What is this?! Graphic pic

[HilaryAkin]

My 1.5 year old best laying hen stopped laying like a month ago. I thought it was bumble foot so I’ve been treating it but now I see this! Please see pic. Is an egg stuck? Any help is needed!!

 

[Duckduckchicken32]

@azygous can you help? that looks to be a prolapse. Can you get her to a vet?

 

[HilaryAkin]

@azygous can you help? that looks to be a prolapse. Can you get her to a vet?

I could try tomorrow! Is there anything I could do in the meantime? I just soaked her in epsom salt for 20 mins. Also, going to segregate her from rest of flock

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that. From what I’ve seen, it looks like a prolapsed vent - sounds scary, but is treatable most of the time.
If you plan to take her to the vet or are looking after her at home, I recommend following Chickenlandia’s sick/injured chicken protocol, “R.E.S.T.”; R for remove the chicken from being with the rest of the flock (a dog crate works great for this), E to remember to add electrolytes and vitamins to their water, S for scrambled eggs (the ultimate chicken comfort food), and T for temperature control as a weak chicken is less likely to make a swift recovery if they are too hot or cold.
Best of luck with your hen

 

[HilaryAkin]

Oh no! Sorry to hear that. From what I’ve seen, it looks like a prolapsed vent - sounds scary, but is treatable most of the time.
If you plan to take her to the vet or are looking after her at home, I recommend following Chickenlandia’s sick/injured chicken protocol, “R.E.S.T.”; R for remove the chicken from being with the rest of the flock (a dog crate works great for this), E to remember to add electrolytes and vitamins to their water, S for scrambled eggs (the ultimate chicken comfort food), and T for temperature control as a weak chicken is less likely to make a swift recovery if they are too hot or cold.
Best of luck with your hen

This info is soooo helpful! Thank you very much! I have her RESTing now and will keep a watchful eye over here. This would be the reason she isn’t laying? Obviously. Is there a chance she’ll get feeling better and lay again?

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

This info is soooo helpful! Thank you very much! I have her RESTing now and will keep a watchful eye over here. This would be the reason she isn’t laying? Obviously. Is there a chance she’ll get feeling better and lay again?

You’re so welcome! I’m glad it was helpful - I *HIGHLY* recommend looking at the Chickenlandia YouTube channel and Bawk Talk Podcast. I have learned so much from Dahlia, she has a video on this exact topic!

I definitely think so. I haven’t had to deal with a prolapsed vent before, but from what I’ve researched, in most cases they can make a full recovery and continue laying within a week. Obviously a vet is always the safest route, but if it is indeed prolapsed vent, I think she has a great chance of recovering at home. It looks scary but is a common problem, she’s lucky to have you looking out for her!

 

[azygous]

She also needs calcium to stimulate contractions to get her stuck egg expelled. It's usually an egg that's behind a prolapse. The discharge from her vent also indicates an obstruction in her oviduct. Here's a step by step instruction how to treat prolapse and egg binding. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

 

[HilaryAkin]

She also needs calcium to stimulate contractions to get her stuck egg expelled. It's usually an egg that's behind a prolapse. The discharge from her vent also indicates an obstruction in her oviduct. Here's a step by step instruction how to treat prolapse and egg binding. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-from-vent-prolapse-oh-my-what-to-do.76124/

Great info! I read it several times and am now headed to the store. When segregating her from the flock, is it okay to just put her in a small coop inside the chicken run? Or will the other chickens around it stress her out? I could put her in a dog crate in the garage.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Great info! I read it several times and am now headed to the store. When segregating her from the flock, is it okay to just put her in a small coop inside the chicken run? Or will the other chickens around it stress her out? I could put her in a dog crate in the garage.

I would put her in the crate in the garage! That’s what I do with my chickens when they are under the weather - helps them rest and heal and I find it’s easier for me to keep an eye on them to make sure they are eating and drinking. I’d put a little towel or old pillowcase in there for her too, but that’s just me.
After she’s healed up, I recommend putting her in the smaller coop within the run so they can see but not touch each other for a couple of days, following pretty much the same protocol as introducing a new chicken to the flock. It will likely go a lot faster, but you still want to give them all some time to get re-acclimated in case pecking order has changed. When you do let her back out with the others, the best time to do it is when they go up to roost. Just keep a close eye on her to make sure she’s not being bullied, as chickens tend to pick on the weaker ones for the survival of the flock.

 

[azygous]

@mrsmistoffelees02 has great advice. Spot on.

The reason you want to put her someplace quiet is that any distraction or stress can affect her ability to get the obstruction cleared. Stress reduction and hydration and the calcium are the most important things during this crisis.