Rooster with Vent Gleet or Prolapse? Please help!

[Lilyandpeabody]

This is my boy, July. About a week ago we noticed his vent area was looking bare. We started adding apple cider vinegar and hydro hen to his water immediately. For the next few days he looked about the same, no worse, but no better, so we started spraying the area with vetericyn for poultry. He has had two days of the vetericyn, so not much time with it, but it seems to be looking a bit angrier. I would love confirmation that this is vent gleet or something similar. I'm really hoping this isn't the beginning of a prolapse. He is eating and drinking normally and is as active as always.

My apologies for the graphic photos.

 

[nuthatched]

He's being picked by the others.
This is often a sign of:
Cramped quarters. How many birds do you have in how big of a coop?
Lice/mites. Have you checked for any nits or mite poop?
Boredom.
Nutritionally unbalanced diet. What do you feed them?

 

[Lilyandpeabody]

He's being picked by the others.
This is often a sign of:
Cramped quarters. How many birds do you have in how big of a coop?
Lice/mites. Have you checked for any nits or mite poop?
Boredom.
Nutritionally unbalanced diet. What do you feed them?

I haven't noticed anyone picking on him, but perhaps I just haven't seen it. He's the dominant one, and the only rooster, with 7 hens. The 8 of them are in a 5x9 coop with a 5x3 lofted area. They have an attached run that's roughly 200 sq ft, but they only have access to twice a day (a couple hours in the morning, a couple hours in the afternoon). I don't see any lice or mites on any of them. For food, they eat Purina layer crumbles as well as daily treats (not a great amount) of a mix of seeds and meal worms.

 

[nuthatched]

I haven't noticed anyone picking on him, but perhaps I just haven't seen it. He's the dominant one, and the only rooster, with 7 hens. The 8 of them are in a 5x9 coop with a 5x3 lofted area. They have an attached run that's roughly 200 sq ft, but they only have access to twice a day (a couple hours in the morning, a couple hours in the afternoon). I don't see any lice or mites on any of them. For food, they eat Purina layer crumbles as well as daily treats (not a great amount) of a mix of seeds and meal worms.

I would switch to an all flock or flock raiser feed and provide oyster shells for your girls. Typical 16% layer is a little low for modern hens and roosters shouldn't really eat layer. Cut the treats back to a 2-3 times a week, maximum.

 

[Lilyandpeabody]

I would switch to an all flock or flock raiser feed and provide oyster shells for your girls. Typical 16% layer is a little low for modern hens and roosters shouldn't really eat layer. Cut the treats back to a 2-3 times a week, maximum.

Thank you so much, I will do that. Is about three tablespoons of a seed and meal worm mix too much for 8 chickens each day? I usually sprinkle it on top of their crumble, but if that's too much I'll cut back. Do you think this looks like vent gleet? Or perhaps something milder?

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you so much, I will do that. Is about three tablespoons of a seed and meal worm mix too much for 8 chickens each day? I usually sprinkle it on top of their crumble, but if that's too much I'll cut back. Do you think this looks like vent gleet? Or perhaps something milder?

It's not too much but it just not an everyday thing.
There's no gleet, he's being picked.
Gleet is really disgusting to look at.

 

[Lilyandpeabody]

It's not too much but it just not an everyday thing.
There's no gleet, he's being picked.
Gleet is really disgusting to look at.

Thank you! I'll have to make some coop changes it seems.

 

[PDXJULES]

I haven't noticed anyone picking on him, but perhaps I just haven't seen it. He's the dominant one, and the only rooster, with 7 hens. The 8 of them are in a 5x9 coop with a 5x3 lofted area. They have an attached run that's roughly 200 sq ft, but they only have access to twice a day (a couple hours in the morning, a couple hours in the afternoon). I don't see any lice or mites on any of them. For food, they eat Purina layer crumbles as well as daily treats (not a great amount) of a mix of seeds and meal worms.

So they are in the Coop much of the day? That would can cause feather-pecking issues. Foraging, access to grit and frequent dustbathing might help. I'd try to spray the vent area with something like Vetricyn or Bactrin, and consider keeping him in a safe kennel when in the coop so they can't make the swelling worse. If flies are around an open wound, add an epsom salts soak, and keep him indoors away from flies. Flystrike happens in 24 hrs, and is an awful experience.

 

[Lilyandpeabody]

So they are in the Coop much of the day? That would can cause feather-pecking issues. Foraging, access to grit and frequent dustbathing might help. I'd try to spray the vent area with something like Vetricyn or Bactrin, and consider keeping him in a safe kennel when in the coop so they can't make the swelling worse. If flies are around an open wound, add an epsom salts soak, and keep him indoors away from flies. Flystrike happens in 24 hrs, and is an awful experience.

I would say they are in the coop for half of daylight. They come out and forage in their run for a few hours around 9am, then again for a few hours around 3pm. They do have a dustbathing area both in the coop and out, but perhaps I need to make the indoor one more enticing because they primarily use the outdoor one. I have seen no flies, we change the soiled bedding daily and do a full cleanout about every 5 days, so I'm hoping that keeps the flies away, but I will keep an eye out. Thank you!

 

[PDXJULES]

Thank you! I'll have to make some coop changes it seems.The snack sounds healthy. We toss and mealworms and premium seed mix (from ACE) a couple times a day as a fun foraging activity. Their food is fed separately, and they clearly know the difference and love the varied activity and attention that treat time creates. Ours want to forage for greens right after seed or grains...and finding bugs is a bonus. I read that those allowed to forage to supplement commercial feed lay better and live longer. To us, it is worth some predator risk. We do encourage crows to perch and survey the area at the edges of our property, and roofs.