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

[speckledhen]

Sometimes, that's about all you can do. I'm right there with you. If the hen is functioning well and seems content, then I just let her be.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

This is a wonderfully informative (although sad

) thread. I wish I had come across it when my EE was first showing signs of internal egglaying/egg yolk peritonitis.

Her first symptom was laying shell-less misshapen eggs (photos and more information here: http://polloplayer.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/trouble-in-chicken-paradise/) When I Googled, all the info I found was that these "wind eggs" are harmless, so I shrugged them off. Turns out they were the harbinger of worse things to come.

My vet also prescribes Baytril, says the dose is too low to be of concern, but I have read that you should discard eggs from hens who have been treated with Baytril. Our EE has had four Lupron shots in two months, along with having the fluid drained - Speckled Hen, I remain in awe of you for being able to do that part yourself!. She is still alive but I don't really see a happy ending here if we have to take her to the vet every two weeks and spend a fortune on the shots.

By the way, my EE is hatchery stock from Belt Hatchery. I've lost two other of the four birds I got from them, at least one of the two and possibly both might have been internal layers but I can't prove it. I wish someone could persuade the hatcheries to at least breed select numbers of their stock for longevity for the benefit of backyard flock keepers like ourselves. I understand that the commercial operations only expect to get a season or two out of their laying hens, but it would be nice for those of us who keep chickens as pets to have the option to purchase chicks bred for stronger genetics. I would happily pay more for healthy birds!

 

[speckledhen]

I'm really sorry to hear about your hen. I don't think there is much hope and I hate to be a downer because I've been there, trying everything I could think of, realizing it might all be in vain. Internal laying/egg peritonitis is a terrible malfunction, but very common.

I have a couple more who are laying internally, but in addition to that, I have one who has what I think is a humongous egg that has dropped into her abdomen where it's inaccessible. I can get my fingers around it and move it back and forth, but it's not in the oviduct. Poor dear keeps going to the nest over and over and eventually, will either pass or I'll have to put her down. Her sister died the same way and we did find a huge egg containing yet another egg, with two eggs backed up behind that, in our necropsy. No way for a good outcome with that situation.

 

[1 hen and 1 roo]

I feel so badly for you all. What you have had to go through is just awful. Those poor birds. I am sorry for your loses.

No chicken owner should have to endure something so bad. I wonder if over the years with so much cross breeding if this is a result of that? Every chicken has the same basic parts I would assume but not all have the same shape, color, comb, etc. You know like when you cross breed dogs you often get problems that the oirinal breed did not have.

Hormonal malfuction-that is terrible for the poor hens. We love our chickens like pets and get so attached to each one of them. Once again, I am sorry for your loss.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Thank you. Almost every case of egg peritonitis/internal laying here has been a hatchery hen. I think only one was not direct from a hatchery, but her mother was. They go through more than we realize to pop out the egg every day.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

Speckled Hen - is there anything we can do to petition the hatcheries on this issue? I don't understand how the "average" life span of a chicken can be 7-9 years when all these 2-year-olds are dropping dead from internal laying/egg yolk peritonitis

 

[speckledhen]

Maybe we should differentiate between an average life span of a hatchery bird vs other types, i.e., breeder stock. I seriously doubt the hatcheries will change anything they're doing. After all, seems it would cut into their business if all the birds they sold lived to be 7-9 years old.

My oldest two hatchery girls are approaching 6 years old now, but neither is laying and one is Reba, who I know has nasty gunk building up inside her. Then I have two Brahmas who are approaching 5 years old, from the same hatchery, and a banty Cochin and one Silver Phoenix as well from there. None of those are what most folks consider production layers, though, so maybe they have a shot at avoiding the internal laying thing. The bantam Cochin has been egg bound twice, though. Hatchery hens just don't seem to be made of strong genetic material, in general. I don't plan to buy from the hatchery again, not unless I have a specific reason to get one or two birds, like for a broody whose eggs didn't hatch or something.

 

[1 hen and 1 roo]

You have me thinking about all my chickens and were the bloodlines came from:
Purebred Black, Wheaten and Blue Wheaten Ameraucana chickens came from Paul Smith and from Wayne Meredith
Purebred Splash, Black and Blue Belgian Bearded d'Anver chickens came from show breeder in Missouri and another show breeder in Wisconsin
Purebred Cochins came from a local farm who came from a show breeder in Georgia and from a show breeder in OK
Purebred Sumatra chickens came from Univ of AR with some of bloodline from a show breeder in OK
Purebred White Silkie Pullet came from Univ of AR
Purebred Mottled Houdan Roo came from Univ of AR
Purebred BBR Araucana Roo and 2 hens came from Univ of AR with bloodline going back to Ann Charles
Silver Spangled Hamburg came from Univ of AR and somewhere down the line came from a hatchery and has not started laying yet and she is at least 25 weeks old
Buckeye came from Ann Charles from Jen Scott Bloodline
Blue Andalusian came from Ann Charles
Chanacelor Roo came from Ann Charles from a Ideal Hatchery
Ancona pullets came from Ideal Hatchery: 1 has laid since 16 weeks and other has not at 24 weeks
Bantam Brahma pullet came from Ideal Hatchery: 24 weeks and has not laid an egg

Wow, I have some that originated from hatcheries. I sure hope some of the selective breeding that has been done since the hatchery may have corrected this problem.
I have some that are not laying yet and not sure why not. I have one bantam that is at least 3 years old to maybe 4 years old and she has stopped laying.
All birds are looking fine and do not seem to be having any issues. The oldest 2 Ameraucana hens (just past a year old) are both not laying right now. One is quiet bossy and may be acting a bit like a roo to the other hens/pullets.

Thanks for sharing with us all regarding your chickens.

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like most of yours came from good breeders so maybe you wont have to deal with this issue much, if at all.

My breeder birds (Ameraucanas, Delawares, BBS Plymouth Rocks, BBS and Buff Orpingtons) have not been any trouble with internal laying, though two Dels have had eggs so huge they dropped into the abdomen. One died, one will die soon, I'm sure. My breeder type Barred Rocks aren't laying yet so no idea about those, but I did lose my hatchery Rocks, my RIRs, my Wyandottes and one Buff Orp hen.

 

[Lucysmom002]

Wow, I've been reading this thread and I'm worried now. I started with chickens last year in March. I just got 25 from McMurray in May.
I have BR who is about 17 months old. She's been an awesome pet and good layer. Suddenly yesterday, she is sitting in the nest box and won't get out. She didn't come out to roost last night and wanted to stay in the box tonight so I left her there.
I also have my broody little RIR bantam. She is the same age. She laid last year. Quit in winter for almost 3 months. We gave her fertile eggs to hatch in May and she was fixed. She started laying again a few weeks ago and now she's back to the box! When she comes out, she eats and drinks and runs around like she's crazy, terrorizing all the other birds then RUNS back to the box.
My BO and WWyandotte stopped laying a few days ago but they are moulting.
Ughghgh
My BR aka"Diamond" is our baby. I don't want to lose her