Thought she had a prolapse vent

[el]

Hi All--I'm new to the forum and am trying desperately to keep a hen alive. I thought she had a prolapse vent and searched for treatments online. I did the warm water soaks and the preparation H and pushed the lump back in at least a couple of times a day. Last evening I was treating her and noticed that what I thought was the intestinal tissue had gotten very hard and had a dark spot on it. I thought this odd since I had been soaking it so much and putting on the ointment. But I continued the treatment anyway, and all of a sudden, it popped open and a bunch of little yellow balls came pouring out of her. They looked like hard boiled egg yolks with the whites removed. When I smashed one, it looked like hard boiled egg yolk, like when you are making egg salad. Did I confuse her symptoms with being egg-bound? I did not find a mass in her belly, the lump was trying to come out the vent. And if she truly was egg-bound, why did they look hard boiled? The hen is very quiet, I don't think she is eating anymore. She had only been able to stand up, now at least she is able to sit. Is it just a matter of time before I lose her or is there anything more I can do?

Thanks for any suggestions.
El

 

[speckledhen]

She isn't egg bound, she's laying internally. Those masses are infection and egg yolk together, solidified. Good that they're out, but the bad news is that she will continue to do that. Internal laying is not curable except by hysterectomy. It's a genetic/hormone based malfunction common in hatchery stock, especially the higher production ones like RIRs, Wyandottes, and Plymouth Rocks. I've lost 9 to this same thing, with two more going soon. You can't prevent it or fix it since it's a chronic condition.

This thread may be helpful to you. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=362422



This is what we removed from just one deceased hen's abdomen.

 

[el]

Thanks for your reply. She is a Rhode Island Red. She had been laying normally up until a few days ago. Is this something that can start later in life? She is about 3 yrs old.

El