My hen Esme is dying, and I don't see a good prognosis so the plan is comfort care.

[Animalfisherwoman]

My hen Esme was my first chicken and an Isa Brown. She came from the shelter and laid one egg a day. I would say that at the time we got her, she was a year and a half, maybe two. Meaning she might be close to four years old now.

I found Esme in the coop today. Swollen belly and not eating or drinking. I did give her an amox, which made her perk up a tiny bit. Her comb is now partially cyanotic. I know the breed and the symptoms, which point to either aceites or a reproductive and usually fatal issue. We are not in the financial position to attempt to fix these issues, and I do not know how realistically fixable they are. In fact as SO got let go from the shelter under adverse conditions that are now resulting in legal action from him, we cannot go back there either with her.

I do not have a drainage syringe and now no longer any supply chain to get one. I have chicken painkillers that I am administering with a feeder syringe full of nutridrench and water. I have her isolated and warm. She is no longer panting as she was, and my thinking is to just continue this until she passes.

If anyone has any feedback, please share.

 

[Animalfisherwoman]

She actually seemed better today. Comb looked better, she was drinking water and let out a normal poo. Her belly is also less swollen. I let her out of the hospital cage to clean it, she started running toward her friends. I put her out there with them and at first she was going for the scraps, then withdrew. I put her on the porch side of the fence so she wouldn't get picked on and when I turned around, she was walking into the food shed. She hunkered down under the table and sat down like she's going to lay.

I gave her another amox and filled her water dish and put some food out for her, but as it is she's sheltering in place in a dark area that's more comfortable for her, and she got there by herself.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I'm so sorry about Esme. It's never easy to lose one of our birds.