Suprelorin implant to stop hens laying

[Meryl2019]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, based in the West of Ireland. I have two ex-battery hens, for almost two years now, one recently developed egg peritonitis and was very ill. She has always produced large eggs with very soft shells, but I'm fairly new to keeping hens so I didn't know anything about egg peritonitis until recently. After 10 days antibiotic treatment she is very much improved but I fear this will be an on-going problem for her and have been looking into treatments. I have read a little about the Suprelorin implant to stop hens laying and wonder if anyone has tried it, how to access it or has any advice generally? Thanks.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, based in the West of Ireland. I have two ex-battery hens, for almost two years now, one recently developed egg peritonitis and was very ill. She has always produced large eggs with very soft shells, but I'm fairly new to keeping hens so I didn't know anything about egg peritonitis until recently. After 10 days antibiotic treatment she is very much improved but I fear this will be an on-going problem for her and have been looking into treatments. I have read a little about the Suprelorin implant to stop hens laying and wonder if anyone has tried it, how to access it or has any advice generally? Thanks.

Hi @Meryl2019 Welcome To BYC!
Hopefully some users will chime in with their experiences.
I'll tag a couple of people that may have used/tried the implant.
@micstrachan @leighks
Here's a few links that you may find helpful.
BYC thread discussing the implant.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-with-egg-peritonitis-laying-anymore.643985/
More information
https://poultrykeeper.com/reproductive-system-problems/suprelorin-implant-for-chickens/
http://www.poultrydvm.com/drugs/deslorelin

 

[micstrachan]

Hi there,
I had a hen put on Suprelorin after extensive treatment for EYP (abdominal draining, IV fluids, abdominal lavage, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories). It is a small capsule injected whole with a very thick needle. Our main avian vet put it right into her breast muscle, but a different avian vet told me he prefers a subcutaneous injection on her upper back so it stays in the system longer. If you pursue this route, I suggest you discuss with the vet where on the chicken’s body they prefer to inject and to explain the pros and cons to you. They may have a practice of just one site or another, but it would be nice to understand the rationale. The implant was very effective, yet only lasted about four months. She died just a few days after her second implant, but she was starting to show signs of salpingitis and never fully gained all her strength back after EYP (which progressed very rapidly). The implants are expensive, but for me it was well worth it to have a few more months with her. It would have been an ongoing problem without the suprelorin and would have killed her much faster. She did have some good quality of life for awhile there.

On a side note... when summer heat hits, if your hen is still with us, do NOT put her in water to cool her off. That’s how I unintentionally killed my sick girl. Everyone else perked up after their dip, but I did not know at the time wetting a sick bird can push them over the edge. Devastating. I hope people learn from my mistake. Makes me misty eyed still to this day.

 

[micstrachan]

I forgot to mention, Rusty was drained a second time by a different avian vet and the fluid that time was not turbid with egg yolk, but was a bit brownish. The vet thought it was old blood from the original EYP inflammation and scarring and prescribed more anti-inflammatory (this time, ibuprofen). She also helped replenish the drained fluid with subcutaneous saline, which I appreciated. If you have your hen drained, you might ask for that.

 

[leighks]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, based in the West of Ireland. I have two ex-battery hens, for almost two years now, one recently developed egg peritonitis and was very ill. She has always produced large eggs with very soft shells, but I'm fairly new to keeping hens so I didn't know anything about egg peritonitis until recently. After 10 days antibiotic treatment she is very much improved but I fear this will be an on-going problem for her and have been looking into treatments. I have read a little about the Suprelorin implant to stop hens laying and wonder if anyone has tried it, how to access it or has any advice generally? Thanks.

I had a hen with an inflamed oviduct (salpingitis). Several rounds of antibiotics didn’t help. She was given the implant a week before surgery to have the oviduct removed- the implant would help shrink the oviduct and make it easier to remove. I had read up on the internet about the implant in laying hens, it usually lasts 4-6 months. Your hen’s condition may reoccur after the implant has worn off. You can have a new one inserted, or perhaps consider surgery if the vet thinks that would be an option. My hen is doing great 3 months after surgery. Here in the US the implants have to be put in by a vet, so maybe call around to see if any of the avian vets have access to it. It’s worth a try. Best of luck helping your hen!!

 

[leighks]

Hi there,
I had a hen put on Suprelorin after extensive treatment for EYP (abdominal draining, IV fluids, abdominal lavage, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories). It is a small capsule injected whole with a very thick needle. Our main avian vet put it right into her breast muscle, but a different avian vet told me he prefers a subcutaneous injection on her upper back so it stays in the system longer. If you pursue this route, I suggest you discuss with the vet where on the chicken’s body they prefer to inject and to explain the pros and cons to you. They may have a practice of just one site or another, but it would be nice to understand the rationale. The implant was very effective, yet only lasted about four months. She died just a few days after her second implant, but she was starting to show signs of salpingitis and never fully gained all her strength back after EYP (which progressed very rapidly). The implants are expensive, but for me it was well worth it to have a few more months with her. It would have been an ongoing problem without the suprelorin and would have killed her much faster. She did have some good quality of life for awhile there.

On a side note... when summer heat hits, if your hen is still with us, do NOT put her in water to cool her off. That’s how I unintentionally killed my sick girl. Everyone else perked up after their dip, but I did not know at the time wetting a sick bird can push them over the edge. Devastating. I hope people learn from my mistake. Makes me misty eyed still to this day.

Sorry for the loss of your hen. We try to do what’s best for them and help them, which is what you were doing. thanks for sharing your story but don’t blame yourself. Any little thing can push a sick bird over the edge, and I’m sure the heat was making things worse too.

 

[micstrachan]

Sorry for the loss of your hen. We try to do what’s best for them and help them, which is what you were doing. thanks for sharing your story but don’t blame yourself. Any little thing can push a sick bird over the edge, and I’m sure the heat was making things worse too.

Thanks.

@Meryl2019, how is your hen doing?

 

[Meryl2019]

I had a hen with an inflamed oviduct (salpingitis). Several rounds of antibiotics didn’t help. She was given the implant a week before surgery to have the oviduct removed- the implant would help shrink the oviduct and make it easier to remove. I had read up on the internet about the implant in laying hens, it usually lasts 4-6 months. Your hen’s condition may reoccur after the implant has worn off. You can have a new one inserted, or perhaps consider surgery if the vet thinks that would be an option. My hen is doing great 3 months after surgery. Here in the US the implants have to be put in by a vet, so maybe call around to see if any of the avian vets have access to it. It’s worth a try. Best of luck helping your hen!!

Thank you very much for the advice. I have asked my local vet and they are getting the implant for me to try. So I will give it a go and

 

[Meryl2019]

Sorry for the loss of your hen. We try to do what’s best for them and help them, which is what you were doing. thanks for sharing your story but don’t blame yourself. Any little thing can push a sick bird over the edge, and I’m sure the heat was making things worse too.

Sorry for the loss of your hen. We try to do what’s best for them and help them, which is what you were doing. thanks for sharing your story but don’t blame yourself. Any little thing can push a sick bird over the edge, and I’m sure the heat was making things worse too.

micstrachan thank you very much for the advice. I am so sorry to hear about your hen but you definitely did everything you could for her. I am getting the implant for her, to give it a try, and I will definitely discuss with the vet where's the best place to put it.

 

[Meryl2019]

Thanks.

@Meryl2019, how is your hen doing?

Thank you for asking about herShe is much the same, not eating a lot but picking at food-I try to tempt her with many things porridge, grain, seeds, cat food, grapes, peanut butter, she will eat a bit but not her usual appetite. She is in the garden during the day walking about and picking grass, with her friend, and I bring her in to the kitchen for the night. She is fiesty though and seems to have more energy after the antibiotics-she fights when I syringe her morning dose, which I'm taking as a good sign. I am hopefully getting her the implant this weekend so