My chicken won't eat, and looks very sick (Update; Cars passed away)

[caralouise1974]

I have to say, of all the possible causes I mentioned above, it most sounds and looks like a possible case of peritonitis to me too, which is most commonly brought about by a broken egg inside the bird.

VERY prompt treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can sometimes help, but it's always pretty marginal whether they'll recover or not.

Really think a vet should see this hen asap.

 

[jjthink]

I agree completely about getting some urgent medical intervention.
Sending many good wishes for your hen.

With internal laying, I have memories of Betty and how she'd be so happy once free of a troublesome egg (soft shelled, or just a soft shell all wrinkled up with no egg content OR a lump of stuff that looked kind of like egg yolk). That's when in her case - in retrospect - I should have gotten her the surgery but at those times, she would seem so relieved and okay that I didn't. I had hoped they were isolated incidents, and not a situation that would degrade. I had often read on BYC about similar isolated incidents happening with other people's feathered friends. I thought perhaps it was a calcium issue, which in some cases it probably is. Then she moved into a stage where it took antibiotics and antiinflammatories for her to bounce back as she would get obviously unwell- and she did bounce back - and was happy, so I hoped this would take care of any flare ups along the way. But in time those meds stopped working. She was weak and listless and lost her appetite - I was initially confused around that time because she was also molting and I thought that's why she stopped laying eggs (plus she was probably 3 1/2 and I thought perhaps a slow down in egg production was par for the course). I was in touch with vets all over the country and U of PA told me to use terramycin (a change from prior antibiotic) - they said it would work. It did not. By the time that was apparent and I decided to put her through the surgery, poor Betty was too weak and died 2 hours after the surgery. Betty had always had an all consuming utter terror if she was put in a car and of being at the vets (and I mean the kind where I was convinced she was going to stroke out on me - the LONGEST 45 minutes drive EVER - heavy panting, eyes closed, slumped over etc.) - admittedly, this influenced me as far as trying to get medication to work and hoping that she wouldn't need to go in for the surgery. But in fact she needed it before she was so full of infection - the vet said she was full of rotting festering eggs, which still to this day breaks my heart. because it meant she was in a world of hurt

Cara, you are the best feather-mom that Bella could ever have - I just know this has to be a comfort to her. I am sorry though, about these bumps in the road and hope they are, as with some birdies, isolated incidents unrelated to internal laying. Sounds like an issue with forming shells and being able to expel the eggs, nevertheless a worrisome problem unto itself :^( but hopefully if you do proceed with the surgery she will at least be going in strong unlike Betty with her internal laying infection. I am right with you in feeling your dilemma of trying to sort out what it best. Hoping all will be well. Hugs.

JJ

 

[clothcanoemama]

It could very well be a broken egg inside, we've had new development in the past 24 hrs and I'm not sure what to make of it.

The crop has gone soft now, and I can move it around and feel some grains. The thing is it expanded to the size of a baseball and was bloated, and this morning it's smaller but still bigger than the rest of the hens. Wouldn't having eaten for the past 4 days have brought those grains into her intestine instead of still being in her crop?

I've also noticed she has more of a greenish poop today, and hardly any comes out. She is more lethargic than ever, lays down and sleeps all day. I have bought electrolytes and vitamins and am giving it to her, which she seems to be swallowing. Yesterday she regurgitated the whole amount though, and this was after me slowly dripping some on her beak and her swallowing. This morning she doesn't even make a noise when I'm lifting her. She has swallowed her drink today with no fuss, but is still not eating.

I have visited 4 farming stores yesterday as well as talked to an expert on the subject, and all are telling me not much can be done and she'll most likely die. I've looked and researched for a bird vet with no luck. My DH's friend specializes in big farm animals so he says she wouldn't be much help with chickens, and the mentality here as far as chickens go is that it's all part of farming, you win some you lose some. The expert said that it's all part of living on a farm, some chickens and other animals will die, it can be a learning experience for the kids as well. The thing is I was raised on a farm and know all about that, but it sucks because this is my son's chicken and he's only 3.5 yrs old, he might not understand. I was determined to save this little one, and am still trying.

 

[clothcanoemama]

I also wanted to ask, how do you feed a chickens some yogurt, eggs and/or crushed pellets if you aren't supposed to force feed them/opening their beaks yourself and putting the food in their mouths?

Someone gave me Blue Seal sunshine plus with yeast culture and I'd like to try it with her, but am unsure as to how to feed it to her if she won't peck at anything.

 

[chickenannie]

I just skimmed through this very quickly, but wondered if you checked her for being egg-bound?

Also, she will have tiny stones in her crop -- when you say you feel "grains" I don't know if you mean the stones (which should stay there) or actually grains.

 

[clothcanoemama]

I've checked to see if she was egg bound but couldn't feel anything, she's skinny and there's nothing. Is there another way of checking?

It must be stones then still in her crop, explains why they are still there.

 

[clothcanoemama]

I'm sad to say Cars passed away this afternoon . I brought her in so she could be with us, since she took a turn for the worst, and not 5 min after she was brought in she passed away in my arms. It wasn't a pretty death. The kids were with me, and we sat down and I explained all about death and farm animals, how it happens and how we can mourn and be sad, and do something special for the much loved Cars at her funeral. We'll be burying her tonight, the kids are making her some cards right now.

It's sad, Caleb is taking it ok, he keeps reminding me of this Caillou episode where Caillou found a dead bird and that the dad buried it, and I can see he understands a little. Désirée is taking it harder, she took it really bad when we lost our Malamute to cancer last year, so it's still fresh in her mind, and she's a little angry right now. Any tips on dealing with kids and animal death?

Thanks for all your help, I'd really like to know what happened exactly, you know?

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. She was a lovely and very handsome hen, but these things are sometimes inevitable, as in this case.

My chief suspicion is a massive abdominal infection (peritonitis) and therefore you probably wouldn't have been able to do much to save her in any case. Could have been something reproductive (with hens and peritonitis, it usually is) or perhaps a kidney or liver problem, or even an issue with her digestive tract. She could possibly have eaten something sharp which pierced her gizzard or intestines - but without a necropsy, you'll probably never know.

The fact that you were caring for her right to the end should be a huge comfort to you - she will have felt safe, and was thankfully not alone when she passed. You did everything you possibly could and she had a better life, and more dignified end, than many hens with medical issues like hers. They aren't so lucky as to have such a caring owner.

Am sending my love to you and your family

 

[jjthink]

I'm soooo sorry....And sad.

JJ

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
Thanks JJ - I know that as a responsible Feather Mom I'm going to have to face up to a hard decision sooner or later. Right now, I'm having some issues with my human soon-to-be-baby (it is due in a fortnight, but the docs keep threatening to induce me early or give me a c-section because of my cardiac problems) so I have to put all my energies there for the moment.

Bella is a constant source of worry to me, and especially so as her issues seem to be so similar to Betty's. Her terror of the vet is also what's making me hesitate before taking her for surgery. I honestly thought she was going to die from the stress the other night, just like you felt with Betty.

Anyway, I am comforting myself with the following points:

1. She is only nine months old, and has only had four soft shell incidents, all well spaced apart. This is the first time the vet has felt the need to give antibiotics, and we're actually fairly sure the egg broke when it hit the floor, not actually inside her. She's shown no signs of egg-related infections thus far during any of her episodes.
2. It does indeed sound more like a shell-formation issue than internal laying. She hasn't missed a day's lay since February, so internal laying is pretty unlikely.
3. As a commercial hybrid laying strain of hen (called a bluebelle over here), Bella's frantic egg-laying should drop dramatically after her first season. Hopefully, after a moult, she'll lay a lot less eggs, and have a lot less problems.
4. The bluebelle strain is only supposed to live for five years in any case - if she makes it to 3 and a half, like Betty did, then I suppose that's actually not a significantly shortened life. It certainly wouldn't be worth risking her young life now for an extra 18 months of what could be pretty dire old age. Another argument for leaving her alone I suppose, to see if she works it all out on her own.

I certainly want to wait until after the first moult anyway... and fingers are crossed that she has no further problems before then...

Clothcanoemama - sorry to hijack your thread, but as you can probably guess, JJ and I have both had extensive first hand experience of egg-laying issues/peritonitis/abdominal problems - which I suspect the lovely Cars was suffering from. She though, sadly succumbed in one fell swoop, whereas both our girls had/is having ongoing incidents, which are managable when taken in isolation, but will probably eventually end the same way. I'm so sorry for your loss and can totally understand how painful this must be for you and your little ones