Swollen vent and ?? Sticking out

[SBaltz]

Hi, brand new to chickens, and one of new babies (got her from a local store) had some poop stuck near her vent, like she sat in it vs pasty butt. We soaked it off, but I noticed her vent seemed swollen and maybe it was from the poop being on there, but her vent seemed to protrude slightly. She has been full of energy, eating, drinking, racing around and acting totally normally, but we noticed another something stuck to her vent area this afternoon and gave her bottom a warm rinse. She pooped solidly during this, with no apparent pain, but there is a small what looks like narrow piece of poop in her vent. It does not soften up, and I am afraid to pull it out. She pooped around it just fine. She was squawking occasionally when we would dab her vent, but was very calm when we vasolined it. Is it poo stuck there or something else? It is not mushy or big. I didn’t notice it there this morning but my husband thought he remembered it. I lost one to pasty butt earlier and really don’t want to lose her! Thanks

Sorry! Forgot the details. She is a light bhrama and I believe 2-3 days old

 

[SBaltz]

Can anyone help identify this? She seems constipated but is able to poop. She chirps and strains, working hard, but does poop. We are giving her molasses in water just for her, warm soak on her bottom and vasoline on her vent, but she is the same. No change to her energy though, she is full of energy, albeit the timid one of the group she still has the tiny almost string like black thing hanging from her vent. Less than 1/8” long, maybe poop? . Would nutridrench help?

 

[SBaltz]

Ok, so we just gave her molasses water, I vasolined her vent and she then pooped, but again, squawking and straining. She pooped, but her vent seemed poofy as she did so and kindof stayed out for a sec and then popped back. When I vasolined her vent, it was very red, not the normal red of the others, but like blood red. No visible blood, just clearly really bothered. I am getting coconut oil I hope tonight, and will be giving her wet food, will egg yolk help her? I heard it can cause constipation.

 

[CSAchook]

Ok, so we just gave her molasses water, I vasolined her vent and she then pooped, but again, squawking and straining. She pooped, but her vent seemed poofy as she did so and kindof stayed out for a sec and then popped back. When I vasolined her vent, it was very red, not the normal red of the others, but like blood red. No visible blood, just clearly really bothered. I am getting coconut oil I hope tonight, and will be giving her wet food, will egg yolk help her? I heard it can cause constipation.

I would just stick with the wet mash. It will give her extra hydration which is important right now. Coconut oil is also a very good idea. Feed her small pieces of firm cold oil. If she won’t eat it that way, then liquify it and mix it into her feed.

Do you have epsom salt or anti inflammatory cream on hand?

 

[CSAchook]

Can you get a picture of the thing sticking out of her vent?

 

[CSAchook]

@Eggcessive and @Wyorp Rock are far more knowledgeable than I. Hopefully one of them can step in with advice.

 

[meg_warriner]

A photo of her vent would really help me answer this question.

My first answer would be to try to pull the foreign object out of her vent with tweezers. However if it is something attached to tissue caution should be taken. Is there any blood or watery pink discharge?

Making the food mush is a good step and also I like to add a bit of organic Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar to the water. I put a capful per quart...

 

[SBaltz]

A photo of her vent would really help me answer this question.

My first answer would be to try to pull the foreign object out of her vent with tweezers. However if it is something attached to tissue caution should be taken. Is there any blood or watery pink discharge?

Making the food mush is a good step and also I like to add a bit of organic Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar to the water. I put a capful per quart...

I am worried to pull it out, but I will get a picture. No blood and no watery pink discharge, we would not think anything was wrong with her beyond what seems like constipation or painful vent.

I have an electrolyte plus vitamin solution in their water (had probiotics in water till today), should the ACV go separately in a different water? The electrolyte solution is from my local feed store, to help encourage more drinking, (plus it has vitamins in it)

Coconut oil has been replaced (I had some and it got used up without my knowledge), so that is chilling.

Added water to their feed and ended up pulling her out to feed her, as the other girls were loving it too much and she is timid. She is 4 days old I think and they are one full week ahead of her in age. She ate it, and has pooped once since then, still squawking while pooping.

Is there anything I can do to help her vent? We do have epsom salts.

 

[SBaltz]

I would just stick with the wet mash. It will give her extra hydration which is important right now. Coconut oil is also a very good idea. Feed her small pieces of firm cold oil. If she won’t eat it that way, then liquify it and mix it into her feed.

Do you have epsom salt or anti inflammatory cream on hand?

I don’t have cream, but I do have epsom salt. Do you know the ratio? And how best do I get her to sit in a bath or should we have the water high enough up that she doesn’t need to sit?

 

[CSAchook]

I don’t have cream, but I do have epsom salt. Do you know the ratio? And how best do I get her to sit in a bath or should we have the water high enough up that she doesn’t need to sit?

I would not pick at the unknown thing. Leave it alone for now and hope others weigh in after you get a picture

Daily Epsom salt baths should help the vent swelling.
The bag should have instruction of how much to use. I just eyeball a table spoon or two for a small container of water ( maybe a cup of water or so). Use very warm water but not painfully hot. Check the temp against your inner wrist. I used a small, steep sided Tupperware container for the bath. Also, when I give a chick a bath, I use water just deep enough to cover the vent when the chick is standing. You will need to sort of hold her in your hand still to keep her in the bath and her vent submerged. Soak her for 5-10 minutes or until the water starts to cool. You will need to dry her VERY thoroughLy so she doesn’t chill. I gently wrap the chick in a few paper towels as soon as it comes out of the bath. Soak up as much water as you can that way, then finish drying with a hair dryer on low. Once fully dry, reapply coconut oil to her vent, then put her back under your brooder heat source.