I have a 1.5 year old hen that has been struggling all spring.
About a month or so ago she got into some moldy corn (lesson learned!) and has had nasty vent gleet ever since. I separated her from the flock and gave her ACV in her water, cooked her oatmeal every morning. She looked like she was improving, so I let her back with everyone else.
The weather has been nice and they've been free ranging and she's been acting just fine, happy, laying well, bright eyed, but her feathers have been looking shabbier. I kept hoping it was a molt, I really lean toward a hands off approach and felt that running around in the sunshine eating bugs would make for a healthy chicken.
So yesterday I noticed what looked like egg yolk hanging from her vent, and a constant clear liquid dripping from there as well. I took a pan of soapy water and cleaned her up. She appeared to have a bit of a prolapse so I tried pushing it back in but it just kept popping back out. I could not feel any swelling or lumps. I smeared a bit of Bag Balm around the area and put her in the quarantine pen again.
This morning: she greeted me with happy noises and is eating and drinking just fine, acting fine too, no listlessness, no fluffing up. Her vent gleet seems to be back with a vengeance and there was a shell-less egg on the ground! As in, it was all intact with just a membrane keeping it together!
She is on layer mash, no corn or anything except the occasional fruit/veggie scraps and free range things.
My husband thinks she needs antibiotics, I'm thinking antifungal, but the egg issue is really confusing me. Help!
About a month or so ago she got into some moldy corn (lesson learned!) and has had nasty vent gleet ever since. I separated her from the flock and gave her ACV in her water, cooked her oatmeal every morning. She looked like she was improving, so I let her back with everyone else.
The weather has been nice and they've been free ranging and she's been acting just fine, happy, laying well, bright eyed, but her feathers have been looking shabbier. I kept hoping it was a molt, I really lean toward a hands off approach and felt that running around in the sunshine eating bugs would make for a healthy chicken.
So yesterday I noticed what looked like egg yolk hanging from her vent, and a constant clear liquid dripping from there as well. I took a pan of soapy water and cleaned her up. She appeared to have a bit of a prolapse so I tried pushing it back in but it just kept popping back out. I could not feel any swelling or lumps. I smeared a bit of Bag Balm around the area and put her in the quarantine pen again.
This morning: she greeted me with happy noises and is eating and drinking just fine, acting fine too, no listlessness, no fluffing up. Her vent gleet seems to be back with a vengeance and there was a shell-less egg on the ground! As in, it was all intact with just a membrane keeping it together!
She is on layer mash, no corn or anything except the occasional fruit/veggie scraps and free range things.
My husband thinks she needs antibiotics, I'm thinking antifungal, but the egg issue is really confusing me. Help!
