White messy bum after a predator attack

[Wyorp Rock]

Hey all,

We've been soaking Nutmeg and washing her bum in the mornings and at night. She's been staying in the basement. We've also tried nudging the prolapse back into her vent--and it stayed each time for a little while. However, it always eventually comes back out. And now we're very worried that a portion of her insides have dried out.



As you can see, we have the area around the prolapse more or less clear. However, that messy spot on her exposed colon is not feces; it is tissue, a kind of collar that extends 3/4 the way around her intestine (right word?). The portion to the right, in the image, is still flexible, but dark and caked in feces. The portion to the left, in the image, is heavily caked in dry, inflexible matter. I can, and have, been massaging both parts with prep H and now oil as well to try to keep the area moist while treating the inflammation. But the portion to the left feels dried out to me and it causes her pain to manipulate it at all.

We're not sure, first of all, the function of this collar, or what it is called. We caused a small tear in it between the crusty third and the flexible greater portion while cleaning it--just a drop of very thin blood.

Definitely don't want her to suffer, especially if she has necrotizing flesh. Any input? The tear occurred while we were trying to massage the area to clean it while recovering any flexibility--not sure we want to spend the time to do that if it is going to be causing her pain.

We're very sad about this. Happy to continue to treat her, but unwilling to torture her if there is no hope of her recovery. What do you all think?

I'm sorry you're have to deal with this.

Only you can decide how much pain she is in and what condition the tissue is in. Does it feel like there may be an egg still in there?

If after soaking/treatment and supportive care you feel like she is not improving or is in pain, then making the call to put her down is of course to be considered. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Sometimes the tissue does die and there's nothing else that can be done.

Whatever decision you make it the right one for you. With chickens they are so stoic when it comes to pain/injury/illness it is hard to determine how well they are doing.

Hopefully someone else has better suggestions/advice. Please keep us posted.