Is it possible to remove reproductive organs (safely)?

[SarahLadd]

My hen Onyx struggles mightily every time she needs to lay. She lays one egg a week. For 12 hours before she lays she is in obviously terrible pain. Hunched over, wings on the ground, eyes closed, laboring to breathe, not flocking, barely moving for 12 hours.

It really feels quite terrible to watch her suffer like this, every week, for the last 3 years of her life. I'm wondering if it is a safe option to secure a vet that would perform surgery to remove her egg organs, so that she may live out the rest of her life without this pain.

I know that anesthesia and surgery is never 100% safe and that on the whole, it is best to avoid it if possible. So, I have a dilemma. On top of this, she is a very tiny chicken, 550 grams in size, and I'm unsure if her smallness would increase mortality for surgical procedure.

What should I do?

 

[kattabelly]

It's not something I know anything about but some people get their vets to fit a contraceptive implant to stop a hen from laying if she has reproductive issues. There's been threads on here if you do a search.

 

[allosaurusrock]

Seconding the contraceptive implant! It will help her a ton.

 

[onwingandhoof]

My hen Onyx struggles mightily every time she needs to lay. She lays one egg a week. For 12 hours before she lays she is in obviously terrible pain. Hunched over, wings on the ground, eyes closed, laboring to breathe, not flocking, barely moving for 12 hours.

It really feels quite terrible to watch her suffer like this, every week, for the last 3 years of her life. I'm wondering if it is a safe option to secure a vet that would perform surgery to remove her egg organs, so that she may live out the rest of her life without this pain.

I know that anesthesia and surgery is never 100% safe and that on the whole, it is best to avoid it if possible. So, I have a dilemma. On top of this, she is a very tiny chicken, 550 grams in size, and I'm unsure if her smallness would increase mortality for surgical procedure.

What should I do?

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I have the same issue. Mine has infections, so I'm taking her to be spayed. I'll be going to UC Davis in California since I'm about 1.5 hours from it. Look for a teaching university in your area and see if they have a vet clinic on the grounds. Ive heard the implants are good but expensive to keep up on. Good luck with whatever choice you make!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Poor Onyx. Please keep us posted as to your decision and how it works out for her. Wishing her well, literally.