To cull or not to cull

[Lovem all]

I already know the answer is yes, but I want to tell what is going on. I have a beautiful 3 year old black austrolorp named Nana. (She was named by our 5 year old.) She is the sweetest and loves the children. Always fat and happy. Gets along wit everyone even when she puts the pullets their place. She snuggles with out missfit rooster and they cuddle every night. She is kind and caring. I litterly owe her one of my youngest chickens lives. Thats why it sucks so freaking much and im so mad at the world. Nana doesn't deserve this.

Yesterday morning I let the chickens out only to see someone had a poop covered butt. We soaked it, kept her in the night coop, and gave her food. She ate breakfest, a little bit of lunch, and not even a bite of her dinner. She was weak, fell on her side one of the times I touched her. She isn't holding herself well and has little energy. The poop was familiar to me and by the time bed time rolled around her butt was recovered.

The labored breathing, lost weight, and weakness already had me worried that I knew what was wrong, but when I checked her lower abdominal area I truley knew and she's already to far gone.

She has ascites. It's incurable and shes already in so much pain. I had another girl (Ms. Green) who had it. The problem is that chicken took 3 months before she started liver leaking and then it went extreamly down hill... Nana has showed signs for two days and her liver is leaking. I was able to prolong Ms. Green for months but in the end she was just suffering. I know with Nana in so much pain already it isn't fair and I should ask my dad to take care of her. It just sucks so freaking much because Nana is an amazingly kind chicken with her own kind of beauty. I wish it didn't have to end like this. No chicken deserves it.

I love you Nana, and I am so sorry... I have to do what's going to help you.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Oh no I'm so sorry. Your situation is heartbreaking. My heart is with you. <3

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

This is so sad. I'm so sorry to hear this.
The hen in my avvy (Marvalo) and her mother (Patti) both had that. Both of them had hatched under my Buff Orpington named Joy. (They hatched at two separate years) Patti was in Joy's first hatch. That hatch always brings back a memory of my Grandpa who has passed away. In the next year, Joy hatched out Patti's daughter Marvalo. The same day that Marvalo hatched, is the same day that I found out that I was getting a little sister. Then Patti had a hatch of her own. Both Patti and Marvalo was very sweet hens and were both near the top of the pecking order. They both were my "beautiful" hens. Due to a bad injury on her foot, Marvalo got some special attention and through that I got very attracted to her. Patti had passed first, during the summer, and maybe a year later is when Marvalo went during the winter.
It's always sad to loose a hen, especially when it's one that is very special to you. Again, I'm so sorry to hear this. Hugs to you.

 

[Sally PB]

There are no words. My heart goes out to you and Nana.

 

[hayley3]

I already know the answer is yes, but I want to tell what is going on. I have a beautiful 3 year old black austrolorp named Nana. (She was named by our 5 year old.) She is the sweetest and loves the children. Always fat and happy. Gets along wit everyone even when she puts the pullets their place. She snuggles with out missfit rooster and they cuddle every night. She is kind and caring. I litterly owe her one of my youngest chickens lives. Thats why it sucks so freaking much and im so mad at the world. Nana doesn't deserve this.

Yesterday morning I let the chickens out only to see someone had a poop covered butt. We soaked it, kept her in the night coop, and gave her food. She ate breakfest, a little bit of lunch, and not even a bite of her dinner. She was weak, fell on her side one of the times I touched her. She isn't holding herself well and has little energy. The poop was familiar to me and by the time bed time rolled around her butt was recovered.

The labored breathing, lost weight, and weakness already had me worried that I knew what was wrong, but when I checked her lower abdominal area I truley knew and she's already to far gone.

She has ascites. It's incurable and shes already in so much pain. I had another girl (Ms. Green) who had it. The problem is that chicken took 3 months before she started liver leaking and then it went extreamly down hill... Nana has showed signs for two days and her liver is leaking. I was able to prolong Ms. Green for months but in the end she was just suffering. I know with Nana in so much pain already it isn't fair and I should ask my dad to take care of her. It just sucks so freaking much because Nana is an amazingly kind chicken with her own kind of beauty. I wish it didn't have to end like this. No chicken deserves it.

I love you Nana, and I am so sorry... I have to do what's going to help you.

Who said Ms Green had ascites?
Can you possibly get a picture of Nana?
A poopy butt can be caused by coccidiosis and worms.
I thought my chicken had ascites, but the vet said she had coccidiosis and also worms. I wormed her, treated her with corrid and she is fine.

@Wyorp Rock
@Kiki
@Eggcessive

 

[Kiki]

If your bird is suffering...end the suffering.

 

[Lovem all]

It's the same green crap and the sour smell is sorta starting. Plus I've compared her belly to her sisters. Her liver is defintelly leaking.

 

[Lovem all]

Trust me I'm not jumping to conclusions.

 

[Abriana]

I’m so sorry I’ve had two hens with a similar condition, one I had to put to sleep and the other died within two days of me finding out she had a problem (I was going to the coop to get her to drain her and she was already dead, which was strange as it was even very bad). I don’t know how you plan to cull but I’ve used the Ether fluid method for the (thankfully) only time I’ve ever had to put a bird down. You put the bird in an airtight container or plastic bag and then place a towel or rag soaked in Ether fluid in with them. It puts them to sleep and eventually their heart will stop beating. I recommend leaving the bird inside with the Ether soaked cloth overnight as you do not want to bury the hen and then have her revive and wake up (I waited until she was stiff). I was able to keep my had on my girl the whole time and it was very peaceful for us both. I prefer this over other culling methods.

These types of conditions are not really treatable. There are supportive care methods like draining her abdomen but she will never really be “cured”. If she is in pain then in my opinion I would put her down. It’s always very painful to do this but sometimes the true way to show your love to your pets is to let them go when their quality of life is no longer good.

Again, she sounds like a really special girl, I’m sorry

 

[Lovem all]

Thank you for your sympathy. I don't like to think about the culling process, my dad normally heads for them after I say final good byes and then I never see their sweet faces again.