Chickens swallowed keys HELP!!

[Dottypotty]

Perhaps your vet isn't familiar with chicken anatomy. My bet is that they are lodged in the gizzard. When food is swallowed, it is stored in the crop temporarily while it is moistened and then passes through the esophagus to the proventriculus (true stomach) where stomach acids and digestive enzymes are added. From there it goes to the gizzard (mechanical stomach) where it is ground up. The gizzard is basically a bird's teeth. Small, sharp insoluble stones (grit) are consumed and lodge in the gizzard where the muscles contract and grind up the other ingredients making the nutrients more accessible to the walls of the intestines. Eventually the acidic environment will wear away at the stones and the remnants pass when they have to consume more stones.
Your keys are now grit. Eventually this too will pass but not as a whole key.

I butchered meat chickens that had swallowed nails and broken glass which had become imbedded in the gizzard. No blood was ever evident in the feces. I can't imagine blood being present in your bird's feces. A key just isn't sharp enough to penetrate the tough lining of the gizzard. I think the birds I raise now are much smarter. Part of their terrain was once a dump and they continually turn up glass and metals. I've never found anything like that in their gizzards and I go out every week or two with a bucket and collect any shiny or rusty debris.

There is also no way for the keys to be in the egg. The reproductive tract and the digestive tract are two completely separate systems until they reach the cloaca.

I use padlocks on most of my chicken doors. Not to keep people out but for raccoons so I leave a key in each lock whether open or closed.

Amazing insight thank you for the detailed information, I never even knew this about chickens.

I use padlocks mainly for the night, out of no where this chicken grabbed the keys was instant. But taking the spare keys off I've done already.

For the poop, its like blood type red but it looks stringy its a light red??, I don't understand what that is, but every thing she passed today was like that..

Also I will be changing vets after your detailed information, and of course showing them the link you provided. I'm tamping I will make a complaint for sure, it wasnt cheap getting them out to.

And for the keys to be in the egg it was just a phoolish joke couldn't help myself

Thanks for the great post!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I get the joke about the keys in the egg. It was a good visual.
Some people think parasitic worms can end up in the egg, which they can but it is extremely unlikely.
Good avian vets are very uncommon and usually only treat parrots and other exotics. Good poultry vets are as rare as hen's teeth. (see what I did there?)
I can't help you with what is showing up in the feces but is possibly related to the keys.

Please keep us informed on the outcome of this event.

 

[Severne]

That Is HALARIOUS but also bad.

 

[Peepsi]

Aww, come on. They were only trying to help you with the job.

I swear, in their mind, they probably believe they were helping! I am questioning the "help" from chickens, haha.

What's even funnier, is that my husband JUST came back inside from changing the battery in the mounted camera inside the coop. He said they were SO interested in what he was doing. They were standing up on the hutch/roost as close as they could get to him, and just staring. Then, when he used his phone to aim the camera, the chickens could see their images in the phone (from the camera) and he said they were MESMERIZED. They didn't try to peck or "help," but they stared intensely the whole time, utterly fascinated. I told him that I was just posting this reply, and that I'd put this in here.

 

[featherhead007]

I swear, in their mind, they probably believe they were helping! I am questioning the "help" from chickens, haha.

What's even funnier, is that my husband JUST came back inside from changing the battery in the mounted camera inside the coop. He said they were SO interested in what he was doing. They were standing up on the hutch/roost as close as they could get to him, and just staring. Then, when he used his phone to aim the camera, the chickens could see their images in the phone (from the camera) and he said they were MESMERIZED. They didn't try to peck or "help," but they stared intensely the whole time, utterly fascinated. I told him that I was just posting this reply, and that I'd put this in here.

Then your hubby knows full well how a chicken is going to act! Tell him, I had 9 hens assist me in pulling, rebuilding, and reinstalling the transmission in my old Lexus, that I still drive today. "missing a couple of nuts" of course. It was nice having the company, while I worked.

 

[Peepsi]

Then your hubby knows full well how a chicken is going to act! Tell him, I had 9 hens assist me in pulling, rebuilding, and reinstalling the transmission in my old Lexus, that I still drive today. "missing a couple of nuts" of course. It was nice having the company, while I worked.

Ok, that paints a hilarious visual image. Chicken Mechanics! My hubby and I read your response, and we were both laughing.

 

[featherhead007]

Ok, that paints a hilarious visual image. Chicken Mechanics! My hubby and I read your response, and we were both laughing.

It was true, I did have Chicken mechanic help! I even give the hens a ride sometimes. OH wow. the looks I get from other drivers.

 

[Dottypotty]

It was true, I did have Chicken mechanic help! I even give the hens a ride sometimes. OH wow. the looks I get from other drivers.

Thats brightened up my morning

 

[CCUK]

I watched a chicken swallow a whole mouse! I put nothing past a chicken anymore.
This is the MOUSE EATER:View attachment 1985659

She looks like a mouse eater!

 

[hispoptart]

I'd be pretty worried also. Posting picks of her poop might help someone tell you if it's blood or not.