Damn...Autopsy Results, Page 3 *Update* Jan Passed

[chkn]

When is the last time you probed her? Keep in mind you don't have to give her a bath to do it. Yesterday I took mine in the tub and did it no bath other than cleaning up a messy bottom afterward. I wonder if a little Prep H would help?

 

[clatsopduck]

Hi there.
Very sorry to hear that your hen is so unwell. It hurts to watch them suffer.
Just an idea to boost her - do you have (or can you get) Bach's Rescue Remedy? I used this on a stupid muscovy who had been munching on rhubarb leaves - as well as a poor rooster who had been attacked by a dog. Miraculously, both survived.
Good luck.

 

[goldtopper]

I last probed her this morning. Her vent was only slightly protruding- like 1/2". I got my middle finger in as far as it would go and couldn't feel anything at all. I made darn sure I was going in the right opening!
Great idea on the water w/gatorade and the Prep H. I gave her water with some Vitamin Water in it(didn't have any gatorade). I used a syringe and she drank and loved it. I'll probe again after dinner.
Jan's sister Marcia won't leave her side. Gives a bit of comfort to see them together.
Thank you for all your ideas folks, keep em coming, we appreciate it!
I'll keep you posted how out girl is doing.

 

[chkn]

By the way, when I probe, I can generally get my middle finger all the way in. I'm female with average size hands but long fingers. I wanted to give you some idea how far in you should be able to probe in there. If she's got something in there, if she's anything like the hen I have right now that's egg binding with the soft shells, she'll probably begin to push when you're doing it.

Hopefully your hen is larger sized. Sometimes it can be painful if they're small or they're swelled up with peritonitis (in which case, you may as well forget probing because it'll be swelled shut tighter than a vice so probing is not a good idea at all).

When you probe, do you feel anything in the form of a mound? Because that's what a complete soft shell felt like in mine, I hardly recognized it as an egg at first. Also, it was lower than I expected. Of course it's wrapped in tissue so it feels like an organ or just a fold (or who knows what). If you feel something like that, see if you can work around that, see if you can move it a little or come up behind (you're looking for an opening in there).

She might squeeze down, if you feel something rough, or completely unlike the soft tissue everywhere else, that going to be your shell less egg. You'll want to work some lubricant around that rough surface.

When you go straight in, feel around the perimeter when you are at the maximum depth even if there is no mound. I remember with the first shell that was broken, it was kind of like finding a folded contact lense underneath an eyelid (which of course you can't do yourself but just imagine). If I go straight in I poke my eye, but if I go around, I can go in much farther. Same thing, reach in and go around sort of like you would if you can imagine probing for a contact trapped underneath your eyelid.

Same thing, rough surface of a flatened shell less egg. It can slide around and "get lost" in there again. I know I had to feel for it and pull it toward me with my finger as my hen pushed. I had to find it 2-3 times before I finally dragged it out. Remember, there's a pathway in there but it may be all bunched up. Moving around and the hen pushing will reveal that pathway.

Hopefully she'll still respect you in the morning

And hopefully you'll get your egg (or shell) and she'll feel better. I can tell you that just a soft collapsed shell made a world of difference to my hen. Perfectly healthy to just going down the tubes fast.

 

[goldtopper]

Jan passed away about 4:00 am/
Thank you all for the kind words.

I'll do an autopsy a bit later and try a figure out what happenned.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I am very sorry for your loss, you did everything for her

 

[FunnyFarmMomma]

So sorry to hear that.

It is always hard to lose one, especially a favorite.

 

[henney penny]

I will be following to to find out what happened to her

 

[4-H chicken mom]

So sorry for your loss. It is never easy.

 

[StephanieD]

So sorry......