Hen laid 4 eggs in one day *UPDATE*: she's back from the vet!

[jjthink]

They will remember you. My dear BJ roo had to be away for 9 months awhile back - my mom was very ill and I was on the other side of the state in hospital by her side most of the time (she is doing better now, thankfully). That, and his best and only chicken buddy Betty had died and the owner of the property I was caring for him on would not allow me to get him another friend and he was so lonely...and this new place had hens to keep him company. I visited BJ so he would know that I hadn't forgotten him and that I cared (I had never ever put a being in someone else's hands before, except if I was away a few days and even then, my babies would be cared for on premises) - I didn't visit as often as I wanted because I didn't want to make the person who had him feel crowded (though she did anyway, as it turned out!) - BJ never forgot me, always stood by me, letting me gently lay my hand on him and he eagerly awaited my hand feeding him. He is back with me now, since July 07..... I created feathered friend accommodations on my property and was able to bring him home with a lady friend....

I totally understand your angst, trying to do right by Bella and Hen, and unsure what would serve them best. I know the feeling and it is very difficult. We do our best.

JJ

 

[allmypeeps]

...I would just seek out a specialist and have him do the surgery if this forced moult does not give you lasting results.

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
Thanks JJ. It's good to know that they are sensitive enough creatures to remember the people who care for them, but at the same time, I'm trying not to think about the fact that Bella is probably therefore sensitive enough to be feeling dreadfully unhappy at being where she is right now. I do hope the vet is being kind to her and she's not horribly lonely.

Good news though: I went to visit Hen yesterday, and she's fine

. Recognised us and scampered over, sure, but soon got bored of us within a couple of minutes and carried on scratting around and exploring her new pen. The welsummer cockerel in a nearby pen had a lovely chat with her from his pen too! Looks like she's found an admirer! So I think she's going to be just fine where she is for a little while. She had food in her crop and had laid two eggs since being there, so she must be feeling pretty okay with it all.

I just want my Bella back now. I can't bear to think of her all alone in the vet's home with no company and in the dark for most of the time. It's breaking my heart to think about it.

I'm hanging all my hopes on this avian vet seeing my e-mail tomorrow and coming back to me with his prognosis. Then we can hopefully bring her home and move on with getting her a permanent solution.

 

[caralouise1974]

Okay, the latest news:

Bella is home. She was completely fine the whole time she was with the vet. Five normal eggs (although he said the whites looked a bit milky so he fed them to his dog), and no egg binding or bursting inside her. He did not proceed with the forced moult, simply monitored her and watched for signs of ill health.

He's at a loss and can't, quite understandably, do anything to help her until he sees the evidence of her illness with his own eyes. So he has given her back because she'll clearly be happier at home. We just have to go and pick Henrietta up from the chicken-kennels tomorrow, and we'll be back to normal again.

So, we're back to square one... almost...

Thing is, she's come back as an almost completely different chicken. She's more chilled out and relaxed, she allows us to stroke her and handle her, and she took herself off to bed very early tonight, instead of pacing around until almost darkness. It's almost like she was being overstimulated before (a bit like she was on uppers or something!), and something he's been doing has relaxed her.

My gut reaction is that it might have been dietary. He didn't bring the bag of pellets back that we gave him to give to her (he said he'd not even seen it - I suspect it is still behind the counter at the surgery!) and had been using 'his own feed' instead. As the surgery is now closed for the evening, I can't very well call him and ask what exactly this feed is, but I'm betting it wasn't a complete layer's pellet.

Do layer's pellets have a stimulating effect on hens I wonder? And would she become malnourished if I tried feeding her on a more corn-based diet to relax her and give her system a break?

I'd be delighted to bounce these ideas off all you lovely BYCers and see what you think!

 

[allmypeeps]

I have read nervousness or stress can mess up a chickens egg production cycle...causeing mis-shapen shells etc....you said she frequently paced and acted nervous ??

Perhaps this is because she felt 'off' or perhaps its her anxiety that caused her to be 'off' in the first place...who knows!

...if she returns to being anxious once home w/ you then perhaps there is something about her environment that is upsetting to her? ie, other birds bullying her, annoying roo, overcrowding?? ...doesnt like the 'feng shui' of her coop! LOL LOL

keep her by herself and see if it make a difference (as that may be the only difference between home and at the vets was she was confined by herself).

e

 

[vnploveschickens]

I just found this thread. I'm so happy that Bella is home with you and your husband. Maybe you can relax now. I hope and pray that everyone continues to be well. If you can, please keep us updated.

Val

 

[gritsar]

Glad your hen is home and doing better.
P.S. Tell your vet he could have eaten the eggs with the milky white. A milky white is the sign of a really fresh egg. The older the egg gets the clearer the white becomes.

 

[cobrien]

had a similar problem with a beloved chicky girl and it was too late to save her, but had it not been too late, the vet would have done the hysterectomy. not all vets know how to do it, even avian ones, which may be why yours doesn't want to. if you want to save he, this sounds like the only way - find an avian specialist who has done chicken hysterectomies before. if she gets better on her own and you don't do the surgery, my gut tells me this could come back in worse way later on. our vet said that chickens have been bred for so long to have unnaturally active reproductive systems since they are selectively bred for egg production, so some girls it can cause serious problem with their ovaries and uterus. so sad that this happens, and sorry for your problem. good luck!

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
I really do think that we're onto something here: either environmental issues or feed.

She's definitely not overcrowded, as there are only the two of them (her and a buff orp, and they adore each other, so no bullying either) in a coop designed for six (although I think four would probably be more comfortable) and a 6x8' covered run, which is pretty luxurious for two hens, by anyone's standards! They also have a 5x5m grassed area which they get to free range in for at least an hour each day (only when we're around to keep an eye on them).

And yes, she wasn't nervous exactly, just what I would call 'feisty' - didn't like being handled, got up very early and went to bed late (way after her companion), always first to the door to be let out for free-ranging time, eating like a total pig! Just generally more 'wired'! It's like the vet put her on chill pills!

I've got to go and get our other girl back today, as I've promised I will to the lady who is looking after her (and we're paying a day rate to keep her there!).

I just can't see that it would be fair to Bella to live alone - I always thought chickens were supposed to be poor lost souls without company of their own kind? (And we've missed Henrietta dreadfully - she's our tame lap chicken and I couldn't bear to part with her so that Bella could live with us alone.)

Anyway, that just leaves the feng shui - I can't think of anything else that could be upsetting her!

 

[farrier!]

Some horses do not do well on high protein feed. They become nervous and high strung. Some end up going to auction only to become easy going sweet horses with a "poorer" quality feed.
I would suggest really finding out what the vet was feeding and change your feed.
Glad she is home and good luck!