Eggbound Hen - Update on pg 2

[jettgirl24]

Thanks Speckled Hen... It's easier knowing what to expect. I keep going back and forth on what to do - if it's not going to get better should I end things for her now or continue to try to help her? I guess as long as she seems comfortable I feel like I should continue to try and see her through it. She's been alert throughout and doesn't seem to be in pain but if things go downhill we will give her as quick and painless of an ending as possible. It's the least I can do for her if/when the time comes.

 

[speckledhen]

It's your call. Only you know what you want to do with your flock. After you go through this with one hen, you may make a different decision with the next one... and there will be a next time.


The fact is that it's hard to have someone tell you what to do if you haven't been through it. Unless you have seen the process with your own eyes, the deterioration of a hen with one of these chronic reproductive malfunctions, you may never feel comfortable with a decision to cull, even though people like me and TerryG tell you what the outcome is. I understand that. I understand how hard it is to accept that there is no hope, that it's chronic and there is really no way out for the poor hen.

 

[terryg]

SpeckledHen put it well. The decision is hard, and chickens make it especially difficult as they don't have that "I give up" look in their eyes until the very end. I used to think that I was doing the right think letting them carry on until they died on their own, but having done necropsies, I now recognize that I have let my hens suffer, and in some cases starve. With years of experience, I can now recognize hens with fatal illnesses and make better decisions for them. I have a post about the kindness of euthanasia, which you can read here:
http://hencam.com/henblog/2012/06/the-kindness-of-euthanizing/

 

[jettgirl24]

Thank you guys for all of your advice. It's such a hard decision with the girls for me, and it's one I haven't had to make yet. The boys I have no trouble dispatching but there's something about the hens that I just have a hard time with!

So now for an update on Harriet... I started the penicillin on Tuesday, she'll get her third shot today. I also tried to drain the swelling on Tuesday but poked in a several places and couldn't get anything. I decided to stop and try again the next day as I felt bad about poking around on her too much. When I checked her yesterday the swelling had gone down significantly and skin was pink rather than red. She was definitely feeling better and much more energetic. I gave her the second penicillin injection and moved her back outside to a hutch in her regular pen. This morning I checked her again and she was begging to get out of that hutch, running back and forth across the front. I pulled her out and the swelling is almost completely gone, skin is back to normal color rather than red. I put her back with the rest of the flock and she is acting totally normal - scratching, eating, running around with her sister. She's been getting steadily better since the penicillin shots started and I never was able to drain the fluid but it's seems to be working it's way out of her system. Droppings look normal, no sign of egg matter working it's way out or anything like that (not sure if I would see that or not with an internal layer?)

Is this the kind of upturn you guys were talking about previously and I should expect a downturn, or did I misdiagnose and it's likely some other type of infection rather than internal laying? I'm very curious to figure out what's going on but at this point I'm remaining cautiously optimistic.

 

[speckledhen]

Each one presents a bit differently. I've had fluid reabsorb into the body or otherwise disappear after giving massive doses of penicillin, however, it was only temporary in every case, except for one hen, who we probably caught at the very onset of infection. She did go on to lay again eventually, so it was probably just fluid and maybe some liquid infection without internal laying. She is still okay after a year. She is the exception, though.

 

[jettgirl24]

Ok, good to know. I will keep a close eye on her and will make decisions accordingly... For now I'm glad she's feeling good and can enjoy the beautiful sunshine that we've waited sooooo long for here in the PNW. If things take a turn and we have to do the deed it will make me feel much better that she had some beautiful days in the pasture beforehand.

 

[sheeshshe]

wow, this is all amazing information! I really appreciate all you guys do to help everyone out here

I have a hen that hasn't been laying and has been sort of sitting around more than normal. it has been going on for a month now and I can't figure out what is going on. she doesn't appear to have fluid though. I will watch for all those symptoms you guys provided.