Broody/chick issue

[Wickedchicken6]

I'm so sorry about your hen.

I agree with the above post. It's an incredibly hard call to make.

 

[YellowRose1]

Thank you. It brings me tears to think about losing any of my kids. They really are my kids. All my animals come before me no matter the situation. Little or big. They depend on us for their survival. And their happiness and good health is my first priority. Feel bad thinking, well, the good that came out of it is the kids have a bigger place to live 'til they can hold their own in the flock. I am gonna miss her. She was such a good momma and she did try so hard to tend her babies. And I loved watching her with them all three years.

They all got quite high today dusting. So cute, 10 chicks piled n one hole dusting away..

I will look up both those ailments you mentioned and see if I can determine which it was. Don't recall now but did you mention what causes this? Is there any possible way of, I've lost the word now. Um preventative medicine? Something I can do with diet or what ever to prevent such things in the future? Or do I just need to accept that this is all part of raising chickens?

Again, Thank you so much for all your help in trying to help me figure this out. I may hang out a couple more days then will be gone 'til my next emergency. Don't do well with forums, social media and the like. I'm a researcher. And now that I have the information highway literally at my figure tips - Ya there is no end to the things I research. And the answers I seek.

Again Thank You - God Bless.

You too wickedchicken. Thank you so much for giving me an ear to bend and a sounding board. I know I can be a real pain. And to the others that tried to help. Thank you

 

[YellowRose1]

Looking at videos I think it may have been Egg Yolk Peritonitis. But I also believe there was more then one thing going on with her. Because the Egg Yolk Peritonitis wasn't as far along as some I seen. So something else was causing her to crash so fast. The next thing I will be researching is why her blood coagulated the way it did. That is not normal by far. I probably won't give updates on further research. I just have a need to understand. And thought you might like to know that is was likely one of the 2 you thought is may be. That one egg had to be in there a long time unbroken to be rotten like that. It could have possibly been poisoning her. Maybe? Then the broken one and possibly a tiny one.

Also the difference between internal laying(?) not sure exactly what it is called and Egg Yolk Peritonitis

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Internal laying/reproductive disorders are usually "lumped" into the same "category" if you will. Even though each one has different names, symptoms can be very similar. It takes a necropsy most of the time to determine which one a hen may be suffering from. Sometimes, even with necropsy it's hard to tell which one it is.

Here's some links and a small snapshot, if you will, to get you started on your research, there is quite a bit of information out there, it just takes time to wade through all of it.

Egg Yolk Peritonitis - this is usually when an egg, yolk, whites (egg matter) travels back up the oviduct and falls into the abdominal cavity or when an egg is dropped from the ovary it "misses" the infundlbulum" and drops into the abdominal cavity - this in turn causes infection - the body may try to encase the matter - which results in what looks like thick pus or possibly lash eggs:
****graphic photos****http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1154532/egg-yolk-peritonitis#post_18103856
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poult...eproductive-system/egg-peritonitis-in-poultry
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/


Salpingitis (Lash Egg) this is caused by an inflammation of the oviduct - hens can lay what is called lash egg - again it's like layers of semi hard pus surrounding infection - these too can travel up the oviduct and drop into the abdomen:
****graphic photos****http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1...oring-i-opened-her-to-find-this#post_17145142
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/salpingitis-lash-eggs-in-backyard.html
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/p...ingitis_in_poultry.html?qt=salpingitis&alt=sh


Ascites (sometimes called water belly) fluids from egg masses/matter causes distended abdomen, sometimes it can be drained - this can be seen along with EYP, Salpingitis, cancer, tumors, etc. Ascites is also associated with hypertension, especially in broilers (meat chickens):
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/853726/ascites-in-desperate-need-of-some-help-and-guidance

Note this one could be a combination of Ascites (fluid in the belly), EYP (she had egg yolks in the belly) and Salpingitis (pus like "egg" matter in the belly)****graphic photos****https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...nd-eyp-very-graphic-necropsy-pictures.821240/

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I have nothing to add...in fact I'm learning a considerable amount myself. Other than what I've read on BYC, I have no experience with any of these conditions. With Wyorp Rock summing up each condition and explaining the differences between them, I have a much better understanding myself!

 

[YellowRose1]

I really should have got pictures. I have so many questions. What really bothers me the most is that whole egg. that when he broke it, it was liquidly and rotten. Reminded me of the eggs I check after them sitting on them for 22 or 23 days. Egg bound(?) That eggs shell looking thing was likely egg lash. I have seen that left in a nest a couple times last year. Maybe it came from her. I never did know who was laying that small mass.

That whole egg had to be cut out of what looked like flesh. The tract it travels down(?) I have blocked the images in my mind for the most part. And I can't seem to get a clear image of something else I saw to ask about. It will come back when I least expect it. I really wonder if the main issue was that bound whole egg. Or the egg lash(?) that maybe prevented the whole egg from coming out... maybe.

As many chickens as we have butchered around here. I have never seen what I seen with her blood coagulating. Maybe some other illness caused her blood to thicken. I just don't know. the poor girl had so much going on with her that I had no clue about.

 

[YellowRose1]

Her being broody prevented me from seeing many things I would have noticed that are easily confused with her being broody. And there was so much going on at the time. Many more days of below zero temps at that time. Weeks instead of days.

Had already dealt with 3 other hens going broody in the snowy cold winter. Stressing on keeping them warm. Chicks being abandoned at 3 weeks. Another broody trying to kill chicks not hers. Broke my wrist and so many other things going on.

I am gonna fight even harder then I did before giving up and giving them a couple eggs to stop them going broody in the winter months. I just don't want them sitting all that time and not have at least one chick. 2017 just hasn't started out very well. Maybe 2018 will be better, I pray.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

You have to remember that the egg in her system would be held at incubating temps. A hatching egg that has been laid...has the benefit of the bloom that has dried on the outside of the egg shell and the egg is dry under the hen. The egg that was inside of her has been sitting among material that is possibly infected and able to flow into the egg via the pores on the shell.

With animals that perish inside their mother when there has been birthing trouble...for example piglets...the piglet's body breaks down amazingly fast. It's not uncommon to have a leg pull off the body when one's trying to assist. The rate of decomposition is accelerated with the heat and warm moist conditions.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

Looking at videos I think it may have been Egg Yolk Peritonitis. But I also believe there was more then one thing going on with her. Because the Egg Yolk Peritonitis wasn't as far along as some I seen. So something else was causing her to crash so fast. The next thing I will be researching is why her blood coagulated the way it did. That is not normal by far. I probably won't give updates on further research. I just have a need to understand. And thought you might like to know that is was likely one of the 2 you thought is may be. That one egg had to be in there a long time unbroken to be rotten like that. It could have possibly been poisoning her. Maybe? Then the broken one and possibly a tiny one.

Also the difference between internal laying(?) not sure exactly what it is called and Egg Yolk Peritonitis

I have dealt with young hens trying to push out an egg and it breaks, or they bleed out trying to push through an egg. Either way it is frustrating, and angering. I lost two Blue Americana hens to that. I waited and waited for the first egg, and found a rigored hen that bled out. It happens, it is frustrating and upsetting. I have had a mature EE have and egg break part way out. We managed to get it out, clean her out, and let her rehabilitate. Tragically, it did not help. Sometimes like in people, there is a genetic abnormality and bad things happen. I don't hold out much hope for your young hen, and I am sorry in advance, because I have been there. A lot of us have. You become attached to a hen, you name her, you talk to her. Then she is gone. A loss of hen is far more tragic to than a loss of a rooster. Multiple boys become food. Hens produce chicks and food and there is always a hole left when you become attached.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Her being broody prevented me from seeing many things I would have noticed that are easily confused with her being broody. And there was so much going on at the time. Many more days of below zero temps at that time. Weeks instead of days.

Had already dealt with 3 other hens going broody in the snowy cold winter. Stressing on keeping them warm. Chicks being abandoned at 3 weeks. Another broody trying to kill chicks not hers. Broke my wrist and so many other things going on.

I am gonna fight even harder then I did before giving up and giving them a couple eggs to stop them going broody in the winter months. I just don't want them sitting all that time and not have at least one chick. 2017 just hasn't started out very well. Maybe 2018 will be better, I pray.

Other circumstances interfere with judgments on animals, I think that's common. It's impossible to have every animal in a perfect state of well being and keep track of everything that goes on with that animal. It happens here. Not just with chickens, but the cattle and sheep as well. I try to chalk it up as a learning experience and think of it as one thing more that I know for the future.

As far as broodies, mine start in January/Feb when it's frigid here. I don't like them sitting in the nests as I have laying hens and I don't want the eggs to be sat on. I've seen it suggested to put broodies in a raised cage that's off the ground so air circulates, but in winter I don't want to use that method. I put my broodies in an large open wire kennel that sits on the ground and they get fed and watered in there for a couple of days. I use two cut milk jugs for feed and water. That's usually enough to stop my Silkie broodies. I also don't want them setting in the winter either.