Vent gleet?

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Need some advice. Hen is in solitary, with our roo.



Already added some ACV to her water and gave her some yogurt. We also rinsed her off.

She has been doing this for months now. Seems to clear up some and then back. Only one having that. She’s real lethargic acting this afternoon though. Which is why we checked her.
She’s almost a year or is a year old.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When was the last time she laid an egg?
Has she been dewormed?
What do you feed, including treats?
Crop emptying?

If she's lethargic, wash her up really well and make sure there's no maggots under all of the stuck on poop. While you're at it, look her over well for lice or mites, feel the abdomen for bloat or fluid. If she's not been laying eggs, then get extra calcium into her. Calcium Citrate with D3 is good to give, just pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow. Work on hydration, then offer her a bit of food.

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

When was the last time she laid an egg?

Have no idea. I have 13 hens. All that lay a variation of a brown egg, except one I think. (I have one hen, a cuckoo maran who hasn't layed since Fall. She was sporadic back then. I'm thinking bad genes on her. She was a runt as a baby.)

Has she been dewormed?

No, we don't have never wormed them. (There has not been worms in poop either though.)

What do you feed, including treats?

Layer feed, or chick starter. No treats other than occasional table scraps or garden scraps.

Crop emptying?

Unsure there. As stated she's been fine up until I noticed her being lethargic yesterday.

If she's lethargic, wash her up really well and make sure there's no maggots under all of the stuck on poop. While you're at it, look her over well for lice or mites, feel the abdomen for bloat or fluid. If she's not been laying eggs, then get extra calcium into her. Calcium Citrate with D3 is good to give, just pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow. Work on hydration, then offer her a bit of food.

Did not see any maggots on her at all. Nor lice or mites. I check for those periodically. (They also have a specific dust bath area.)
She ate the yogurt fine. Not sure if she's drinking. I assume so. She's not panting or any visible distress.
She's currently in the crate with the rooster. (He's being confined because he's damaging the feathers of 2 other hens.)

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

She may do better being housed by herself.

I'd work on hydration, if you need to, syringe or tube fluids into her.
Offer wet feed. I'd consider getting some calcium into her and deworm her.

She’s now alone. Caught the roo mating her so quickly tossed his butt in the smaller cage.
That way I can monitor her food and water intake also.

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Update:
Turns out she is egg bound. Pretty bad. And with holding food was a mistake. Because she is pretty weak.
We spent hours this afternoon tryin to help her. Epsom soak, coconut oil, trying to help her ease the egg out. What we can tell she has at least 2 eggs bound up in her.

It is in God’s hands now. She either passes the eggs, or passes herself. She’s got food and water in a larger crate. We gave her electrolytes, probiotics. Some honey to boost her energy. She ate a couple pieces of grass.

We had no calcium tablets or tums to give her.
Will grab some for going forward.

Stressing afternoon. Prayers be great for us and the hen. Her name is Penguin.

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

I hope Penguin pulls through.

If you can get some Calcium or Tums into her this may help her expel the egg(s).

Keep working on hydration and offer some wet feed. Keep me posted on how she's doing.

We were syringing liquid into her when working with her. Her crop actually went from empty to more full because of the liquid so I know that she at least isn't dehydrating.
I go to town tomorrow & will get one of those to help if it's not to late for her.

She wasn't interested in much food at all. She was just wanting to sleep toward the end. We finally just set her in the grass in the sun & she slept for a bit. She'd wake up & walk a bit then just stand there. Will update ya.

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Update:
She’s still alive. She’s had another epsom soak and I gave her a 1000mg calcium antacid. But still no egg.

Anything else we should do? Maybe another calcium? I also bought calcium citrate vitamins. Should I give one of them?

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Yeah she actually seemed more energetic at first with her soaking. Kind of fought a bit to get out.

Yes, um...her rectum area feel hard & like 2 eggs are in it. They kind of move a bit. It's down lower than her vent yes.
She has pooped some. When working with her she's pooped too.

I have wondered about a tumor. What are the symptoms? I assume basically a mercy killing if that's the case.
@Wyorp Rock

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

I'd give her a few days and see if she's able to expel anything.

That's unless you feel she's suffering and in a lot of pain.
Hens can have various reproductive issues and live for a while with them, they may decline, but perk up with supportive care - sort of go back and forth.

Many of these conditions can look very similar when it comes to symptoms as far as, lethargy, difficulty breathing, crop not emptying, off colored poop, etc. Sadly, often to be able to assign a "name" to the condition is when you lose them and investigate further to see what was going on inside.

Putting one down when they are in decline is definitely an option. It all depends on your keeping goals/how you feel about your birds. Some keep them more as pets, so the decision is much harder. For me, mine are "pet livestock", so I do provide supportive care, treat symptoms and perhaps give medication (antibiotics) IF I think they would be of benefit. But sometimes it's very clear that a hen is not improving and I just put them down.

Final Update:

She was dispatched today. Not any better. All she would do was drink that I could see.
And it looks like she passed a lash egg today. We didnt know what it was, but my cousin mentioned the term so I reacquainted myself with them. Ick. Pretty sure that's what it was.
She didn't even bleed at the end. None of the ones we've done before have done that. So she definitely was off.
Oh well. We tried to take care of her.
Farewell to Penguin the barred rock.

And yes, we are like you in that aspect. Care if we can help maybe, but in the end better for the animal & us, if it's not improving to dispatch it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She may do better being housed by herself.

I'd work on hydration, if you need to, syringe or tube fluids into her.
Offer wet feed. I'd consider getting some calcium into her and deworm her.