Vent Gleet?

[MrLeeHo]

My PRB hasn't layed in 2 days and I have started to worry. This is her first fall and she is about 8 months old so i though maybe she was starting to molt. Noticed her butt was looking "wet" and she does not have her usual energy and personality. I checked her vent this afternoon and it looks a bit swollen and has some leakage. It also stinks. When i lifted her tail there was a bit of a squishy/fart type noise (sorry, only way I know to explain). Below is a pic...what should be done? I put a couple drops of nutridrench in her water today. Please help.
T

hanks
Brad

 

[Mrs J]

My PRB hasn't layed in 2 days and I have started to worry. This is her first fall and she is about 8 months old so i though maybe she was starting to molt. Noticed her butt was looking "wet" and she does not have her usual energy and personality. I checked her vent this afternoon and it looks a bit swollen and has some leakage. It also stinks. When i lifted her tail there was a bit of a squishy/fart type noise (sorry, only way I know to explain). Below is a pic...what should be done? I put a couple drops of nutridrench in her water today. Please help.
TView attachment 2881959hanks
Brad

You could give her an Epsom salt bath and gently clean her vent, I would hate to give you wrong advice so maybe @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @azygous @dawg53 can help. Good luck.

 

[Mrs J]

Also there are a lot of very good threads on here with symptoms and treatments, you just have to type it into the search bar.

 

[azygous]

It's more likely this novice hen has an egg laying issue rather than vent gleet. Is her behavior a bit "off"? Is she lethargic? Fluffed up? Acting zombie-like?

Is the discharge from her vent clear and does it smell unpleasant and acrid instead of like poop? It's unlikely she will molt this year. So her behavior cannot be attributed to that.

If you happen to have any people calcium supplements on hand, calcium citrate is best, but Tums will do, give her one tablet directly into her beak. This will stimulate contractions and help her clear the obstruction that may be causing this.

It would be a good idea to install her in a pet crate on absorbent towels with plenty of fresh water to drink. She may also have her regular food in case she's hungry. Check on her frequently. You do want to know what comes out of her butt. Being on a towel rather than shavings will help you identify what emerges. This is important if what comes out is a broken egg.

 

[MrLeeHo]

It's more likely this novice hen has an egg laying issue rather than vent gleet. Is her behavior a bit "off"? Is she lethargic? Fluffed up? Acting zombie-like?

Is the discharge from her vent clear and does it smell unpleasant and acrid instead of like poop? It's unlikely she will molt this year. So her behavior cannot be attributed to that.

If you happen to have any people calcium supplements on hand, calcium citrate is best, but Tums will do, give her one tablet directly into her beak. This will stimulate contractions and help her clear the obstruction that may be causing this.

It would be a good idea to install her in a pet crate on absorbent towels with plenty of fresh water to drink. She may also have her regular food in case she's hungry. Check on her frequently. You do want to know what comes out of her butt. Being on a towel rather than shavings will help you identify what emerges. This is important if what comes out is a broken egg.

Thank you, i will do that. Can you elaborate on what happens or what it means if a broken egg does come out? The discharge is more whitish than clear or colored and it does stink (not like poop). She is being lethargic and not her normal self. When i went to check her out earlier today she was squatty similar to what she would do when she was getting close to POL.

Just to give context, they are eating all flock crumble with free choice oyster shells.

 

[MrLeeHo]

Update this morning, after continuing to give calcium and a few epsom salt baths over the last week...not to mention lots of worry. I went into the coop this morning and there was an egg! It was dropped below the roost which makes me think she layed it while roosting overnight which seems odd. She has never layed out of the boxes. It is not broken, but was fairly bloody. She seems to be feeling a bit better but am curious if there is something else i should be doing to prevent this from happening again. Also, should i expect her to go back to laying regularly now that she has seemingly cleared what was clogging her up?