The Poultry Keeper

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

I have found little information about this but am worried that one of my girls may have this.
She has a large squidgy back end, diarrhea, and seems a bit snuffly.
I have put some rags with tea tree oil near to see if I can help with the breathing tonight, but I noticed the big bottom earlier and having 'googled' it I'm worried.
She started laying only about a month or so ago and was laying almost every day but yesterday and the day before she seemed egg bound. The first day she went into the nest box for about an hour with no result gave up and came back out. Yesterday she seemed to be struggling so I put some oil around her vent and put her on some warm towels for a while. Out came an egg. However what I had taken for being swollen because an egg was on the way didn't go down. She hasn't laid or even tried today but she still feels podgy.
I know the vet is the best bet asap but I was just wondering if there is any cure for this or if it is likely to be a one way trip.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I'm so sorry to hear about your girl's problems. Sorry I can't help you with this at all, I've never heard of the condition. I do hope someone comes along soon with help for you. Keep us informed how she is.

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Sorry to hear about your problem,here is what I have in my files,read it and then it might give you an idea as to your problem,not being able to see the hen,makes it harder to diagnose.But you can see and handle her.

Poultry health -

egg-laying disorders

G Coutts, reviewed by P Kent, DPI's Agency for Food and Fibre Sciences

In some hens, the egg-laying process goes wrong. Egg production falls or stops, there is a messy, odorous discharge from the vent or the bird's abdomen swells. This article looks at several egg-laying disorders, their possible causes and remedies.

Vent gleet
Vent gleet is a messy, smelly discharge which causes swollen, reddened skin and sticky, soiled feathers around the vent. There is usually a coating of white crusty material as well. The affected hen may look depressed, she produces only a few eggs or stops laying.

Vent gleet may be contagious, so remove the affected hens from your flock. Cleansing and veterinary treatment may clear the problem but in most cases humane culling is a kinder alternative.

Egg bound
This happens when an egg is formed in the hen's uterus, but she is unable to lay it. The straining with unsuccessful attempts to lay can cause the oviduct to partly protrude. Other fowls cannibalize the affected hen and she may die.

The condition can result from a large egg, growths or tumours in the oviduct, diseases affecting the nerves or mucus secretion in the oviduct. An experienced person can help remove the egg by lubricating the oviduct and breaking the egg, but humane culling is usually the best course.

Egg peritonitis
This is an infection in the abdominal cavity of the hen caused by egg material not getting into the oviduct. Causes include an accumulation of egg yolks from oviduct blockage, the hen being egg bound, physical stress or damage to the hen (for example, a dog attack). Infection results, with a build-up of cheesy material or thick fluid. Affected hens have swollen abdomens, look miserable and they may waddle like a duck. They should be humanely culled as treatment is usually of little value.

Protrusion
This is when the oviduct is forced out and protrudes from the vent of the hen. It may result from:

irritation caused by vent gleet
the hen being egg bound
laying an oversized egg
growths or tumours
fright.

Other fowls peck and damage the protrusion leading to death of the hen.

Separating the hen from the flock may help the condition right itself. An experienced person could gently push the oviduct back into place after washing and cleaning it to reduce infection. However, the tendency to suffer protrusion is hereditary. It can happen again so humane culling is the best course.

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/poultry/5126.html

Aussie Chick · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 7:57 am Post subject:

I couldnt get the link to work.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

'the page you requested could not be found' is what I got

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Sorry,That link was good as of Apr 24th, 2005, They must have changed something.The Information is still good though.

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

Thanks for the info, she did lay a very big egg shortly before this became noticable I'm not entirely sure if she has laid since, it is possible the 2 eggs I've had since were from a new girl. (I have also found 2 shelless eggs in the run since and I don't know who laid those)
It's difficult to say about a messy bum as she has had the runs so she's a bit of a mess anyway from that. It is a bit pink but not very sore looking and there are no protrusions from the vent. I have to say I have seen some normal poos today and the house has much less in the way of watery ones this morning so I suppose that's good.
I found the left overs of a tub of Aureomycin that the vet gave last time for runs and snuffles so that is enough to last the weekend. And the vet can see what he thinks Monday.
I'm thinking it's probably not peritonitis as from what I've read she would probably be gone by now if it was.

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Hope everything works out well,please post with what the vet says.

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

Just out of interest do you know what sort of smell vent gleet has?

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Noxious smell, scabby vent.This might be vent gleet. It's caused by a fungus called Thrush and is
usually accompanied by a bacterial infection. Is there a swelling in the
vent area and a foul smelling liquid dripping from the vent with the vent
encrusted with some material?
Try putting 1/4 tsp of copper sulfate per gallon of water for five
days. Also give 1 cc of LA200 in the breast and 1 cc of the LA200 down the
throat for the five days. After treating with Copper Sulfate and LA200, run
Agribon powder in the birds water for 10 days.
Vent Gleet is not an easy problem to get rid of but the above procedure
should do it.

I do not know if this treatment is legal where you are--but it is over here.

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

The vent isn't scabby.
I wondered about the smell as there has been a very fishy smell lingering. It isn't very strong now and I actually think it was from some cod liver oil that I put in the water because I thought she may be egg bound and had seen this recommended. It is Hilda that smelled but then again it was her that first drank so she probably coated herself in it. The water dish smells the same so I concluded that was the cause. Hilda smelled bad (it is less strong every day) but the smell didn't seem to be coming from her breath or her back end just her.

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Chickens as you know wipe their beak on the ground after eating something like yogurt and with the oil in the water may have or may not have wiped their beak,then preened herself--spreading the cod liver oil over different parts of her body.Would still like to hear what the vet says

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

Yes that was why I thought it was the oil causing the smell.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

hope she continues to pick up, but if not, go and see the vet to be on the safe side.
keep us informed of how she is

stuffed · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 50 Location: Milton Keynes

Well today she is as chirpy as can be.
Yesterday evening I went to check on them before they went in for the night and found Hilda just getting up from laying a shelless egg in the run and there was a normal egg on the floor of the run (broken from hitting the ground by the looks of it) nearby. My gut says they were both Hilda's although it is just possible the shelled one was another birds.
Any way I've cleaned her back end up a bit and she looks a lot better so although I'll continue to keep an eye on her I'll put off going to the vet for the moment.
Her breathing is normal and her eyes are looking much brighter and not at all swollen anymore.
I'll let you know if she has any further problems but I think she mainly needs to lose a bit of weight so I'm going to switch over to mash instead of pellets. That way she'll take longer to eat the same amount and burn of a few more calories doing so Laughing

Hopefully if she gets a bit slimmer she will be less likely to have too many more laying hiccups.
The reason I had stopped thinking she was egg bound was that she had laid an egg but it hadn't seemed to help so not really sure what's going on but as she's obviously so much better I shall try not to worry too much.