I love your signature - "Hens are not vending machines" ~speckledhen
I try to tell people that but they don't wan to hear it. Mind if I use that?
Eggbound after sour crop -> euthanize?
- Thread starter LindaNL
- Start date
I try to tell people that but they don't wan to hear it. Mind if I use that?
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks for all the information again!!!
I will go through it later, and learn as much as possible..
I´m going to schedule an appointment at the vet to euthanize her today (we choose an other vet this time). I really hope it will go peacefull...
I will go through it later, and learn as much as possible..
I´m going to schedule an appointment at the vet to euthanize her today (we choose an other vet this time). I really hope it will go peacefull...
- Thread starter
- #15
So, it's done 
. I feel sorry for her, but at least she is not suffering anymore. I guess it was just her time (way too soon though)..
These are the pictures of those 'eggs' I felt inside her. I think that you guys were right and she was internally laying, right?
Thanks!
. I feel sorry for her, but at least she is not suffering anymore. I guess it was just her time (way too soon though)..These are the pictures of those 'eggs' I felt inside her. I think that you guys were right and she was internally laying, right?
Thanks!
Aawww... I’m so sorry for your loss. Is that brown thing a lash egg? Maybe she had salpingitis? Are those big lumps in the reproductive tract?
@LindaNL
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your photos. I'm sure it must have been hard to take a look. This will hopefully be helpful to others in the future.
I agree with @micstrachan it looks like "lash egg" or Salpingitis (infection of the oviduct). It appears there are at least 3 of them?
If it's any comfort at all, putting her down was a kind and loving thing to do. A hen cannot recover from this. I am so sorry.
If you don't mind, I want to tag a few people that would be interested in your thread and photos - @Eggcessive @casportpony @coach723 @rebrascora
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your photos. I'm sure it must have been hard to take a look. This will hopefully be helpful to others in the future.
I agree with @micstrachan it looks like "lash egg" or Salpingitis (infection of the oviduct). It appears there are at least 3 of them?
If it's any comfort at all, putting her down was a kind and loving thing to do. A hen cannot recover from this. I am so sorry.
If you don't mind, I want to tag a few people that would be interested in your thread and photos - @Eggcessive @casportpony @coach723 @rebrascora
+1 to @Wyorp Rock That it was a kind and loving thing to do.
So, it's done
These are the pictures of those 'eggs' I felt inside her. I think that you guys were right and she was internally laying, right?
Thanks!
View attachment 1182309 View attachment 1182310 View attachment 1182312 View attachment 1182313 View attachment 1182314 View attachment 1182315 View attachment 1182316
Those are nice, clear photos that you took! I'm sure it was not an easy thing to do. I'm so sorry to hear about your hen. I agree that it is very commendable how you handled the situation. Thank you for taking the time to investigate and post the pictures for others.
@Wyorp Rock
Thanks for tagging me. I had been following the thread(for some reason I hadn't put it in watching though so I appreciate the nudge) but you had it covered, so I had nothing more to add until those final photos.
@LindaNL
I'm so very sorry that we were not able to help your girl but I hope it is some comfort to know that you absolutely did the right thing to have her put to sleep. That is salpingitis and that mass of lash eggs in her oviduct must have been extremely uncomfortable for her and there is no way that she could ever have passed them, so you saved her from a slow and painful death.
Salpingitis is where an infection occurs in the oviduct. Sometimes it can be caused by a thin shelled egg breaking inside the hen or a hen that perhaps lays extra large eggs losing some of the elasticity of her cloaca and some faecal material entering the oviduct as a result. The infection generates puss which in chickens solidifies to a cheese like consistency. This is believed to be a mechanism by which the chicken's body prevents the spread of infection to other areas via the blood stream. Unfortunately this means the chicken does not appear sick and will continue to ovulate and deposit egg yolks into the oviduct on a daily basis as normal, but the egg yolks cannot get past the blockage and themselves become part of the cheesy infected mass, causing her to become backed up. For the first few day she may strain to try to pass them, but their irregular shape and increasing size make that all but impossible. Occasionally the first and smallest pieces are expelled and people find a "lash egg" in the nest box, but usually things happen pretty much without any obvious sign until it starts to obstruct the bowel and the bird becomes noticeably unwell as the digestive tract backs up.
This will probably have been going on for a week or more, whereas, if a bird is egg bound with an egg stuck in the cloaca, the bird is usually not able to poop at all and gets backed up very quickly... a matter of 2-3 days can prove fatal.
Internal laying is where the daily egg yolks released by the ovary fail to travel into the oviduct and instead drop into the abdominal cavity. There they build up amongst the intestines and liver until they put pressure on the organs like the liver, heart, lungs and intestines but this can go on for months and even over a year, depending on how prolific a layer the bird is. Sometimes they become infected resulting in Egg Yolk Peritonitis but often they don't. When cut open during a necropsy, the egg yolks have usually, mostly solidified and fluid from them leached out and settled in the lowest part of the abdomen forming ascites (water belly). Birds suffering with this often become incredibly heavy as well as bloated.
Anyway, sadly there was nothing that could have been done for your girl, but it is really helpful that your husband managed to open her up and take photos so that we can all gain a little more knowledge and experience through her.
Reproductive problems are the price that chickens pay for being so prolific with their egg laying. They did not evolve to this level of production but were selectively bred by man. Their system has not had the chance to developed to the point where it can take the wear and tear that daily laying 24/7 throughout the year puts on them. Breeds that have retained some of their natural instinct for broodiness and don't lay through the winter are less likely to develop these problems because their reproductive system gets regular breaks from egg laying..... perhaps something to consider if/when you restock. That said there are different problems that can affect other more broody birds, so there is no simple answer. Sadly, chickens are prone to many disorders and losses are inevitable sooner or later. Most of us know how heart rending those losses are to the loving owner and here at BYC we are here to help where we can and console when we can't. You could not have done more for your chicken. I'm so sorry we could not help you fix her.
Thanks for tagging me. I had been following the thread(for some reason I hadn't put it in watching though so I appreciate the nudge) but you had it covered, so I had nothing more to add until those final photos.
@LindaNL
I'm so very sorry that we were not able to help your girl but I hope it is some comfort to know that you absolutely did the right thing to have her put to sleep. That is salpingitis and that mass of lash eggs in her oviduct must have been extremely uncomfortable for her and there is no way that she could ever have passed them, so you saved her from a slow and painful death.
Salpingitis is where an infection occurs in the oviduct. Sometimes it can be caused by a thin shelled egg breaking inside the hen or a hen that perhaps lays extra large eggs losing some of the elasticity of her cloaca and some faecal material entering the oviduct as a result. The infection generates puss which in chickens solidifies to a cheese like consistency. This is believed to be a mechanism by which the chicken's body prevents the spread of infection to other areas via the blood stream. Unfortunately this means the chicken does not appear sick and will continue to ovulate and deposit egg yolks into the oviduct on a daily basis as normal, but the egg yolks cannot get past the blockage and themselves become part of the cheesy infected mass, causing her to become backed up. For the first few day she may strain to try to pass them, but their irregular shape and increasing size make that all but impossible. Occasionally the first and smallest pieces are expelled and people find a "lash egg" in the nest box, but usually things happen pretty much without any obvious sign until it starts to obstruct the bowel and the bird becomes noticeably unwell as the digestive tract backs up.
This will probably have been going on for a week or more, whereas, if a bird is egg bound with an egg stuck in the cloaca, the bird is usually not able to poop at all and gets backed up very quickly... a matter of 2-3 days can prove fatal.
Internal laying is where the daily egg yolks released by the ovary fail to travel into the oviduct and instead drop into the abdominal cavity. There they build up amongst the intestines and liver until they put pressure on the organs like the liver, heart, lungs and intestines but this can go on for months and even over a year, depending on how prolific a layer the bird is. Sometimes they become infected resulting in Egg Yolk Peritonitis but often they don't. When cut open during a necropsy, the egg yolks have usually, mostly solidified and fluid from them leached out and settled in the lowest part of the abdomen forming ascites (water belly). Birds suffering with this often become incredibly heavy as well as bloated.
Anyway, sadly there was nothing that could have been done for your girl, but it is really helpful that your husband managed to open her up and take photos so that we can all gain a little more knowledge and experience through her.
Reproductive problems are the price that chickens pay for being so prolific with their egg laying. They did not evolve to this level of production but were selectively bred by man. Their system has not had the chance to developed to the point where it can take the wear and tear that daily laying 24/7 throughout the year puts on them. Breeds that have retained some of their natural instinct for broodiness and don't lay through the winter are less likely to develop these problems because their reproductive system gets regular breaks from egg laying..... perhaps something to consider if/when you restock. That said there are different problems that can affect other more broody birds, so there is no simple answer. Sadly, chickens are prone to many disorders and losses are inevitable sooner or later. Most of us know how heart rending those losses are to the loving owner and here at BYC we are here to help where we can and console when we can't. You could not have done more for your chicken. I'm so sorry we could not help you fix her.
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