Poor hen with chronic, severe salpingitis (?)! How to treat her?

[marshajoy]

I'm posting about Bean the hen again, because in my last post, I titled her condition as worms, but I no longer think that it is. From further research, it seems to be salpingitis?

She's a Buff Orpington, somewhere between 2-4 yrs, and she looks miserably distended and swollen in the stomach. She tries to walk, but she has a hard time, waddling from one leg to the other with the heavy weight of her distended belly. She is eating- a lot-- but mostly seems miserable. She is isolated in a crate (I'm trying to tend to her and give her regular nurturing) and I often find her with her eyes closed, sort of rocking back and forth. Her droppings are watery.

She was brought in from the flock about three days ago... she seems up and down... sometimes looks miserable, sometiems wants to come out and peck around in the grass for bugs.

I've been giving her water w/ cider vinegar, but no real treatment right now. Want to make sure I have the right diagnosis and know the right way to treat her.

The farmers here have an autopsy from a chicken that had similar symptoms awhile back, and it says, "remarkable swelling of the abdomen... caused by accumulation of fluid in the ceolomic cavity." It says "the oviduct was greatly distended by masses of yellow-tinged caseous material... several tiny tapeworms were seen."

It also says she was "infested with tapeworms," but that is not the actual focus... mostly it emphasizes "inflammation of the oviduct." We took that as being caused by tapeworm, but perhaps not.

Is such an inflammation similar to being "egg-bound?" How do you tell the difference? How do you treat them?

Please help us, myself and "Bean" (the hen)!

Thanks to all in advance for the abundant knowledge here.

Marsha

 

[kellysmall87]

Egg bound is when an egg is stuck. usually, you check for this by inserting a well lubricated finger GENTLY into her vent, and feeling for an egg. If an egg is there, and she hasn't laid for a while, it could be stuck. You then syringe up some warm olive oil as a lubricant, massage her belly, give her a warm soak. Tail is usually always down in egg-bound situation.

If it is infection, like you think it is, then antibiotics is all that will help I presume.

 

[marshajoy]

I think we're going to kill off the chicken. I've been caring for her for a week, and she seems more miserable than ever. She is lying down, sprawled out, eyes closed, but still heaving with heavy breaths. I hoped she would die naturally, but she perked up for awhile, and now she's back to looking near death. it's back and forth. seems miserable for her.

i haven't gotten many responses, so i'm praying someone sees this to help out ASAP.
what is the most humane way to finish her off? we can't afford to have her euthanized.

marsha

 

[stargirl]

I'd do as kelly says and treat her for egg binding before making any final decisions. It sounds quite likely!
As a first step, sit her in a bowl of warm water for half an hour or so and then let her dry off somewhere warm & dark for the night. Also try and get her to eat some tums/antacid for the calcium.

If she's really suffering, the decision is yours. Searching these forums will give you lots of advice on the kindest ways to cull.

Good luck.

 

[kellysmall87]

If you don't want to treat for egg binding then sounds like you need to cull. I don't know the best way, never had to do it. i would say a quick snap of the neck is best, although you need to be confident that you are strong enough, knowlegable enough and fast enough with it that you do it first time. Could be disastrous if you need to repeat the process again and again. X Good luck.