2 yr old chicken hasn't laid in 7 months and other problems...?

[AaronK]

I just gave her the injection - about 0.8 ml of Norocillin brand penicillin from Southern States. The directions said to push in the needle, pull on the syringe to make sure no blood comes out, then push in the meds. We tried doing that and she broke loose, then immediately went limp. We caught her, then just gave her the push, without the pull first.

She did NOT like it and after going limp sat on the ground for a while. not normal sitting - one leg was splayed out in back of her. Her breathing was hard, she closed her eyes, and her comb was pretty dark. I thought we'd lose her. maybe the stress of the injection combined with her illness made her weak. But about 10 minutes later she got back up on her feet and walked around a little bit. Eventually she even tried some wetted pellets and yogurt. She went back in her tractor and we're going to keep checking up on her periodically.

Thanks for the help Cynthia.

 

[speckledhen]

That's odd, never had that happen. What gauge needle are you using with that, Aaron? We use 22 gauge, though sometimes, it's hard to get the thick pen through it, but it's easier on the bird, being smaller gauge than a 20. We just push it into the meaty part of the breast and plunge slowly. It needs to be room temp, not cold (instructions should have said that on the bottle).

Her reaction could also mean there was much pressure on her organs from whatever fluid is in her body, maybe even her lungs, and you holding her to inject her made it hard for her to breathe. It's not easy to administer to a bird who is compromised severely sometimes.

 

[AaronK]

The needle was 22 gauge - smallest they had. It was also at room temp as the directions said. I think it was just as you said - lots of internal pressure. I picked her up while my wife injected her, and I had to squeeze a little bit to keep her wings and legs in control - could have been a bit much. I think tomorrow we'll keep her on the ground so she's not under any more pressure.

right now she's still sitting down in the shade and near the water. oh - she just stood up... wings a little bit droopy. poor girl. at least I think she'll eat and drink when she needs it.

 

[homesteadmomma]

Maybe to keep her from fighting, you could inject her while roosting? Maybe band her leg in some way to make it easy to identify her if you have a few that look the same????

 

[AaronK]

hmm, good idea about doing it at night. We only have one other hen though, so identifying her isn't a problem.

 

[AaronK]

update on Henny Penny:

Last night she couldnt make it up the stairs to roost, so we brought her inside to sleep in a box. We kept her in the dark about 2 hours longer than daybreak, figuring more sleep would help her. This morning she seems a bit more chipper, standing up straighter and making cute little noises like she always has.

the tough question is: is this really helping her? Apparently she will never fully recover, so is it better to let her go now, or continue with the treatment and get her *maybe* a few more months? I'm just not sure.

 

[AaronK]

today she's still more or less the same - able to walk around a bit during the day, but still sits down on the grass for a lot of the time too. at least she's well enough to make it up to roost at night.

 

[speckledhen]

This is the hardest call to make, Aaron. There is no one right answer. Is she enjoying part of her life, as far as you can tell? That is all you can do, try to assess her quality of life. I've had them on death's doorstep, then rally after massive doses of antibiotics and fluid dissipation, perk up and become close to normal again, except for the egg laying part (Ivy even laid an egg each time before relapsing over a period of weeks). Ultimately, no she will never be normal again, not from my own experience. Whether you euthanize now or later is up to you.

 

[AaronK]

yeah, there is no easy answer. Would you suggest trying to drain her abdomen from fluid?

 

[speckledhen]

You can try if you want to. The first time I dosed Ivy with penicillin, the fluid went away on its own. if you drain her, it will make her more comfortable much faster and take stress off her organs.