tissue protruding from hen's vent

Hello Everyone

Please let me know what you think is happening to this hen and how best to support her. Her name is Choochoo, she is about a year and a half. In the photo Choochoo is sitting in a pot to soak her feet (she has bumble foot). Shortly after being put in the pot, it was noticed that internal tissue was protruding from her vent. The tissue went back inside when Choochoo was taken off the pot. This was not happening to the other hens who were also getting a soak in the pot. What do you think is happening with Choochoo? Do you think Choochoo needs any special care in light of this happening?

Thank you,
Yeka

This does look like a prolapsed vent, which usually happens after the hen lays an egg and their oviduct does not retract again, and can prolapse further instead. There are a few factors in causing this, like laying stress, obesity or low calcium, but no hard and fast rule to prevent the issue in laying hens. I don't think its anything to do with soaking in the pot, except that was your opportunity to notice. And it helps to clean and soak the tissue to help it go back in, as well.

If it were me I would monitor the hen closely for any complications, checking to make sure the tissue remains un-prolapsed, and consider probably isolating her to a clean dry place to see if it happens again over the coming days, especially after laying. Other chickens pecking at her is a danger. If the prolapse happens again there are many good sources on possible treatment, here is one from a wound-care product maker. The prognosis may be bad or good but is usually better when you notice it early on.

Usually a hen with bumble foot is not laying, but prolapse usually occurs when laying those oversized eggs.   Unless you have an emotional attachment and she is definitely a pet,  I would suggest culling.  

It's a prolapse. I'm sorry it's happening to Choo-choo.
She should be fine. The odds are it's a temporary thing. Since she's getting treated for bumblefoot, it'll give her a few days to relax and for everything to heal up.

There are things you can do, but the big one is to make sure she's not getting that prolapsed tissue pecked at by the other chickens. It's red and unusual and a chicken's first thought is to peck at the New Red Thing. That can lead to Badness. Lots and lots of badness.

Since she's a personal flock member, and it doesn't really effect her laying or chickening around, she should be fine. As Rebecca noted, it's caused by a whole bunch of things, and the heat that's hitting a large part of the world right now just puts the hens under more heat stress so we're seeing more of the more common stress-related things. That's what this is generally considered.

It doesn't have anything to do with her bumblefoot. Since it retracted on it's own, it's not even a serious issue, though I would keep an eye on her for a couple of weeks. It might make a reappearance at an inopportune moment.

Otherwise? She's cool. Since you'll be checking on her for her treatments, just keep an eye on her for that, too.
I'll think healing thoughts in her direction!

I think you should isolate Choo-choo, preferably in a dark place with limited hours of daylight so she will stop laying eggs.  If the tissue protrudes again, place Choo-choo on her back on your lap, head down between your knees and vent facing you. This helps the vent to retract back into position. If it comes back out once she is upright, you can do a support with vet tape, around her bum and forward, around her wings, and connect the 2 ends together on her back (a diaper pin will help keep the vet tape ends together).  You'll need to check/replace this support a couple of times a day to keep the area clean. Make sure she's getting plenty of calcium. It takes about a week of this treatment for the prolapse to resolve. I had this happen to a hen a few years ago and she recovered and went back to egg laying later in the summer. The next year she had it happen again but the second time she died from an infection (you could see that the tissue was turning black). Good luck with your hen.

I wanted to put my 2 cents in, in case anyone looks to this thread in the future.

If something is experiencing a prolapse, you do not have or can not get vet care, and it is a simple prolapse (Not dirty, wounds, ect ect) there is something you can do.

Sprinkle granulated sugar on it.

The sugar pulls the excess water from the prolapse and allows it to 'shrink' back into place.

You need to monitor for infection, complication, or reoccurrence but at least you can leave less exposed.

I hope this might help someone in the future.