Ok, I know this is a crazy idea but has anyone ever had a hen spayed?

[elmo]

I'm 90 percent certain Hermione is now broody. She may have one more egg on the way and if she lays that without further damage to her insides, then we'll have at least three weeks to figure out what to do.

I'm very encouraged by the responses I've gotten to my question. Our vet doesn't do the surgery, but he said he could probably find someone at the Texas A&M veterinary school who could do it, and I also have a lead on another avian vet in our area who I know spays pet birds. If you can spay a cockatiel, I'm guessing a chicken would be a lot easier to work on.

At least I have some time to research and think about his more. I want to make sure that I don't choose an option that causes Hermione suffering for very little chance of a good outcome.

She's a wonderful, sweet, smart little chicken.

 

[speckledhen]

This is the story of Penny, an EE hen who was an internal layer who was "fixed" this way. Shows pics of the surgery and what was removed. GRAPHIC pics, be warned, for those who are squeamish. I knew her owner, Mandy, a sweet girl who really loved that hen:

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/PennysSurgery/PennysSurgery.html

 

[elmo]

Great news! Hermione laid the egg that was on the way on Sunday afternoon, and when I inspected it, it was absolutely clean, not even a speck of blood on it. I checked the exterior of her vent and it looks normal, no bloody prolapse visible anymore. And she definitely is broody now. A friend of ours is giving us some hatching eggs for her to sit on, and if we're lucky she'll get some chicks to raise so that will mean she gets almost two months rest from laying.

Plus, our friend wants the chicks back after they're raised, so I won't have to worry about finding homes for excess chickens (we can't keep any roosters because that's against the law here, and we don't really need any more pullets). Whew! I'm so relieved this morning.

 

[sugar209]

Spayed hens is quiet normal .
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=556825

 

[chinese capons]

Castration of Hens

(poularde the crowing)

Castrating a hen ( remove the ovaries ) makes it into a poularde, The goal of the procedure is to prevent fertility and the formation of eggs, and thus facilitate the fattening process.
poularde like a rooster, and often as the rooster crows.

Eyes on me

 

[sugar209]

maybe you can find some infomation here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=411126&p=1

 

[PeggySueQ]

I know it's several months since you posted. I have a hen that had to have a "hysterectomy". She was "squat-walking" and her belly was engorged. I took her to an avian vet. He wanted the experience of abdominal surgery so he gave me quite a discount (still $$$$spendy!). When he got in there he ended up removing as much of her uterus as he could. Aftrwards, he placed a hormone chip under her skin to act as birth control. She has done amazingly well. Never looked better! She will never lay again but she is an outdoor pet that I am committed to.

 

[MyTinyDinosaurs]

Hermione, one of our favorite pet chickens, has female trouble. She's been eggbound once, and now is laying very bloody eggs, with the inside of her vent torn up. She's just laying eggs that are too big for her.

We discussed what options there are with our vet, and he explained that the operation to spay a hen frequently results in her death. Hormone shots to suppress laying frequently cause other troublesome side effects. In other words, he was telling us that there are no good options other than euthanasia.

Right now we're trying to get her to go broody and give her insides a chance to heal up. Of course, we know that when she starts laying again, the same problem is likely to recur.

I feel sick at heart, and I want to know that I've looked at all possible options, and that I'm operating on good information. So, has anyone ever had their chicken spayed, and what were your experiences?

Thanks very much.

Hello. I am in the same situation. my hen has chronic prolapse and this last egg just tore part of the organ that keeps proposing. in fact I have an appt today to asses her health for whether she is a good candidate for spay. vet said there is the choice of an implant that will keep her from laying. that is the hormone I assume. I would also like to hear if anyone has had success with spaying. or is it doomed to fail. I love little Liza and her sister Debbie is bonded to her tightly. So you are not alone.

Quote:

Actually, recently I've seen quite a few BYCers post about their spayed hens. It probably goes hand in hand with caponing roosters.

I stand corrected... I'm going to have to go look that up now. Sounds interesting!