Vent problems?

[Inharmony]

Hello,

We recently got back into laying hens after about 7 yrs not owning any. We got the flock from a local chicken farm that was swapping their barns. They seemed ok other than molting and very little feathers. There seemed to be a bit of feather pecking as well but nothing major.

This week we lost 3 birds with no other signs before death just over night they died.

We did have some soft eggs for a bit but increased the calcium and they were getting better.

The birds that died had been picked on at their vent by the time I found them. I had not noticed any vent issues before this. But all 3 had been picked on at least after death.

Wasn't sure if maybe a preditor like weasel may have killed them and they got picked on after passing.

After researching I found info saying difficulties laying can cause bleeding and the others may pick on a bird but would 3-4 have difficulties at the same time because of the calcium issue? We have one more who was being picked on very badly so we separated her but she has gone downhill very quickly

I have been doing warm bath every day at least once but I do not feel any egg in her abdomen/near the vent. I put on some gentian violet initially to slow the other birds but it didn't stop them so she was separated right away.

No egg layer for 3 days but she is molting bad as well.

Now her but is dripping clear liquid and there is no evidence of poop. She has not been eating.

Any advice to offer?

I can post pics if it may help?

 

[azygous]

You may indeed have multiple causes of injury and death going on. The chickens that died all at the same time were most likely killed by a predator. Occam's razor.

The current hen with the fluid dripping from her vent has classic binding symptoms. You won't always feel the egg in such a case.

More often than not, a shell-less egg is responsible for the binding since they are so much more difficult to pass than a normal egg. Also, they are at much greater risk of collapsing inside the hen. This may have happened in this hen's case.

First thing you need to do is give one whole calcium supplement tablet to the hen directly into her beak. She'll swallow no problem. This is crucial to help her contractions become strong enough to expel the egg material. These cases can take days to resolve, and calcium should be given once a day for the duration.

Watch for prolapse, and be ready to treat it if it starts to happen. The straining to expel the egg often causes prolapse. Also watch for any sign of ruptured egg yolk. This can trigger a bacterial infection, and I always treat with an antibiotic if I suspect an egg has ruptured. Prompt treatment with an oral antibiotic can save a hen's egg laying career.

Provide moist heat and a quiet place to rest while this is trying to resolve. Avoid immersing in a bath since it will add stress when you want the hen to relax.

It's normal for no poop, especially cecals, to appear during a blockage. Once the hen begins producing cecal poops again, you will know the blockage has cleared. The steady drip of fluids from the vent during a blockage is normal, but it can severely dehydrate the hen and make her situation even worse, so be sure she has plenty of water to drink.

 

[Inharmony]

Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately she passed. Now I lost another one for no apparent reason! I checked them this morning and all were good then this afternoon one is dead in the run. There was a blood and a bloody egg in the nesting box which I had also noticed the few days prior to the others dying. I just inspected her and it appears she may have had a prolaps but im not sure. The others have been picking at her body. Could that many get egg bound at one time like over one week - loose 5 to being egg bound?They seemed fine. No waddling or other signs.

 

[azygous]

I recommend you send one of these dead chickens to a lab for a necropsy. I understand how stressed you are, and losing these chickens is about the worst feeling in the world. But there is a reason why they all came down with this problem. A necropsy could provide the answer.

I have an avian virus in my flock. It causes tumors, and these interfere with organ function. A few weeks ago, I had a hen suddenly die. She was only a year old. I decided to do my own necropsy and opened her up. I discovered her abdomen was full of full size egg yolks. She had been laying internally for a few days. The week before, she was laying normally. It was likely the virus caused her reproductive system to malfunction and kill her.

Right now you are feeling a lot of pain and confusion. Having some answers will help a lot.