Did I kill my chicken?

[Crystal Chicken]

When I went to check on my chickens to make sure they all went to bed, I noticed one was missing. I eventually found her huddled under a hedge . I got her out and brought her inside to check on her and make sure she was OK. She was not. She had pale wattles and a purple comb and was standing all hunched or just sitting down. She would not walk. I immediately drew her a Epsom salt bath and let her soak while I got my kids in bed. I got out the gloves and olive oil and felt around and I could feel an egg close to the vent but it was behind tissue. It felt like the egg was beside the area to her vent and not in the right place at all. I tried to give her calcium but she wouldnt swallow, she just held it in her mouth, even when I crushed it up.
I kept trying to feel what was happening inside her and ultimately she passed away in my arms. I wonder if the stress of me trying to help her caused her to die. I have seen many people say they can live 24-48 hours being egg bound and she had laid an egg the day before so it hadn't really been that long.

I feel awful.. I wish I had just let her be after feeling that her egg wasn't in the right place, and nothing I did was going to help at that point, and her body needed to do some more work. Sure she might have died anyways, but at least she might have had a better chance.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I'm sorry you lost her. Most likely she would have died either way. Purple comb and pale wattles are a really bad sign that blood is not being pumped efficiently. For her to go downhill that quickly it may have been heart failure and might not have had anything to do with egg binding.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I feel awful.. I wish I had just let her be

Maybe then you would feel worse for just letting her die alone without even trying to help. Her chances were NOT better without you. It was the condition that caused her to die.. NOT the stress of being helped.

FWIW.. I think you did the right thing! And I'm sorry for your loss.


I also don't think it *sounds* like egg binding. Getting a necropsy would be the main way to rule it out.. Lin for possible contact info in your region..

https://www.uoguelph.ca/ahl/services/necropsy

 

[Crystal Chicken]

I'm sorry you lost her. Most likely she would have died either way. Purple comb and pale wattles are a really bad sign that blood is not being pumped efficiently. For her to go downhill that quickly it may have been heart failure and might not have had anything to do with egg binding.

I definitely thought this also might have been a possibility. I checked my cameras and I didn't see her go in the nest box at all yesterday, so she wasn't actively trying to lay an egg at any point. So it does seem more likely it's heart failure.

Thank you ..

 

[Loving my girls]

Oh you poor love, it wasn’t your fault
As the BYC gurus say; she was in a bad way and you know yourself there was a problem down under.
You gave her love and tried to help her which shows you are a kind person, don’t blame yourself
RIP little hen,
Big Hugz

 

[Crystal Chicken]

Maybe then you would feel worse for just letting her die alone without even trying to help. Her chances were NOT better without you. It was the condition that caused her to die.. NOT the stress of being helped.

FWIW.. I think you did the right thing! And I'm sorry for your loss.


I also don't think it *sounds* like egg binding. Getting a necropsy would be the main way to rule it out.. Lin for possible contact info in your region..

https://www.uoguelph.ca/ahl/services/necropsy

Thank you so much for your kind words and the link. Unfortunately Guelph is really far from us. I'm not too worried and don't have the money to spend On a necropsy at the moment. I appreciate you looking in to it for me though

 

[Crystal Chicken]

Oh you poor love, it wasn’t your fault
As the BYC gurus say; she was in a bad way and you know yourself there was a problem down under.
You gave her love and tried to help her which shows you are a kind person, don’t blame yourself
RIP little hen,
Big Hugz

Thank you so much