[westie]

My welsummer has a much more squidgy bottom than any of my other hennies. She started laying before Christmas and has been giving us eggs everyother day sometimes every day.
Could this squidgy-ness be a prolapse?
I don't know what a prolapse would look like...she has lost a few feathers from around her rear, but nnot enough to be bald when standing up...
Any clues folks?

[Aunt Sally]

Oh gosh - what does squidgy bottom mean  :?

can you see any tissue protruding from her vent ?

Is she still laying eggs ?

Does her abdomen feel bloated ?

Is she pooing normally ?

[westie]

Squidgey - swollen, soft and squashy,wobberly......not swollen and hard

I can't see any protruding tissue from her vent, she doesn't seem to be off her food and I'm not sure if she has laid an egg in the last 2 days (the maran lays eggs very similar to hers and it's hard to tell them apart - we've only had 1 brown egg today and 1 yesterday)

[westie]

Oh and as to poo, I haven't seen her go, but they've all been out in the garden for the last few days and have all got rather loose poo.

[Foxy]

hi Westie - I hope your hen is OK. I am lucky not to have any prolapse problems(the hens that is!) I have heard it is more likely to affect POL hens. Does her vent look normal compared to the others? Look out for lots of visits to the nest box! And I hear they "waddle" due to the discomfort. Another thing you mention that they have loose poos - could worms be a problem? Just a thought hope this helps!

[Aunt Sally]

I'd keep an eye on her for laying.  It is possible for hens to have a laying problem, either egg bound or egg peritonitis.  It sounds more like egg peritonitis to me.  If she goes off her feed and becomes rather subdued I would get some antibiotics for her from the vet.  

Chickens should all be wormed regularly too,  see the worming topoc in the Poiltry Information forum.

[Bodger]

All chickens have a bit of a 'squidgy bottom' when in full lay. Wouldn't you ?  :shock:  What you describe is perfectly normal.

I've got this show on Saturday coming up and I've literally just spent half an hour with a torch looking for hens that aren't in lay and havent got ' squidgy bottoms'  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  

[Aunt Sally]

What Bodger says is true. but I assume you are comparing her to the other hens who , although in lay, are not the same as her :?

[Bodger]

Oh and as to poo, I haven't seen her go, but they've all been out in the garden for the last few days and have all got rather loose poo.

Would you go if someone was watching you all the time ? :shock:

Its nothing to worry about ! honest.

[Aunt Sally]

Bodger's an expert on his girlies botties.  He makes them all do abs. exercises before a show    

[Bodger]

I only look at them at night and with a torch :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  I wouldn't have a clue in daylight

Look ! Honest, I'm not a perv. :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

[Aunt Sally]