Sooo much pooping

[Flossie G]

My oldest chicken has a prolapse. I have cleaned her up and tried pushing it back in but it just flops out again. She is eating and pecking around, and is not obviously suffering. We have phoned the vets and will take her tomorrow morning. I'm guessing it's curtains, but is does anyone have any suggestions? I've never attempted to push a prolapse back before and am not sure I was doing it right.

 

Thanks

[Egluntyne]

Some useful advice here. Good luck.

[Plum]

I'm sorry it's often not good news but worth a try as long as the vet is prepared to give antibiotic cover and anti inflamatories.

 

It's probably swollen which is why it flops out and that well make her push as though there is an egg there.

Try washing the area then sprinkle sugar on it. This helps draw the fluid out and brings down the swelling. You could also try haemorrhoid cream like anusol which contracts the blood vessels and does the same. Then you may find you can get it in by pressing gently with the flat of your hand. It can take hours or days to get it down. If you have any purple spray or similar that is good for keeping things clean and messy!

 

You need to keep her away from the others so she doesn't get pecked and darken her space and keep her off layers pellets so she's less likely to ovulate while it heals. Chances are there is already an egg on the way already.

 

You may find some of the area dies and goes dark, keep it soft with either the anusol or sudocrem and it can slough off eventually.

 

Good luck, you never know some get through it.

[Flossie G]

Thank you both for your helpful replies.

 

Yes, it is swollen. I read somewhere that honey is good, so I applied some when I tried to push it back in. Maybe that will work the same way as sugar.

 

My feeling is that the vet will recommend putting her to sleep. I know she's getting on - grey feathers on her head and all - but I don't want to part with her just yet if it's not necessary.

[Plum]

Blinkin hens you get so attached. Good luck

[Flossie G]

Jo bird is still with us for now.

 

We twice took her to the vet, both times expecting that it was the end. Although we kept her off layers mash and in a darkened box she layed four eggs, despite the prolapse. However, the vet advised that, as she didn't appear to be suffering, we should persevere if we wanted, so we did.

 

She had a strange "thing" attached to the prolapse, which she was pushing against, so it was pointless trying to get the prolapse back in. No one could say whether it was a growth, or whether it was a an ulcer or something like that. The vet gave us a course of Baytril and we bathed her twice a day applying liberal amounts of purple spray. Eventually, we were able to peel the ghastly thing off and push the prolapse back in. She has today spent the day purring in the sun and I think it was worth it just for that, even though she may be on borrowed time.

 

You do get blinkin attached.

[Plum]

Well done, that sounds like what happened with my first who prolapsed.

 

The lump thing is dead tissue that sloughs off. Sounds like you are over the worst. Mine went on to lay normally so I keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

Your vet sounds good, mine just wanted to end it for her. I reckon it's worth giving them a chance if they are not suffering or in distress.

[Flossie G]

The lump thing was greenish, quite spongy and about the size and shape of a marble. It looked a bit like poo but definitely wasn't. Does that sound familiar?

 

Yes, the vet was great.

[Plum]

No Eiders went dark and went quite hard so probably not the same perhaps it was pus or something?

[Flossie G]

Could well have been infected. She was certainly drinking a lot for the first five or so days, which would suggest an infection. Anyway, we'll see how it goes.