URGENT Please help! Prolapse in our first chicken

[Pip4Chirp]

Beatrice looks to have classic prolapse when trying to lay her first egg. We are newbies and have no idea what to do. We lubricated the protruding tissue and have put honey all over - per other posts. It feels exactly like an egg trapped in the membrane. I have finally located a vet who will gently put her down. I do not want her to suffer. Any advice??? Will she prolapse again even if the honey works this time?

 

[Judy]

Sorry you are going through this. Prolapse does not have a great prognosis, but sometimes they do recover -- of course, she would have to pass the egg to recover, though. Have you tried a warm soak in a quiet, darkened place, then some time in a quiet place, to try to help her pass the egg?

 

[Pip4Chirp]

Thank you so much for your support and advice. We found a vet who works with birds and took Beatrice to him. He did not give her a good prognosis and said it was likely to happen again. We tried the honey and it actually shrunk the tissue quite a bit but it was obvious afterwards that the entire egg was in the membrane outside her body. We would have had to cut it out and then stitch her up. We opted to gently euthanize her which was just so sad.

I am so afraid for our other pullets - we have three left. I'm worried that we're doing something wrong - feeding too much or too many greens. They love their morning oats but maybe those are bad. They look so healthy though. Maybe just one of those things. Very sad.

 

[Judy]

I'm so sorry.

I thik it's much more likely that what happened to her is a result of her genetics. Many people routinely supplement feed with things like greens, oats, table scraps and fruit. I hope the rest will be fine.

 

[PalmRoyal]

I will second genetics. In turkeys, prolapse is common in Broad Breasted Whites. However, it is less common in the other varieties.

 

[Pip4Chirp]

Mine are silver lace Wyandotte chickens - I've never heard that prolapse is common with them so I'm hoping it's just an abnormality. I feel like we've been really careful - they're not over or underweight, they're just now switching to layer feed but they've had access to oyster shell and lots of fresh greens every day, lots of exercise....

I've yet to talk to a single person, other than reading online stories, who has experienced a prolapse with a chicken. So I've got my fingers crossed for my other three.

 

[Judy]

Like you, I've never seen it, and I've had a small flock off and on for many years. Not only that, yours is only the second case I even recall reading about, of an egg protruding with the insides still wrapped around it, and I've been reading BYC for a while now.... Hopefully, you will never see this again!

 

[lightchick]

So sorry for your loss! I don't think it was your fault. I give chickens plenty of greens.
Probably genetics.

 

[Pip4Chirp]

Yay! We got our first egg today!! Beautiful little brown egg and no complications in any of the hens. I am so relieved!!!! Thanks for all of your support for Beatrice.