Drained a Hen's Abdomen.. Rest in Peace, Olivia 11-5-10

[Farmer Brown]

Speckledhen,
I'm so sorry about your chickens. We had to put down a girl not long ago for what I'm guessing was the same thing. We have another girl who's belly is quite squishy and soft. I don't think she is laying. She doesn't seem to want to stand up much. Anyway, my question for you is how you euthanize your chickens when needed?

 

[Country4ever]

Speckledhen......I think its not approved for large commercial chicken farms. I had an avian vet who was aghast to hear my vet was letting me have Baytril. But when I talked it over with my vet, he felt that as an isolated small flock, it was okay. I guess I need to learn to use other types of antibiotics.......especially the shots, since when you have a chicken that isn't drinking, its hard to get the antibiotic in them.
So sorry you lost yours. I've had a couple with similar problems, and I have one now. I'm thinking of tapping her abdomen. If its yukky stuff, I probably will just try to keep her comfortable.
I guess this is a problem with an animal who ovulates so often...........The mechanical parts start to malfunction.

 

[speckledhen]

Exactly right, they pump out that egg almost daily and something is bound to malfunction, especially when their genetics aren't that great in the first place, as in hatchery hens. It's a wonder any of them even make it to three years old, from what I've seen.

 

[DinosRBirds]

im sorry for your losses

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks so much. Hopefully, won't happen too many more times now that most of the hatchery girls have passed on.

 

[lizzie201296]

I think my chicken Gerty has this, but I'm not sure because she is still active. She's had the swollen are below the vent for weeks now, and hasn't laid an egg for weeks, so it won't be egg binding... But she is active, eating, rooting around.... Perfectly normal apart from the swelling (which is red and tennis-ball size) and no laying...
Any ideas what it is / to do?
L

 

[TammyP]

Hi lizzie.

Is there any way you could post some pics?

~Tammy

 

[speckledhen]

lizzie has a thread going about her poor hen here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=513930

This is such an awful malfunction. I've watched way too many precious hens suffer and pass away from it and hopefully, won't have to do it too many more times. I'm not 100% sure what is wrong with lizzie's hen, though, because some things have similar symptoms and since we cannot see inside the hen, we can't really diagnose on a forum. All we can go on are the outward symptoms.

 

[lizzie201296]

I would upload some pictures but I don't know how to!!!
Just went up to take the photos and she's still active and lively, but she's got her beak open and looks almost like she's panting? And the swelling ball shaped thing is kind of pulsing.... I'm really worried now... Who said chickens were easy and stress free?!?!!!!

 

[lizzie201296]

I've posted pictures on my topic https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=513930
please take a look and tell me what you think

L