Stuff hanging out of Ameraucana's butt

[burbankchix]

We have this one Ameraucana that hasn't laid at all since December. We thought it was just molting season and laying off in the winter.

Nothing else seemed wrong with her. Today we saw she had what we originally thought was poop hanging in her back side feathers. I got a wet towel to clean it off and discovered there seems to be a small marble sized blood ball too. As I cleaned more I saw it was attached to skin or something coming out of her butt. I pull slightly and realized - don't do that!

We don't know if it's a prolapsed vent or if someone has been pecking at her rear and so we thought first thing it was her intestines. She seems in good spirits, it taking dirt baths and eating.

I got on this and saw a string about prolapsed vents, so now we're really not sure and it's Saturday night and no vet til Monday.

Can anyone give a clearer picture of the difference in the look of intestines coming out vs. the prolapsed vent? She does not look pecked on at all and that's the other mystery.

Billie Jo

 

[DewKistFarm]

I'd hate to give you poor advice, but one of my Buff Orpington hens had a similar situation when she was just a year old. It looked like poop, but then I realized it was something hanging out of her. Like you, I started to pull it out but quickly got too nervous and queasy to do so. A few days later, when I was feeling brave, I noticed it hanging far enough out of her that it was dragging on the ground...so I stepped on it and let her walk away. Haha! She just kept walking, and soon it was out of her. I never knew what it was, but she's still fine today.

Hope all goes well.

 

[burbankchix]

Thanks for that story. I was way to nervous too, to just keep pulling in case it was her intestines. The weird thing, is that she acts normal. She is one of my favorite birds and most beautiful, so I'm really freaked out by her condition. It's not hanging far enough out to step on but maybe in a few more days it will be. I'll keep watch!

 

[nanceann]

Was it anything like this? One of my baby chicks has this, and I wasn't sure what to do.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

It's red? Google "chicken prolapse" and see if it looks the same.

 

[nanceann]

Same chick today, whatever it was it seems to have fallen off. Other than that funky stuff, the chick looks fine maybe a little small, but it gets in there and eats with all the rest.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

If it was very small it may have just been the umbilical cord.