Single hen

[munchkin]

Hi

 

Hope you can help. Barbara has laid a largeish egg for her this morning. When I let her out to free range she was very quiet (unusually). When i picked her up, her bum feathers have blood on them and next to her vent is a lump - looks like a blood clot.

 

On closer inspection it looks like part of her bottom has turned inside out.

 

Please help I'm not sure what it is or what to do.

 

Thanks

Edited February 22, 2009 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

She has a prolapse. Best to eparate her from the others immediately as they will peck at it.

 

Bring her indoors, clean her up with tepid water, and you can attempt to push the prolapse back in with a gloved finger and some lubricating jelly or mild vegetable oil.

 

Keep her warm by putting her on a comfortably warm hot water bottle and keep her indoors, in the dark, in a covered box, and feed her on weetabix or some other bland mush.....not layers pellets ot mash, for a couple of days, to prevent her body laying eggs and give her innards a chance to settle down.

 

If you can't get the proplapse to go back in, best to take her to the vet.

[munchkin]

Hi eglutine

 

Thanks for your response. I have cleaned the area, however it looks like Barbara has managed to naturally pull the prolapse back in (thankfully) as there are no signs of anything hanging

 

I've given her weetabix and she is currently sitting on her nest, she looks much better and has eaten.

 

Shall I still bring her in with a hot water bottle? I have got a snugglepad which i could put under the hemcore in the nest. Which would you suggest?

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

I think I would, for 24 hours or so, just to give her time to recover. The bland food will help stop another egg forming quite as quickly as it otherwise might have, and will give her inner workings a chance to settle.

 

Am glad it has gone in of its own accord.

[munchkin]

Hi

 

Barbara seems to have slightly improved however I am unsure if there is anything else I can do?

 

She was kept inside all night, I let her out this morning however she is very quiet. She has eaten weetabix and tuna but stands hunched and puffed up. Her vent is clean and no sign of bleeding.

 

Shall i bring her in again? Or will Princess Layer start to pine and if i do will their relationship suffer Is there anything else i could do?

 

Thanks again

[Egluntyne]

Why not try her outside with her friend now that she has had a little rest. She might buck up a bit, and you don't want them to forget each other.

[munchkin]

Thanks for your advice eglutine. Barbara has spent the day free ranging with Princess Layer. She seems a bit cheerier. Fingers crossed she keeps improving

 

Thanks again

[Egluntyne]

That is good news. Thanks for the update.