Egg Yolk Peritonitis Prevention or Management

[smallflock3]

I have all the hens buried by each other too. You are great for taking on ex battery hens, just think how much better you made their lives!


The price I was just quoted by a vet's office for the Lupron was $169.00 an injection and they said, like you, every two weeks at the beginning. I think the $55.00 sounds a lot better, but they said I need to find out if Betty is a candidate for the shots first (if the tumor has shrunk). I think they charge by the amount of the Lupron which would go by the weight of the bird, so maybe Casino is smaller, Betty now weighs 4 pounds and 11 ounces. The Vet that has her on the Prednisone doesn't do the Lupron injections, if he did he may be a little cheaper (but he is the one that can do ultrasounds). So I have to figure this out, I can't afford $340.00 a month for the injections (believe me if I could, I would) but I'm afraid after she quits molting, she'll try to lay eggs and get sicker. I'm still trying to pay on the Hysterectomy bill from the other hen that passed and I won't even say how much that was.
One thing that Betty will eat on her own is crickets and wild bird seed. Isn't that something, that she wants stuff similar to what she would get free ranging, not the stuff I buy her.

 

[emilysteng]

Yes, the 169 sounds pretty expensive. Well, she has to get two shots at a time - so 110 each time. She weighs less than 4 pounds. Last time she was 1.5 kg/3.3 lbs. So not a whole lot less than your Betty. My vet said Lupron would help either way - whether she has EYP or a tumor. I didn't ask yet how much the ultrasound is but my friend just had one done on her dog at the same vet and I think it was something around 350 dollars.

Maybe Betty knows what she needs to eat, which is why she prefers the crickets and wild bird seed.

 

[Mitfordsmom]

Hi Guys,

well got back from my trip tonight and tomorrow afternoon I collect 4 more ex battery hens! I think Nancy and Decca will be very happy once they've all settled in. You are all such an inspiration to me - I'll keep you all updated. xx

 

[emilysteng]

Congrats on your new additions! I hope everyone gets along well!

I just went by the hatchery where I usually buy food this afternoon. The last couple weeks I've been feeding flock raiser but today I bought some medicated chick started to give Casino. Do you think that's a good idea? I thought since she's not actively taking anything right now in terms of meds it might help her - with the antibiotics in it? What do you all think?

 

[featherz]

Medicated chick starter generally only has amprolium in it, which is a thiamine blocker and only good for cocci - and even for that, it won't cure cocci, just helps to prevent it. I think there are some starters that have a minute bit of antibiotic, but not around here.

 

[emilysteng]

Thanks featherz. But feeding her the medicated chick starter won't hurt her will it? And doesn't it also have some extra vitamins in it? Would that help her any?

 

[featherz]

Quote:
It's higher in protein and no it won't hurt her.

I feed unmedicated chick starter to my adult chickens all the time when I have chicks around (and I'd even feed the medicated if I had it handy, a little amprolium isn't going to bother me much).

 

[smallflock3]

That's wonderful Mitfordsmom that you got got more Ex Battery girls! I always tell my birds when I get them that I'm taking them to a better life. And in your case, that's definitely true.

Emilysteng, I know, it's confusing to me now what to feed my hens, I've talked to different people and read and read and just hope I'm doing the right thing. I talked to Betty's doctor this week and found out more from him on her situation. Her tumor is not near her ovaries or oviduct. It's next to or on her liver (which isn't good either)which I probably said before, but he said it's malignant and the kind that spreads so that's why we have to keep her on the Prednisone to keep it from growing and to see if it will shrink any. So he said if she goes back into lay, the tumor will not be obstructing her from laying any eggs. This is why he said she really didn't need the lupron. I guess if she had ovarian tumors the lupron would help though. So now I'm not freaking out at the moment about her diet so much as I'm trying to get weight on her and trying to keep her comfortable through this molt. I have a few other hens that started to molt now too and they are really feeling poorly. Some will hardly eat, but I guess if we shed our skin, hair, it would hurt too! If I had caught or acted sooner with the other hen that passed, the lupron probably would have helped her, poor thing. I get really sad when I think of all she went through. I don't know if I'll ever get over it. Well on a brighter note, I'm sending Casino warm wishes and those wonderful Ex Battery Hens that are getting a second chance. If I pick up any good advice on our hens, I will share it soon.

 

[Mitfordsmom]

Oh thanks Smallflock3 - they are settling in but still haven't ventured outside poor girls, except for when it gets dark and then they come out of their bed and stand in the cold - I think they don't realise they can sleep at night now and try to find the continuous light they were used to having to live in. They have so few feathers and they look so small compared to Nancy and Decca. I must take some photos as when they are fit and healthy and bossy like Nancy and Decca I'll forget what they looked like when I first had them. If anyone has any tips on integrating them I'd be grateful. I'm going to take it nice and slowly, there's no rush but it would be nice to see the new girls free ranging.

 

[Spinster_Sister]

Such good news to hear that you've added more ex-bats to your home! They, and all ex-bats, are so blessed to find good people to take them into their hearts and give them a happy home! Have you thought of adding a red heat lamp with dimmer into their coop? The red light will not disturb them as much as white light and with the dimmer every night when they go in you can slowly turn it down until they get use to sleeping into their coop in natural darkness? Plus the red will give some heat since it is chilly in your parts now.

I purchased a lamp dimmer, similar to this , from my diy store and it works wonderfully for brooding and hospital stays inside the house. Anyway Congrats on your new additions....the girls, I am sure, will be very well pleased!