sick Americauna with bottom issues

[chickenKel]

Hi! We are newish chicken owners with three girls, about 5 months old. Our Americauna retreated to the perch yesterday afternoon, panting heavily. She is the only one of the three who is not yet laying eggs, though we sometimes find a broken blue shell below the perch. This morning I got her down from the perch to look at her; her bottom is dirty and there may be a bit of blood mixed in and it appears that a big patch of feathers is missing near her vent. It is very hot where we live. I have put her in the cat carrier and brought her inside for a bit while we research. I have no idea what to do! Thanks for your help!

 

[Judy]

I'd start with a warm bath in mild soapy water to clean her up and relax her, and so you can see what is going on better. It sounds like she may have a prolapse, or perhaps a broken egg or soft shelled egg stuck inside. Honey or Preparation H are often used for prolapse. Sometimes putting them in a somewhat darkened place also relaxes them and allows time to heal as it slows down the egg laying function for a bit. There are some threads on egg bound and prolapse linked from the FAQ page, and lots more info on these problems would no doubt show up with a search.

Good luck to both of you!