Is she suffering?

[GretchenM]

Hi, all,

I have a hen (either 3-1/2 or 4-1/2 years old) who's been having "production" problems for the past maybe 3 months. I've started calling her "Poopsie" b/c her butt is usually pretty messy; occasionally you can tell there's egg content in the poop, but not often. Her belly has been swollen and tight all this time, too. She's clearly not feeling well, as she spends most of the day sitting, usually apart from the other hens (they have free roam of our 7 acres); BUT she's not down right lethargic -- she still runs for treats when I serve them, wanders around scratching from time to time, and joins in my conversations with the other hens.

She also has some trouble breathing. She breathes in with her nose but out with her mouth -- or maybe vice versa. However, her chest sounds clear.

In the past, when my hens have gotten sick, they were clearly sick -- very lethargic, eating less or nothing, sometimes not coming out of the coop in the morning with the rest. She's not doing any of this. She just seems to be acting OLD!

If she's suffering, I want to put her down, but I keep going back and forth about whether to, b/c I'm just not sure how much she's suffering! I know none of you can tell me that, but I do appreciate any thoughts and suggestions!

BTW, when this first started many weeks ago, I gave her antibiotic for a week and she seemed to get better. Then she got worse about 3 weeks ago, I tried the antibiotic again, and I couldn't see any effect.

THANK YOU!
Gretchen

 

[GitaBooks]

Hens, especially those past around 2 or 3, can suffer from egg-laying problems that include retaining eggs or yolks and other such things. I've seen chickens that could barely walk at their old age, but yours seems to be pretty happy, since she still seems interested in food.
If she has a broken egg in her perhaps it is an infection that is causing the problem, since broken eggs can cause infections.

Chickens that suffer show no excitement towards food, they are hunched up with fluffed feathers, they try to follow the flock but can't, they sit under a heat light or sit and strain. They tend to close their eyes a lot and pull their neck back.

The breathing issue is confusing. I have a rooster who breaths like that at night, and I have chickens who do that when they are having problems swallowing something, but that's all.

Sorry I can't help more, but I would say, if she still seems to have a spark for life than she isn't suffering, even if she can't get around as well.

Breeds that lay more eggs are more prone to egg laying problems, such as Red Stars or Leghorns. I had a Red Star (Queen) who got really sick and seemed like she wasn't eating. She stood in this weird way and perched away from the rest of the flock. She was missing lots of feathers and had a mite problem. After about a month or so she got better, grew back all her feathers, and is doing well. Perhaps yours will get better too!

Best of luck!

 

[GretchenM]

Thanks a ton, Gita! The behavior you describe is EXACTLY what I'm used to seeing in ill hens, which is what confuses me about poor Poopsie.

I've seen people who believe chickens can suffer from allergies, similar to us! It could be that allergies account for her breathing! Or maybe just the heat.

I greatly appreciate it!

 

[emmaie892000]

Sounds like she has internal laying problems. It can happen with age, and there's nothing you can do about it. The reason the antibiotics helped could be that it stopped the egg yolk peritonitis, but at a certain point there's nothing left to do. If she's still eating and drinking and isn't getting picked on I wouldn't euthanize yet, but once her quality of life reaches a certain point, that may be the way you want to go.
Warm baths may help her feel better, treats, etc. But really, that's just helping symptoms and not treatment. Obviously, it's up to you to decide when to euthanize, but I would generally say when she stops moving at all, loses her "love" for life, doesn't want to eat or drink, or otherwise indicates pain, it may be time to end her suffering.
The breathing thing is a mystery, and doesn't sound like it has anything to do with her internal laying. If none of the others have it, I wouldn't worry about respiratory illness.

 

[GretchenM]

Thank you so much! I agree she's got a laying/egg production problem, and I was worried about peritonitis. And I'm very glad to hear you basically second what GitaBooks said about recognizing at what point she's really starting to suffer.

I greatly appreciate it!

 

[emmaie892000]

Also, if the time comes to end her suffering, here's a thread on options. If you skip to the last page, I made a summary post with all the options I knew or heard of on the thread, and listed pros and cons.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/208641/how-to-humanely-euthanize-a-chicken

 

[GretchenM]

Thanks again. That's a great list, with all the pros and cons. We have settled on a variation of wringing the neck: Hold the chicken upside down to call her, put a plastic bag over her, then wring, the idea being that the combo of being held upside down and the bag covering her head will keep her calm. My husband is good at the wringing; I'd be afraid I wouldn't be forceful enough!

I also love the cone method of decapitation, as it has the same upside-down calming effect. We plan to get meat chickens at some point and will use that method for dispatching.

This list is AWESOME!

 

[emmaie892000]

No problem. Hopefully you won't have to use any methods for a long time, but its always helpful to have a plan. I find a lot of the time that people who are stuck with a severely injured and suffering chicken out of the blue, either from attack or illness, usually have absolutely no plan, and it can end up in more suffering for the bird as they wait for it to die on its own.