Scab or poop on vent? Hard and crusty.....YIKES!! warning gross photo!!

[aart]

Is she back to pooping normally?
Is her vent still dilated open?
Wondering if she has some kind of infected wound, or a deformation that is collecting feces, up in there?

 

[Minky]

Hey Aart- her vent looked way better yesterday, it was "open" but just slightly- sort of like a rainbow shape. Or a frown. There was still some cemented poop on the inside of the roof of her vent. At least I think its poop. It's white/light. She is doing well back in the barn with her flock. I gobbed some Polysporin on her vent when I was there today. I will inspect her again properly tomorrow. I think we both needed a break from each other.
Im not sure about her poop. Maybe I shouldve kept her another day for observation. Shall I bring her in the house one more time for a period to check on her stool?

I have provided some treats when the others arent looking and another water and food dish around the corner -out of sight from the main area.
I was doing it with treats -but never thought of doing it with food dish and water- that was a great suggestion. Thanks Gary from Idylwylde!

 

[aart]

I isolate bird right in coop, usually just overnight or a couple nights, to assess digestive system.

Here's my blurb on isolation crates:
I'd isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so you can closely monitor her intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and her poops.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.

I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[Minky]

ok, thats a good idea. wont happen this time (no dog crate) but i will keep an eye out for something over the next few weeks at Value Village or the like. Or get hubby to build one. can you please explain this feeder and waterer to me- like links to those very cool accessories -the white feeder and red nipple/clamp? Thanks. Gotta make a bunch of these!

 

[aart]

That feeder is junk...I use small clip on cage birds cups for feed now.
The water bottle is in my articles.
I got most my crates at the flea market for $15-20.

 

[DHutchins]

I am going through this exact thing right now.

My hen was attacked by a fox in July. Took her to the vet and got antibiotics and since then she has had several issues (I believe due to the antibiotics killing all the good gut bacteria).

In January I noticed her butt was completely black (she’s is an orange Buff). I brought her in and she tested positive for coccidia and she had the cement stuff all in her vent. It seemed better after antibiotics and coccidia meds as well as vitamins and cider vinegar. I got lazy and stopped the cider vinegar and vitamins and it all came back. I tried to treat myself with Corid. Didn’t work. Had to bring her in again. Shes in her third round of antibiotics and I am waiting to hear back from the vet on the coccidia (this vet is super awesome $35 for visit and I do the meds at home). I noticed her vent looks worse and have been bathing her every day and the poop/cement is the same way, curled up inside her vent. If I stick a q-tip in there I can leverage some out but it’s totally stuck. I called the vet back and they said use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water and spray it in there to break up the nitrates in the poop. It did help me get a bit out gently with tweezers but it’s so irritated it started bleeding just a bit. She didn’t seem happy about the vinegar. I was really trying not to tear or force it out, just break it up a bit. She is a trooper. She has to be miserable. There is still a good bit in there.

The crazy thing is she acts normal, poops look normal, she’s laying eggs, but her vent was almost cemented close to shut and her butt is black from some kind of leakage. I have been soaking/bathing her every day since Monday and applying a silver cream they gave me. For now I bought a used crate at a thrift store and she sleeps in there and hangs out on the back porch till I figure out about the coccidia and this cement/poop/vent issue.

 

[aart]

@Minky ..what ever happened with this bird?

 

[DHutchins]

Update on my hen. The vet called me back and said to try warm water with a few drops of iodide mixed in, fill a syringe and squirt some into her vent after soaking her in the tub. I've been chipping away at this for over a week twice per day. We're both over it and the stuff is still there. The vet said I need to bring her in and they'll anesthetize her to get it all out. I have a feeling that's not going to be in her future because of the expense. I'm thinking I'll have to continue the soaking and chipping away at it. All she wants to do is be outside with the other chickens. She's eating, drinking and pooping but has stopped laying eggs. She's still on pill form antibiotics so I'll give her probiotics when she's off the antibiotics for the e coli and the Albon for the coccidia.
Here is a photo of her in the bath and her vent when I FIRST started chipping away at it. I need to get a photo now. I guess looking at this, she's much better.

I am going through this exact thing right now.

My hen was attacked by a fox in July. Took her to the vet and got antibiotics and since then she has had several issues (I believe due to the antibiotics killing all the good gut bacteria).

In January I noticed her butt was completely black (she’s is an orange Buff). I brought her in and she tested positive for coccidia and she had the cement stuff all in her vent. It seemed better after antibiotics and coccidia meds as well as vitamins and cider vinegar. I got lazy and stopped the cider vinegar and vitamins and it all came back. I tried to treat myself with Corid. Didn’t work. Had to bring her in again. Shes in her third round of antibiotics and I am waiting to hear back from the vet on the coccidia (this vet is super awesome $35 for visit and I do the meds at home). I noticed her vent looks worse and have been bathing her every day and the poop/cement is the same way, curled up inside her vent. If I stick a q-tip in there I can leverage some out but it’s totally stuck. I called the vet back and they said use a mixture of half white vinegar and half water and spray it in there to break up the nitrates in the poop. It did help me get a bit out gently with tweezers but it’s so irritated it started bleeding just a bit. She didn’t seem happy about the vinegar. I was really trying not to tear or force it out, just break it up a bit. She is a trooper. She has to be miserable. There is still a good bit in there.

The crazy thing is she acts normal, poops look normal, she’s laying eggs, but her vent was almost cemented close to shut and her butt is black from some kind of leakage. I have been soaking/bathing her every day since Monday and applying a silver cream they gave me. For now I bought a used crate at a thrift store and she sleeps in there and hangs out on the back porch till I figure out about the coccidia and this cement/poop/vent issue.

 

[DHutchins]

I'm following up on this. Nothing ended up working out for me on this - not even with the vet's assistance with the Clavamox (antibiotics) and Alban (coccidia medication). I also tried cider vinegar, probiotics, (not the two together. Cider vinegar will kill probiotics) vitamins, oregano. At one point she got worms so I used over the counter Wazine which appeared to work. I had to clean her up twice a day and try to gently cleanse the vent but it was continuing to drain and build up on the cemented urates in the vent. I spent over two months trying to heal her and finally put her to sleep yesterday. I'm still second guessing myself. It was horrible but I feel it was the right thing. The vet said her kidneys were failing and she was dehydrated even though she appeared to be eating and drinking normally. The hardest part is she was acting normally that morning. Eating, drinking, scratching and enjoying herself outside although she'd been lethargic the day before.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry you lost her but you gave her the very best care for an extremely long time and it was the responsible thing to do to end it when there was no progress after prolonged treatment. I can imagine that was a very difficult decision but absolutely the right one so don't reproach yourself. You went above and beyond for her.
Just to clarify on one point.... are you sure she developed worms or were they maggots from fly strike which is very common in such cases of vent injury? Knowing the difference may be important for you going forward and we have had several posts here on BYC where people saw maggots and assumed they were worms.