckable pieces, and massage her crop several times a day. Recheck her crop in early morning before she eats. Azygous has a good article of crop problems.