HELP! bullying of prolapsed Henrietta

[Fuzzyfelt123]

My poor girl who has had the prolapse is causing concern - I took her out, washed her backside in salt water, put annusol on it and held it is place for 10 mins, she then pooped and it came out again - so i repeated the whole process (she went to sleep in my arms!), i then kept her in a box for 3 hours before putting her back in the coop. All the other hens then kept pecking her and wouldn't let her eat, or scratch around... she took herself up into the coop. now i notice the prolapse is back and looks like it has been pecked. I am on night duty so haven't got time to sort her out tonight, and apart from a box i don't have anywhere to keep here. Not sure waht to do about this prolapse either (considering i have only owned hens for 2 days!), i want to do the best for her but i can't really justify a large vet bill if it doesn't actually work............ :?

 

[EddieS]

You have to separate her, a box on her own is ok. being ex bat she won't stand a lot of cold yet, bring her inside.
If you can separate her and keep your eye on the prolapse, and she is not suffering, give it a go. Worry about reintroduction if and when you get there.
A bad prolapse is a bit hit and miss, sometimes they will go back, but she has had a lot of wear and tear, and stitching could be the only answer. Not cheap, and not always successful.
PTS may be a kinder option. Afraid it's a part of chicken keeping that you never get used to, but never keep
them going for you.

 

[Marigold]

I agree with Eddie, the best you can sensibly do is to provide warmth, peace and quiet, food and drink if she wants it, and a bit of comfort. Don't put her back with the others, the shock of being attacked and the cold weather will probably be fatal. It will be sad if she doesn't make it, but prolapse is common with hybrids who have been laying very intensively in commercial conditions, it is a serious condition, and its not easy to treat or usually successful longterm. Maybe give it a day or so and see if there is any improvement. There is very little a vet could do over and above what you can do for her yourself in the next few days, ie keep her clean, warm and comfortable, and hope it stays back in. A vet might prescribe antibiotics in case infection sets in, but will probably charge you upwards of £50 for a consultation and prescription, and then she still might not recover, or only for a little while until it recurs. The probability is that she had this, or was developing it, when you got her. It must be very stressful for hens to go through the process of being bundled out of their cages and all mixed up together and then rehomed, and stress causes all sorts of problems at the best of times. Once they have settled down the rest will be OK I expect, but you may need to be prepared to make a hard decision about this girl, I'm afraid. Exbatts are not always the most straightforward of hens to take on as your first birds, because they do have special needs and problems, as you already knew. Good luck with her, it may be that she will pull round, I do hope so.

 

[valeriebutterley]

Good morning,
when I had a problem of difficult introduction problems with my two ex. batts, I made up a very rough, and I mean VERY rough circle of chicken wire in the garage, filled it with straw, put in feeders and drinkers, and let them recover at their own pace, Henrietta may thrive in such isolation at the moment.
It did work, and they did recover quickly, as they were not subjected to bullying anymore.
I also had a feather muncher, who had to be separated from the others entirely, and it did not do her any harm at all to be on her own for about six months. On re-introduction she was fine.

 

[Fuzzyfelt123]

thank you for your advice - i have taken her out and put her in the garage in a temp arrangement (old fireguard and a plastic box!).... The other hens just kept chasing her and pecking her (not the prolapse) and treating her like a leper. She only came out of the coop when she saw me, so i let her out of the run and she happily free ranged around us in the garden before i put her to bed in her new abode. She is so lovely and i feel attached to her already, so i hope i can sort this prolapse out....

 

[foxy]

if it is a minor prolapse it might sort itself out through isolation, keeping the area clean, moisturised and free from infection. A little dab of prep H can be useful to reduce local tissue swelling. Otherwise she might get away with an anti-inflammatory injection and anti-biotics from the vet which shouldn't cost a lot especially if the consult is through a farm vet. Prolapses this time of year can be caused by a local irritation caused by an infection, or a calcium deficiency through heavy laying.
It might also help to switch of her laying, now this may happen naturally as her hormone levels respond to the shorter nights, so make sure you put her to bed early and turn of your garage lights. Keep her light on the food and plenty of water to keep her hydrated. I imagine if you work on a labour ward you probably access to creams such as sudacreme which will be useful for its hydrating qualities, a good "must have" for your chicken healthcare cabinet!