We just got back from Texas on Tuesday and the lady who was looking after the chickens said there were only 3 eggs that day not 4. The next day I went out and sure enough there were also only 3 eggs, and the same yesterday. Now today I went out this morning and again only 3 eggs. I looked at the chickens and and my black one with gold feathers, "Goldie" had something hanging from her butt. I thought it was pasty butt so I asked my husband to help me.
She pecked at her butt a bit until I caught her. I held her in the reverse football hold and used the paper towel to pull at the mass hanging out of her butt. As I pulled more and more stuff came out. There was a think mass maybe an inch in diameter and 5-6 inches long that came out with long strands that looked like grass in it. Her butt looked red and protruded as I pulled the mass out. My concern is now is it all done, have I cured her of her clogged vent or does this mean that there is something wrong with her? And maybe what I thought was grass in the stool were 3-4 very long worms but I would have to examine the excrement more carefully to see if they were moving.
Should I be giving them anything besides the laying mash, oyster shells and water? They are free range during the day time and are scratching up the yard looking for goodies, including fallen bird seed from my feeder. I also gave them some tomatoes the other day that were starting to go wrinkly. I am new to chicken keeping and I have 13 five week old chicks now so I want to try to do everything right and make sure that Goldie isn't sick before I bring out the rest of the flock.
Help!!
PS. Two of my chickens lay brown eggs and two lay whitish eggs. Since I only had one whitish egg the last few days I am assuming that one is laying and one is not or maybe each time I check one of them has laid the egg and the next time the other ones is laying, Goldie is one of the whitish eggs layers.
She pecked at her butt a bit until I caught her. I held her in the reverse football hold and used the paper towel to pull at the mass hanging out of her butt. As I pulled more and more stuff came out. There was a think mass maybe an inch in diameter and 5-6 inches long that came out with long strands that looked like grass in it. Her butt looked red and protruded as I pulled the mass out. My concern is now is it all done, have I cured her of her clogged vent or does this mean that there is something wrong with her? And maybe what I thought was grass in the stool were 3-4 very long worms but I would have to examine the excrement more carefully to see if they were moving.
Should I be giving them anything besides the laying mash, oyster shells and water? They are free range during the day time and are scratching up the yard looking for goodies, including fallen bird seed from my feeder. I also gave them some tomatoes the other day that were starting to go wrinkly. I am new to chicken keeping and I have 13 five week old chicks now so I want to try to do everything right and make sure that Goldie isn't sick before I bring out the rest of the flock.
Help!!
PS. Two of my chickens lay brown eggs and two lay whitish eggs. Since I only had one whitish egg the last few days I am assuming that one is laying and one is not or maybe each time I check one of them has laid the egg and the next time the other ones is laying, Goldie is one of the whitish eggs layers.
