Your imput on recovery from Prolapse please?

[verthandi]

I have a polish hen that is almost a year old. She had a prolapse on Monday of this week. It has been cleaned twice a day since then, and prolapse returned to proper location 3 times. Honey has been used instead of Prep H and the prolapse has corrected itself for the time being.

She is in a dark cage in a quiet corner of the coop, she has been more or less normal except a little needy acting. Eating, drinking and NOT laying thank goodness.

Any words of wisdom to share on what to do now? How long to keep her in the darkened cage? Have any of you had success in them returning to laying hens again? Or am I just fighting a losing battle?

She is on layer pellet, free choice oyster shell which I have seen all of them eat alot of on their own. Free choice grit, vegetables and controlled ranging outside daily. They get a 1/2 cup of scratch shared by 11 of them daily when they come in the pen at night. But that is it for treats. What am I missing here? Wormed regularly.

 

[eggchel]

I'm sorry, but from what I have heard, usually the prolapse becomes chronic but I really hope that is not the case with your girl.


chel

 

[MayberrySaint]

Because the prolapse is a result of the weakening of the muscles around the pelvis, it will probably become a recurring event when the hen strains. Unfortunately, she should probably be culled if she prolapses again.

Andy

PS...You didn't do anything wrong. Sometimes genetically a hen will have weak pelvic muscles that predisposes her to prolapsing. Happens in all domestic animals.

 

[verthandi]

Update on hen. She has been in a dark cage for almost two weeks now. Prolapse has not reoccurred since the second day of treatment. Time will tell how this works out. This week she has laid an egg every other day, that made me concerned, but all has remained well.

She will start limited time outside tomorrow, she has remained active and alert through this whole experience. I have sprayed Blue Kote on her toes so I can tell her from the other hens and keep an eye on her.

She is one of a trio called the Twisted Sisters, as I couldn't tell any of them apart. Her name is now Hope.

 

[Lunachick]

I wish you luck with Hope. Sounds like you did a fine job of helping her out. How did she handle the darkness? Just curious.....

 

[MayberrySaint]

That's great news...maybe it was a one time event.

 

[verthandi]

Lunachick, she was fine with the darkened cage. I had a 30"X 30" wire cage that I put in the corner of the coop and covered it with a heavy blanket. She would try to get out when I checked on her food and water several times a day. At night she would sleep in the back corner in the straw and looked comfortable.

She even returned to the cage and layed her egg in it after she had been returned to the flock.