Unsecure chicken perches

[ohcarolina]

Hallo everyone

My friend contacted me earlier for advice as one of her hens had a 'dodgy bum'. Whilst many who know me consider me an experienced chicken keeper I'm not really (and rely on a lot of Omlet advice)and was hoping someone could take a look at the pics and give me any advice.

 

She was brought into the house as they noticed another girl was pecking at her vent when they were being shut in for the night. She seems calm but alert and is not hunched or listless. She's only about 6 months old (max) and is a Warren.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63429320@N08/sets/72157632360090558

 

I felt her inside her vent and felt nothing, no broken egg, shell etc. My hand came out clean (Ok my Marigold). She's been laying up to now. Any marks on her vent other than general redness and swelling look like one or two peck marks (which always bleed profusely). Her crop was nice and full and so she'd been eating (no sour crop). I can't feel an egg inside her and the only thing that came out of her bum was chicken poo. We washed her bum gently (the photos are post bum wash) and I've purple sprayed her. I'm at a loss as to what it could be. Its just really red and swollen

 

Has anyone any ideas?

 

Many Thanks Caroline

[KimmyCustard]

Oooo that looks sore! Bless her. I would suggest it could be another hen pecking her but usually its in other places on the nether region as well and not just the vent. It looks a little like a pile to me but I'm not very experienced in poorly hen issues either - not useful! Its sounds like you have done the right thing in purple spraying her, I would separate her at night if you can and maybe use some anti-peck spray on top of the purple to deter further pecking?

 

Hopefully someone else (like Sandyhas3chucks) will be along later and they will have the answer . Hope she's better soon.

[jimnpaula]

I think that might be a prolapse - it doesn't look like a normal vent that's for sure, poor thing.

 

You could try putting haemmorhoid ointment on it and gently pushing it in, see if it stays put. I'd also keep her separate just in case the purple spray doesn't deter pecking from the others (but that's just me, I like having a chicken indoors but I only do it if they're poorly!)

 

P

[sandyhas3chucks]

doesn't look prolapsed to me, just sore... couldn't do any harm to give a good covering of Sudocrem..

Personally I would bring her in at night, to eliminate the vent pecking possibility and anyway they will peck at a bum looking like that!

I would also check for lice and mites both on her and the others.

[The Dogmother]

No prolapse that I can see, but it looks very sore from pecking; she's lucky that no more damage was done.

 

Advise that they bring her in, rinse off thee vent with salt water or water with tea tree oil in it, then anoint it with Sudocrem and see how she goes. I'd keep an eye on the others for pecking activity and fit beak bits as necessary. Check them for lice etc and when they were last wormed as parasites can drive them to be a bit nasty.