What did my hen die off?

[Boergoatlover]

I’ve just lost my beautiful lavender tonight and I feel absolutely awful that I may have done something wrong or missed something.

She was a 3 and a half year old ex battery hen. She’s had a few issues such as EYP, infections related to this for which she had the implanted fitted 4 months ago. Touch wood since then she has been healthy.

Her weight had slightly dropped but the vets mentioned this may be due to not laying and therefore eating less. Last week she had a lash egg and was given antibiotics.

I noticed that her crop was not emptying it was dough like and she was passing bloody poo. The vets kept her in to clear the crop and a combination of liquid paraffin and metroclomlromide did this. She came home but was not eating much at all I took her back today where they said her weight had dropped from 2kg to 1.6kg. We had some medicine to help settle the gut incase that was causing the bleeding but she was improving. Tonight she was very quiet I gave her some honey water she was pecking outside then I put her into the coop. I came back 5 minutes later to find her lying on the floor with the other girls pecking her. I put her on my lap where she lay on her side and shut her eyes, her breathing became heavy and it looked like she had a sezuire and died

I’m absolutely devastated and I have no idea why she has died she was doing ok. The vets have checked the poo and said no signs of coccidiosis as that was my first thought. Any opinions would be much appreciated.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Was most likely a reproductive disorder that took a toll on her body, like cancer. The weight loss can be a symptom of cancer, & it can be diagnosed through necropsy.

 

[DobieLover]

I'm so sorry you lost your hen.
My guess would be reproductive cancer. She was a high production breed and was having trouble. If you really want to know, you can ask your vet to do a necropsy.

 

[LaFleche]

 

[Boergoatlover]

Thank you for your replies, does the implant not stop the cancer just stops the EYP. ? I think I’ll ask my vet to do a post mortem tomorrow just to see if I can have some answers

 

[LaFleche]

The implant is a hormonal treatment meant to stop her producing more eggs, thus giving the reproductive system some time to heal.

Depending on the kind of cancer, it can slow down the growth, but it will not help with non hormonal cancers.

It will not prevent cancer or heal EYP.

 

[Boergoatlover]

The implant is a hormonal treatment meant to stop her producing more eggs, thus giving the reproductive system some time to heal.

Depending on the kind of cancer, it can slow down the growth, but it will not help with non hormonal cancers.

It will not prevent cancer or heal EYP.

Thank you for explaining. I should be grateful I had her for as long as I did. I’m taking her to the vets for a post mortem. I feel I’ve had a spate of loosing my ex battery hens and just makes me feel I’m doing something really wrong.

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you for explaining. I should be grateful I had her for as long as I did. I’m taking her to the vets for a post mortem. I feel I’ve had a spate of loosing my ex battery hens and just makes me feel I’m doing something really wrong.

Sadly, Ex-Batts are already doomed the day they hatch and enter the big industrial coops.
The lucky ones that get adopted by people like you, get the chance to know what the real chicken life is about. And some of them will live for a bit longer because of the good care they receive in their new homes.

But in most cases the irreversible damage was already done during their "first life" being exploited by the industrial business.
The renal and reproductive issues as well as cancer these poor birds mostly suffer from, will not be curable, although their new owners sometimes will be able to prolong their life span and provide some help to soothe the discomfort and pain.

It is absolutely not your fault, to live 3,5 years is very long for Ex-Batts, you did everything possible and even went above and beyond with the implant.