Prolasped Hen not recovering...what to do??

[Sami]

Hi
Two weeks ago one of my RIR prolasped and was being cannibalised by another hen (I ended that pretty quick). I thought she was going to die but then seemed to perk up once I isolated her. I bathed her bottom and used PreP H as well as also polysproyn to help heal her. It looks like her vent went back in and stopped bleeding. She has been eating and drinking but is not doing well. Her wings are droppy, her tail is droppy and she seems to always be on the perch and tired.
I don't want her to be suffering but I don't know if I should just be more humane and cull her. I am I rushing her recovery?

Also, since she is one of my favourite hens I don't really to use a hatchet...Could I feel her about four gravol (dramaine)...do you think that work....or does anyone know of any other gentler ways of euthanizing a hen???

thanks

 

[stargirl]

I'm not an expert, but it sounds like she might have an infection. It sounds like you did a good job cleaning and patching her up but obviously once they've been pecked at and inside-bits have been outside, things can get messy. Do you have any antibiotics you could try her on? At this stage it wouldn't hurt.
The other possibility is that she is egg bound or has egg peritonitis. Was she a frequent layer before the prolapse?

 

[Sami]

I think she was laying every day. I don't have antibiotics and I did spray her bottom with perioxide before I put the salve on....I don't see any maggot but that is what I thought...that she had an infection inside even though the outside looks relatively back to normal...how long should it take her to recover? What is egg peritonitis??

Thanks so much for your response
sam

 

[stargirl]

Think of it a bit like a person getting an infection after an operation; sometimes it just happens, despite all the sterile equipment etc. There wouldn't necessarily be maggots or anything to see. I'd look into getting a general antibiotic from your feed store asap, and see if that helps. It wont be expensive, and you can just dissolve it in her water.

If she was a regular layer, the other possibility is that she's carried on laying but something's gone wrong. This could mean she has an egg trapped inside of her (egg bound), or that she has a broken egg inside of her that's causing an infection (egg peritonitis). Sometimes this happens after a prolapse while the swelling is going down and things are finding their way back to their proper place. As her symptoms are quite general its hard to say what's going on, but antibiotics are your best bet for an infection, whatever the cause.

Is she pooping ok?

 

[Sami]

No not really...it is rather liquidy and only a bit came out. Not to be gross but it looked like a large dropping was going to come out, then only a little liquid came out and the rest went back in ..and come to think of it there has been a bit of a funky smell in my coup which normally never smells. I just thought that it was the change in weather here. It is getting cool at night and i have been closing the window a bit...

 

[stargirl]

Nothing ever grosses me out when it comes to chicken poop anymore!

If she's doing runny droppings, she could be egg bound. It's possible this was even the original problem and she prolapsed from pushing so hard at the stuck egg, or it could have happened since.
Pick her up and have a gentle feel of her abdomen. Find her breastbone on her tummy between her wings, and follow that line down towards her vent. See if you can feel anything large or egg-like.

A bad smell could suggest an infection, and it could be that she is just not eating enough to produce solid droppings. I'd definitely isolate her and bring her inside until you know what's happening.

 

[Sami]

thanks! I check her out tonight and up date you tomorrow