[3Bluebelles]

Can anyone help.

Our chicken Milly, who is a 3 year old Bluebelle, has been laying soft eggs on and off for over a year, which the other chickens usually get to before us and eat.

Yesterday we found her with blood on her bottom, and the others were following her around and pecking at it. We cleaned her off and had a feel, and there was a broken egg inside her, which we gently removed. I think the egg dripping from her was what started the others pecking and the blood was caused by their pecking. It didn't look like a prolapse, just some torn tissue around her vent.

We left her in a separate run all day yesterday and she looked quite sorry for herself, but was still eating and drinking. Last night she went back in with the others just fine.

This morning the same story. I think she has tried to lay an egg, as there is blood in the nesting box. We can't feel any shell at all this time, but I can't put her back in with the others as they are pecking her. She looks like she is straining to either poo or lay an egg, but nothing is happening. It now looks like there may be some damage internally.

What should we do? I don't really want to take her to a vet if they are just going to put her down, as I would rather save her the stress of that and do it ourselves. But equally I don't want to give up on her if there is some way of saving her.

[Spana]

 I've had a few that have prolapsed over the years so from past experience I would probably have culled her yesterday.   

 But other people with better nursing skills than me  may be able to tell you how to bring her through.

[joyfull]

if she has had an egg break inside her then really she needs antibiotics to prevent infection setting in. You also need to stop her laying so she needs keeping seperate from the others and keeping in the dark.  There are now implants to stop hens laying so perhaps your vet could look into this.

[GrannieAnnie]

It doesn't necessarily sound like a prolapse to me, could the blood and torn tissue be from where the others are pecking her?

As Joyfull said if she has had a broken egg inside, she would need a/b's to stop infection, and if not prolapsed, she may be fine.

With the chooks we've had that prolapsed, their insides were actually poking through the vent, not a pretty sight!  Some prolapses can be stopped, but very often they will keep coming back at times of straining to lay an egg, and then as Casey does, culled.

I'm sorry to her about your little girly, good luck with it!

[3Bluebelles]

Thank you for all your replies, it's very much appreciated. Jacky has gone to work so I am keeping an eye on Milly. I have had a gentle feel around and can't find any evidence of an egg. The cloaca is torn, probably through the other birds pecking. There's a slight bulge protruding that's difficult to see what is what. A combination of torn tissue and faeces. I've put her in a separate run with just water and feed. She continues to stoop as though trying to do something but little comes out but clear liquid. I think something is preventing her from laying/pooing. I'm struggling to weigh up what to do of the best. We always said the chucks would not be pets and we would not be spending lavish amounts on vets bills. Jacky has left me in charge and has asked me to do what I think is best. Personally I think It's time I took the plunge and ended it. Shame really as she's a gentle giant amongst the others and I will miss her. I'm going to keep an eye on her for a little longer but I don't hold out much hope I'm afraid.

[joyfull]

try sitting her in a sink of warm water for at least half an hour (ideally longer), this will relax her muscles and allow her to pass an egg if that is what she is trying to do. Then blow dry her on a warm setting. Next get some savlon and smear this on her cut area. Keep her separate from the others otherwise they will peck her to death.
Do you have any antibiotics to give her a course?
Whether they are pets or not she should not be allowed to suffer (good livestock husbandry dictates that she should receive medical attention).

[Casey76]

If her vent is torn from the pecking, then you should really try to stop her laying as passing an egg could lead to further tearing.

If possible I would bring her inside, pop her in a cat box lined with an old towel (no bedding that could get stuck to the lacerations), and keep her in a warm dark place.

You may find that being in the dark helps her to relax, and she might lay the egg she is struggling to at the moment.

Having said that, if she is no better by this evening I would have to make a decision.

[3Bluebelles]

We've tried the warm water but only for five minutes. So I'll try again. I don't have a/bs but I'll try the blow dry, Savlon and dark box.

She has now stopped eating. She'd die for corn normally but she won't touch it now.

Thanks, everyone. Here goes....

[3Bluebelles]

After the initial struggle she settled down and had a snooze in the warm water for 1/4 hour, she'd had enough after that. I gave her the blow dry and Savlon and, from the outside, all looks ok. Everything appears to have gone back and she's now in a big dark box.

What should I do for water?

Thank you all for your help but I have a feeling it's all going to happen again.

Pip.

[joyfull]

Just provide her with a little dish of water and mixed corn, if she isn't eating then chances are she may already have an internal infection so a visit to the vets for antibiotics is essential. This needn't be expensive to treat just one hen.

[3Bluebelles]

Thanks everyone for your advice today. She is still with us. We let her have a little wander around the garden at lunchtime, but she still looked very sorry for herself, and didn't eat anything other than a few nibbles of grass. She did drink quite a lot though. We then put her back in the box, and I think she slept all afternoon.

She has done a few small and watery poos, but is still obviously straining.

This evening we have let her out again and she looks much brighter. She wasn't interested in the usual pellets, but did eat a handful of corn, and was very interested in a bit of bread with cod liver oil on it (I thought this might help her pass whatever is stuck).

In the meantime we phoned a local vet and asked his advice. He seems to think she possibly had a respiratory infection, possibly Myco, when she was younger, which has affected her egg laying, and his worry is although she may get over this, it will probably happen again when she tries to lay.

For the moment we are going to keep her in a separate run next to the others with nowhere comfortable to lay, in the hope that a few days will help her recover. I am also going to keep giving her cod liver oil, and some probiotic yoghurt.

Is there anything else anyone thinks we should be doing?

Hopefully,
Jacky and Pip.

[3Bluebelles]

I think we might be back at square one. We have had Milly separated for a few days now, but letting her back in with the others in the evening, after closing off the nesting boxes. She is on antibiotics and we have been giving her a little cod liver oil and live yoghurt as a treat.

She seemed on the mend, but this morning she is obviously straining again and uncomfortable. We have again bathed her in a bowl of warm water, and then blowed dried, but it is obvious she has an egg ready to be laid. We have put plenty of savlon around and inside her vent, and put her in the nesting box, with the others shut out so they can't get near her.

I am really worried this is either going to bring on a prolapse or again break inside her.

Will keep any eye for the next half an hour and see what happens.

Any other ideas from anyone more experienced?

Thanks,
Jacky

[3Bluebelles]

Well sadly Milly is no more.

We couldn't let her suffer any more. We tried everything from warm water to olive oil to Savlon, and it was obvious she just couldn't pass the egg and was in lots of pain.

I feel really sad now, but really proud of OH who was able to do the deed without causing her any more stress.

I just hope the other girls are OK now and none of the others have the same condition.

Thanks for everyone's advice.

Jacky.

[GrannieAnnie]

Awww sorry to hear that Jacky, but you can't say you didn't try!