cause of creamy white discharge from hens vent?

[momof10]

My 1 1/2 year old Black Star started having a creamy whitish discharge from her vent a couple of days ago, it's 10 degrees outside so the discharge freezes as it comes out. I used warm compresses to remove it yesterday, but it's still coming out. She's not hanging out with the rest of the flock like she used to. Seems different as she's usually very vocal and friendly. Drinking water, but not laying and not eating like she used to. Help, please?

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
It could possibly be vent gleet. Type "vent gleet" in the BYC search box and read up on it if you wish. Treatment would be 1/8 teaspoon oxine per gallon of water for 3 days.

 

[momof10]

Thank you for the suggestion! Where do I buy oxine?

 

[vickiw]

I haven't had chickens since the 90's and only had healthy chickens so I am basically a major newbie
.
I am familiar with Oxine but didn't know (or run across anywhere) that it is effective in curing vent gleet.

PLEASE!!!

any insight you have will be extremely helpful! I just "rescued" 4 hens (and 1 rooster) from a guy who had 400 layers, with several roosters, crowded in a coop (I use the term very loosely-just a not too big wire cage) in an old barn and was getting rid of them. These were some of the last left. The rest had been sold. They were all missing mostly their butt feathers but others too, no sign of "bugs' so I think he was right it was a result of over-crowding. anyway, looks now like one of them had vent gleet (no surprise) and probably spreading it. Have you had luck using this for gleet?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!!!!

On my way to Fleet Farm now by the way to buy Oxine

 

[vickiw]

darn! Fleet Farm doesn't carry Oxine

Since I am waaaaay up north I guess I will have to result to ordering it from Amazon. Really wanted to start treatment faster than that as I don't know for certain how long these poor girls have been sick since I just got them two days ago. My guess however, by their over all condition, it didn't develop yesterday, sigh. How can people take responsibility of animals then treat them like this???

 

[dawg53]

darn! Fleet Farm doesn't carry Oxine

Since I am waaaaay up north I guess I will have to result to ordering it from Amazon. Really wanted to start treatment faster than that as I don't know for certain how long these poor girls have been sick since I just got them two days ago. My guess however, by their over all condition, it didn't develop yesterday, sigh. How can people take responsibility of animals then treat them like this???

Just do as best you can within your limits. Here's a link where I order oxine:
http://pet-healthcare.revivalanimal.com/search?w=oxine&asug=

 

[vickiw]

thank you for your response! I did order it rather cheaply for the gallon thru Amazon.com. In the meantime I came across the Hen Cam blog and the discussion about using Epsom Salts to soak their bottoms and get the gunk off then dosing them to "flush them out". Might go ahead and give that a try while I wait for the Oxine to get here. I also need to put something on their butts because they are just raw and I think they are picking on each other. Someone said on here that an antifungal cream or even vaseline until things heal up????

If this works, then the Oxine will arrive in time to disinfect everything and if it doesn't then they will be nice and clean before the Oxine dose

. They are eating like little pigs (even the rooster is under weight of course) and doing better otherwise. I hope I can give these young ladies (did I mention they are only 18 mos. or so old) a better life. One last thing. I think I need to separate the rooster and treat him too. He just may be spreading the gleet and at the very least he is doing their tender backsides no good. I am already looking for a new home for him anyway.

 

[vickiw]

HELP!

I tried the epsom salts, didn't work. I now have Oxine and the "girls" are on their third day of 1/8 tsp. per gallon on their water. Only 2 of the 4 actually having "pasty butt" but this was just easier because I really don't have a way to isolate the 2 with the problem. (the rooster that was aggravating the problem is now gone) One that was just starting seems to have gotten better but the one that was really bad when I brought her home isn't showing any real improvement. I was able to wash her bottom (she wouldn't sit in the water with salts but she did stand quiet and actually seemed to like my washing her bottom and just holding the warm wash cloth on to let it soak off the caked on crud). Unfortunately, our wonderful vet that knew all about farm animals sold his business to a vet that specializes in pets (specifically cats and dogs). No other vet within 50 miles that does know about poultry so I really need you folks!

PLEASE, I don't want to let this girl get any sicker. BTW~they are on top quality feed, etc. and have access to a run (although they have only popped out a couple times so far and not explored more than a few feet from the door since they had never been allowed outside before in their lives, grrrrr)

thank you in advance for all the help from you knowledgeable folk

 

[my sunwolf]

I have a hen with the same vent gleet problem, and I'm looking for alternative treatments to Oxine! So far it hasn't spread to the rest of the flock, but I'm worried that the stress of adding two new members will make things worse. Apple cider vinegar? Yogurt? Other suggestions? I heard that vent gleet can actually have multiple different causes, and have seen Oxine and other antibiotics as standard treatment but would rather something different. Also, this sick hen freaks out when I isolate her, she gets very lonely and won't eat or drink much. Still laying. I'm a little disturbed by the hopeless tone of some of the internet resources on vent gleet...

 

[Gallus Sapien]

Just do as best you can within your limits. Here's a link where I order oxine:
http://pet-healthcare.revivalanimal.com/search?w=oxine&asug=

Thanks