Possible prolapse?

[suburbanfarmer]

I am new here, so first off, Hi. I have had a hen almost two weeks now and she has had a little case of the runs off and on. I attributed it to the stress of the move and the change in diet and all that. But yesterday I went out there and her behind looked messy so I took a closer look and discovered what looked to be a little cyst or something coming out of her rear. Now I am really worried. She is a heavy layer and lays really big eggs and I am worried that she might have prolapsed, but I have never had anything like this happen to a hen, so it is really a shot in the dark.
Can anyone tell me what is wrong with her?
What could have caused this? and
How can I fix this? or
Is this problem spelling the end for Duchess Von Leghorn?

 

[justusnak]

Without pictures, it is really hard to tell you what it could be, or the answer as how to fix it.
To start...I would clip all of the feathers around the vent. Wash her up really well, with just luke warm water. Then you might cleanse the area with a saline wash. If I remember right...1 tsp in a qrt of water, boiled then cooled. Rinse her bum really well with this solution. IF it is a prolaps...there are 2 things you might want to try.

Preperation H- A chemical to help with the swelling.

Honey- A more natural way to help with the swelling.

Either one, slather it on really thick....and keep her from any other chickens, to keep them from pecking.
Good luck, and I hope this helps you. Keep us posted!

 

[suburbanfarmer]

Thank you for your help. After work I went back out and cleaned her off and took a closer look. The protrusion had become bigger and Duchess was in a lot of pain. After consulting a vet, who informed me that even if we got it to retract, it would probably, eventually re-occur, we felt it best for her to put her down. It was sad, but we think it is for the best. thanks again.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I havent ever really heard of prolapsing in chickens, but I raise lambs and oh boy is that one tough. This year i thought my male was prolapsing and it was horrible. Everyday several times it was putting cream on to help the swelling. Its a very messy job but it helps.

It is pretty normal for a bird to die because the eggs they lay are large. My dad would always tell me about the chickens he had, who would lay eggs the size of a softball and then die the next day.