Stephoney
Songster
- Apr 7, 2021
- 105
- 177
- 121
Yesterday I found Princess Buttercup, my 2 year old Buff Orpington, laying under the hydrangea in our backyard with one other hen sitting by her side. Buttercup has ascites and is prone to sour crop. She looked about like she usually does when she’s not feeling well. Her crop was very full of water, not sour smelling yet. I couldn’t feel anything else besides a few small pieces of feed or pebbles. I gave her 1/3 of a Monastat and some nurtri-drenched thinking I would get ahead of the problem and hopefully get her back to normal. I did notice that her belly felt extra full when I picked her up. I checked her vent to make sure she didn’t have an egg stuck, she laid 4 eggs last month (we were very surprised). That was normal. After feeding her a dose of Monastat, I put her in the greenhouse so she could rest on the hemp floor where it’s dry and warm. It’s been wet here in the PNW- in the 40’s so she wasn’t exactly cold outside, but still. I figured she’d be safer and more comfortable there. I came back from a doctor’s appointment to find that she had moved herself into a small coop. I gave her another dose of meds later last night. She didn’t pull away when I gave it to her and just seemed to feel pretty crappy. I figured she’d probably feel better this morning after the meds kicked in.
This morning, she hadn’t really moved. She was still breathing, but her dull comb had become more purplish/grey. I noticed that water was dripping out of her downward pointing beak. I couldn’t tell if she were really aware of her surroundings. At this point, I think she will likely pass away sometime today. I’m fairly certain its complications from the ascites, but not positive. I wormed the flock in November and they get Scratch and Peck feed with BSF larvae as a snack. They free range for about 3 hours each day. She hasn’t shown any other signs of sickness, though I know hens are good at hiding it. My inclination is just to let her be and pass away with the other hens hunting and pecking around her coop and not do anything more. The door to the coop is open and I oriented her so that her head is facing out (in case she wanted to see the others). Her body was a little stiff. I really don’t think she’s going to improve, otherwise I would bring her in as I’ve done before. I think that would be more distressing in her last hours. I also don’t want her to suffer. Buttercup is the first hen that I’ve lost to sickness/disease. Her partner, Phyllis, died at the paws of a random daytime raccoon attack this past summer. I’ve taken care of sick animals and nursed them back to health, but never dealt with chicken hospice. Is there something more I should be doing?
This morning, she hadn’t really moved. She was still breathing, but her dull comb had become more purplish/grey. I noticed that water was dripping out of her downward pointing beak. I couldn’t tell if she were really aware of her surroundings. At this point, I think she will likely pass away sometime today. I’m fairly certain its complications from the ascites, but not positive. I wormed the flock in November and they get Scratch and Peck feed with BSF larvae as a snack. They free range for about 3 hours each day. She hasn’t shown any other signs of sickness, though I know hens are good at hiding it. My inclination is just to let her be and pass away with the other hens hunting and pecking around her coop and not do anything more. The door to the coop is open and I oriented her so that her head is facing out (in case she wanted to see the others). Her body was a little stiff. I really don’t think she’s going to improve, otherwise I would bring her in as I’ve done before. I think that would be more distressing in her last hours. I also don’t want her to suffer. Buttercup is the first hen that I’ve lost to sickness/disease. Her partner, Phyllis, died at the paws of a random daytime raccoon attack this past summer. I’ve taken care of sick animals and nursed them back to health, but never dealt with chicken hospice. Is there something more I should be doing?
