[loopy]

Hi

Early Saturday morning we found a very bloody egg in the nesting box, and then realised our favourite hen appears to have a small prolapse which the other hens had started to peck at.  I removed her from the main run and within a matter of minutes she had contracted it back into her body but was covered in blood (she has very few feathers at the moment around her vent).  We cleaned her in warm water, and puffed some wound powder and anti-peck spray onto her and put her back with the others, and they seemed to leave her alone Saturday daytime when we were in the garden with them.  However the next morning i went out about 7.30am and they were pecking at her again....i then separated her from them all day Sunday and initially put her in a big box, where she laid an egg which was a lot less bloody than the egg on Saturday.  We then put her in a temporary run outside for the rest of Sunday and observed her, and noticed that whenever she does a poo, a small amount of her body is pushed out of her vent, again within a minute or too she has pulled it back in, but i daren't put her back in with the others whilst this is happening.  It's only a small amount that comes out, and she contracts until it is pulled back in, and looks nothing like some of the horrific prolapse photos i have found so i am really hoping she will heal from this.

Can anyone suggest what else we should be doing other than keeping her separate from the others?  How long should it take before she gets better/can go back in with the others?

thanks L

[doganjo]

If you can keep her near the others and safe, but they can see her, then they should integrate back together again eventually.  Poor thing, no idea how to help I'm afraid.

[shetlandpaul]

odds are its not going to get better. seprate and keep clean. if its a pet its worth trying but otherwise cull.

[Roxy]

You need to stop the hen laying if its in with a chance of getting better, and I do know its possible.  The best way to do this is to put it in a dark place, and just bring it out for feed and water.  Hopefully it will stop laying.  If it keeps laying, it will all pop back out again.  Stopping infection is hard too.  Sugar on your finger, gently push it back in, and hopefully the sugar will stop it coming out again.  You need to keep it clean, thats important.

I have been lucky and not had many prolapses, no, not me, I mean my hens..... in fact cannot remember the last one, until last week, and that died. But it was a bad one!!