Drained a Hen's Abdomen.. Rest in Peace, Olivia 11-5-10

[4Shadow]

So sorry to hear about Ivy, and Olivia. I'm going to have a chat with my vet as I think we are preparing for the same end soon for two of ours. No wonder you were so helpful to me on a recent post - but I'm sorry that first hand experience is to thank for that. They are (and were) both beautiful girls. This condition sucks.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you and I'm sorry for your troubles with your hen.





Quote: Couldn't have said it better myself. It does, indeed.

 

[aoxa]

Cyn,

Is this less likely if hens go broody often? I am now sure I lost my best hen Dixie to it. She had all these symptoms, as well as my hen McDonalds. They both had trouble balancing, McDonalds had a VERY hard abdomen at the end. Dixie - I'm not sure. I was sure they both had worms. Neither had laid an egg for months.

McDonalds molted in February, and died in June. I thought that was why I wasn't getting any eggs from her (the molt) but Dixie was never reliable since I got her at POL. McDonalds was mixed breed, and Dixie was a barred rock (non-heritage).

I lost one Buff Orp from a uterine infection I'm sure. An egg broke in her vent, caused bleeding and her vent was swollen for a week. The vent swelling went down and Olive was very slow for 2 weeks before dying. I thought she was going to make it. It was a bit of a surprise for that one.

I do not have any offspring of these three, so at least there's that.

 

[speckledhen]

I honestly do believe that if a hen takes breaks to hatch and raise chicks, that does give her body a necessary rest. The last original hatchery hen to die of mine was my Buff Orp, Sunny. She made it almost a full year longer than the next to the last one and they made it much longer than all the others. Sunny was the only one of those to ever go broody and she did it twice in her 6 1/2 years. The first time, we had no rooster, so she didn't hatch any eggs, but she had a 5 week break from laying just after she began. The next year, she hatched chicks and took awhile to raise them.

Olivia did raise one batch of chicks herself, but only one in her almost four years of life. None of the others who died from egg issues had ever been broody, not one of them. Now, of course, many who have not raised chicks are still with me, but none of them are direct hatchery stock.

It just makes sense that if a hen's body gets a much needed rest for egg production to raise chicks, it has to do her good in the sense that she has less opportunity to malfunction.

 

[aoxa]

I honestly do believe that if a hen takes breaks to hatch and raise chicks, that does give her body a necessary rest. The last original hatchery hen to die of mine was my Buff Orp, Sunny. She made it almost a full year longer than the next to the last one and they made it much longer than all the others. Sunny was the only one of those to ever go broody and she did it twice in her 6 1/2 years. The first time, we had no rooster, so she didn't hatch any eggs, but she had a 5 week break from laying just after she began. The next year, she hatched chicks and took awhile to raise them.

Olivia did raise one batch of chicks herself, but only one in her almost four years of life. None of the others who died from egg issues had ever been broody, not one of them. Now, of course, many who have not raised chicks are still with me, but none of them are direct hatchery stock.

It just makes sense that if a hen's body gets a much needed rest for egg production to raise chicks, it has to do her good in the sense that she has less opportunity to malfunction.

 

And yet another reason to not supply additional light in the winter months.

Thanks for the details again. I'm glad I don't have any relatives of those guys. All of my first chickens have died but a silkie. That silkie is a serial broody.

I do have a Delaware that is over 2 and doesn't lay often, so I'm a bit concerned about her. :/

 

[Ann1986]

My one chicken hasnt layed in over 2 years. But she has become quite big, although she doesnt eat more than the others. Her abdomen feels soft. Her legs stand far apart. She hasnt been eating her food (layer food) for a week and is still fat. She only wants insects, some vegetables and eggs... So I am taking her to the vet in 5 mins.

 

[Ann1986]

She is put to sleep She had a very large tumor inside of her

 

[NooNoo]

Sorry to hear that. =(

 

[chickenstar]

Hi just wanted to let everyone know that I have an internal layer that is living a healty and happy life as a result of having a desorelin hormone implant instaled every 5 months. It stops a hens reproduction system and they don't lay annymore eggs, its a simple procedure that is resonable costing 170 dollars. There is hope for anyones hen buy doing this your hen will be able to enjoy a pain free life . Find a good vet and get your girls the help they need,my polish girl has been getting thease implants for 2 years now and she is happier and healthier than ever,good luck h

 

[speckledhen]

Hi just wanted to let everyone know that I have an internal layer that is living a healty and happy life as a result of having a desorelin hormone implant instaled every 5 months. It stops a hens reproduction system and they don't lay annymore eggs, its a simple procedure that is resonable costing 170 dollars. There is hope for anyones hen buy doing this your hen will be able to enjoy a pain free life . Find a good vet and get your girls the help they need,my polish girl has been getting thease implants for 2 years now and she is happier and healthier than ever,good luck h

The cost isn't reasonable to me, unfortunately. I cannot afford to do that for every hen I suspect of internal laying, in fact, not even one. I don't have dogs anymore because I cannot afford expensive, unexpected procedures and I don't have the money to spend on a hen. Wish I did. What I did do was to quit buying hatchery stock and now, I rarely see this stuff anymore.