Hen not eating since Suprelorin implant

[getaclue]

For a 5 lb. chicken, she should get 45 ml. in a day to begin with. Again, start slow with 5 ml. then in an hour, or two, repeat. See how she tolerates it. If she does good with it, then increase to 10 ml. feedings, every hour or so, until you have given about 45 ml. You did not mention whether she's drinking water, or not.

 

[Kneedles]

You did not mention whether she's drinking water, or not.

I hardly ever see my hens drinking water, even at the best of times. I would be surprised if this hen was currently drinking any water, though.

The lump was probably caused by me running out of layer pellets and not buying more for over a month.

But why this, and not egg binding?

 

[getaclue]

What were you feeding during that month? To be honest, when you said the x-ray revealed a calcified lump inside her oviduct, I almost asked if it could be a lash egg, and the hen might have salpingitis. Antibiotics sometimes help, with salpingitis.

As a general rule, sex links are bred for production. They are fantastic layers for 2-3 years, usually laying on a daily basis. Once laying slows down, more often than not, problems begin. While many breeds, especially heritage breeds, don't lay as much, they tend to have less problems when they slow down, and on a whole, tend to live longer. A 5 year old sex link is a testament to your good treatment of your birds.

 

[Kneedles]

What were you feeding during that month? To be honest, when you said the x-ray revealed a calcified lump inside her oviduct, I almost asked if it could be a lash egg, and the hen might have salpingitis. Antibiotics sometimes help, with salpingitis.

Mostly bird seed, soaked brown bread, and raw eggs. She usually loves bird seed and raw eggs, but not since her current problem arose.
I would be surprised if the vet was not able to identify a lash egg; she is an avian vet, and I think that she said that the lump is hard.

As a general rule, sex links are bred for production. They are fantastic layers for 2-3 years, usually laying on a daily basis. Once laying slows down, more often than not, problems begin. While many breeds, especially heritage breeds, don't lay as much, they tend to have less problems when they slow down, and on a whole, tend to live longer. A 5 year old sex link is a testament to your good treatment of your birds.

I don't know that my hens actually are sex links. That is just what one or two other members of this forum identified my hens as being, when I asked for their breed to be identified ages ago. My hens originate from a motley flock of possibly inbred free-range birds that are kept for food and probably don't live for very long even if they aren't eaten first.

 

[Kneedles]

I have found that this hen also currently has a slow crop, but she has had this condition before, so I'm not sure whether it's related to the implant.

 

[getaclue]

With slow crop, add a bit of tomato juice to the baby food mixture. In addition, be sure to massage the crop a bit, several times a day.

 

[Kneedles]

The third day of feeding this hen baby food has now passed. I also tube-fed her some Mutti Tomato Purée yesterday. Today I was given some baby food containing sweet corn and chicken. I mixed it in with the baby food that contains beef and corn and I fed it to the hen.
The hen's condition is not improving. She still shows no interest in feeding by herself and she is still lethargic. I used Amoxicillin on her recently (less than a month ago), so I don't think that it would work if I gave the hen more now. I probably won't be able to see the local vet tomorrow and I definitely won't be able to go to the clinic where the avian vet works. I don't know what else to do.

 

[getaclue]

Is her crop emptied, first thing in the morning, before you feed her? If so, then she does not have a crop issue, you might mix some of her chicken feed with water, and let it get very mushy, and tube that. If her crop is not empty first thing in the morning, before you feed her, I'd continue with the baby food & tomato juice, and massages. What did you treat her for with the Amoxicillin?

 

[Kneedles]

Is her crop emptied, first thing in the morning, before you feed her? If so, then she does not have a crop issue, you might mix some of her chicken feed with water, and let it get very mushy, and tube that.

I did make sure to check her crop this morning. It was empty.

What did you treat her for with the Amoxicillin?

It's complicated. I gave her the amoxicillin for a few days (possibly a week) before going to the avian vet, because at the time I thought that the hen had an infection of some sort. But two or three weeks before I started that round of amoxicillin, I gave the hen amoxicillin for three or four days because she seemed slightly unwell at that time. Then I stopped because the hen didn't seem that sick any more, and because I don't have unlimited amoxicillin (Fish Mox Forte is expensive to ship to New Zealand). Yes, I know that that is not how antibiotics should be used.
The only other antibiotic that I have on hand is tetracycline. I actually switched to tetracycline and used it twice or three times before taking the hen to the vet, because the hen's condition was obviously not improving. The avian vet told me not to use tetracycline on the hen.
The antibiotic that vets have given me in the past is Clavulox (a better kind of amoxicillin treatment than the Fish Mox Forte that I have), but I don't think that vets here sell it without a consultation.

 

[getaclue]

You could leave a message, asking the vet that gave you the Clavulox to call you back, and see if you can get more, without having to pay extra for an exam. Do you have medical insurance, and how well does your primary physician know you. They can call in a prescription for the antibiotics, as if they're for you, and you can get it filled at the pharmacy. Insurance prices too, if you have that type insurance.