Chicken bald back

[mart2584]

Ethel my bluebell has over the last few days got a messy bum.Her poo is loose and she is straining to go, and when she does only a small amount comes out onto her feathers.On inspection her vent is pink with no sign of infection around it. Her underneath is soft but I am not sure if her underbelly is swollen or not.I bathed her yesterday in epsom salts and checked her out as I said the skin is pink and clear. She is coming up for four and she is eating and drinking I have given her some ACV and garlic in their water and have been feeding them natural yoghurt for the past couple of days, any ideas I think it may mean a trip to the vets.

[Minnie&Moose]

Hi Mart - is your hen still laying and if so could she be eggbound?

[auntielizzie]

Can't advise really, but I have the same on and off with my Bessie, a Rhode Sussex. I had to give her bottom a wash just yesterday in fact. Sometimes the poo looks runny although she isn't straining or anything like that. She is 4.5 years old, but is still laying well, looks absolutely beautiful and does all the normal chicken stuff. I worm them all regularly (last wormed early March). As she is displaying no obvious signs of illness at all then I am quite happy to watch and wait. If your Ethel seems a bit under the weather though, then it might be wise to pop her to the vets for a check up. It could be an age thing, but I'm not sure.

[mart2584]

Hi Minnie

 

She lays the odd softie but has stopped laying real eggs for a while now. yesterday evening she also bought up some fluid from her beak which was strange never seen that before. Today she has been at the yoghurt again and is ranging around with the other three so I am at a loss.

[mart2584]

Hi Lizzie

 

I was thinking age but she looks ok at the moment ranging with the rest, I might give it another day if she is still straining tomorrow I will shoot her up the vets.

[Minnie&Moose]

How is she today? What's her crop like?

[mart2584]

she perked up for a few days but has now gone backwards,watery poos not her usual self. so I have started to worm them with flubenvet today to see if that helps. they have clean water everyday and organic pellets.I took her to the vets the first time and she came back ok, no blockage good weight no temperature, so I am now at a loss any ideas.

[Flowerpot]

Good morning

I have exactly the same problem with one of my hens. I am so worried about her so decided should take her to the vet. This morning they are all due to get wormed so I thought I would give them the worm pellets and see what happened. Myrtle was in the nest box and very slow so I thought this is it she needs to go to the vets so I prepared and then when I got back to the run she was eating!

I have decided to leave her for the day. I want to wash her bum for her but - on my own- I really don't know how to do that and I don't want to disturb her and make things worse. Of all my hens she is the one I have picked up the most. I think I am a bit remiss because I don't pick them up much just because I don't see why I should force myself on them. Now I wish I had because I want to but they don't seem to like it.

At the moment I feel like I have got this all wrong and I don't want any of my girls to suffer just because I don't know what I am doing.

Myrtle has always laid more soft eggs than hard shelled ones. i have given supplements; baked egg shell; you name it and she still does so I decided to leave it and let her be. She hasn't laid an egg of any kind for a while. She is two years old so should be in her prime?

Please help

Flowerpot

[Flowerpot]

Hi

I have taken the plunge and taken Myrtle and washed her bum - she really seemed to enjoy it!

I was able to catch her and take her to the sink in the utility room and washed her gently while holding her in my other arm so she didn't flap about. She seemed to relax and enjoy it.

 

The mess was egg yolk!

 

She must have laid a soft egg which wasn't laid properly and she was caked in the yolk - poor girl. I have no idea what that means because I think by what I have seen that the egg must have been oozing out.

I took the opportunity to feel her body and it didn't feel like it was swollen or anything like that so I have no idea what to do next. She is back in with the rest of the girls and when I last looked she had gone into the nestbox with another hen; so I am taking that as a good sign?

 

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Flopwerpot

[mart2584]

Ethel has perked up a little thank god for ACV and Flubenvet.It seems to have done the trick fingers crossed.