Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: GrannieAnnie on April 28, 2011, 21:39
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2 weeks ago, can't remember if I mentioned it on here, but a lady who bought a couple of Goldlines from us asked me if I'd like them back as she was moving back the Loughborough with only a tiny garden.
The hens are 2 years old. One is quite bald around the neck, having been pecked by the third hen that was re-homed separately. When I picked 'Mable' up, the other hen, she was very heavy, and walks like a meat chicken. I weighed her. Poor thing weighs 3kgs!!!
So for 2 weeks, Little and Large have been on a diet of layers pellets and a few dandelions, but no other treats, and certainly no corn.
I felt Mable all over but she didn't feel particularly warm under her wings or anywhere, tummy felt okay, apart from a bit big, but then she is big all over!
However today when I picked her up, her abdomen is very tight and swollen, which I would have thought maybe egg peritonitis, but can you get EP when you have NEVER laid an egg before?? They reckon she has never laid an egg in her 2 years.
She's been wormed, and we've got some Tylan, do you think the Tylan may help?
Brian wants to cull her, but I told Sarah I would look after her girls, as she was very upset to have to get rid of them. What am I going to say when she emails me to ask how they are doing??
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GA how long ago was she wormed as some one told me that a severe case of worms could take a month to get rid of.
Maybe she is a meat hen?
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Hi Rachel, I only put the flubenvet in their food 3 days ago. I don't think its worms, but thought I'd try just in case.
She is definitely not a meat chicken, as I only sold this couple 2 Goldlines!!! :D :D
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perhaps... ??? she may be so fat that now she has lost a little wieght she is starting to lay and is not able to pass the egg try the old vasaline trick annie ,one finger coated and gently push up the egg duct and she if she has any obstructions :wub:
remeber to wash ya dannies afterwards :tongue2:
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You think she may be able to lay after 2 years Munty? Okay, I'll have a feel in the morning!
I'll let you know how I get on!! Thanks love!
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I had to have my hen put to sleep yesterday GA and she had a big abdomen. She felt heavy when I picked her up but she's not laid for about six months and the vet was able to confirm it was no egg, but as mass. She went rapidly downhill and he put her to sleep yesterday.
I hope your girl's not got that but a big abdomen and a heavy feeling bird is a bit worrying :(
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What I find hard to believe CQ is that the couple did not even notice how big she was, or the fact that she can't even walk properly! She takes a few steps and her left leg gives out so she stumbles. Poor thing!
It doesn't look good, but I will do my best for her.
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I didn't notice either GA but she has always been the biggest of the girls but it was the fact that she was wobbly that I picked her up to have a close look at her :(
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I think you would have noticed this one CQ, she is HUGE weighs twice what a normal hybrid should!
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I think you could use this as a case for people keeping a handful of hens rather than just one or two. If they were inexperienced chicken-keepers and have no basic reference point, I suppose they wouldn't know how a 'normal' hen should walk or move.
As a newbie myself I'm really glad I got two of each breed, all heavy breeds and all similar ages. It allows me to compare the same-breed 'twin' when I'm wondering whether one of the birds is too skinny or too fat. And having six heavy-breed pullets allows me to observe what is individual variation and what is a possible sign that something's not right with one of them.
I hope Mabel gets better with a bit of TLC from you, GrannieAnnie.
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Good luck GrannieAnnie, :)
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I can confirm she is way over weight having seen her, the excess could have put a strain on her heart which could be one of the reasons why she can't move too much. Also her legs would be struggling to lift that weight, I know the hen rescue places when they have weak birds that are unable to stand put them in a sling to help build their strength for short periods (think along the lines of what you pop babies in and hook in a doorway.
However continue with the worming and try the vaseline trick.
Fingers crossed for her xx
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Thanks everyone, I'll give Mabel your best wishes! ;) and I'll come back later and let you know how I got on with the vaseline! :lol:
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This doesn't sound so good GA and I suspect it's a new acute condition. Why not have a word with the previous owner to get some background and I'd get an experienced bird vet to look at her because it sounds very much she retaining a lot of fluids. It could point to a heart or kidney condition or even a severe internal infection such as EYP. I don't think you should let your reticence to tell the past owner stand in the way as unless you can get to grips with this soon it will be even worse news you will be telling her when you do speak.
I'd certainly not give her Tylan it's unlikely to be effective and giving the wrong a/b may well prove fatal as it will weaken her natural ability to fight whatever it is. Only a vet can advise you on the correct a/b's after a diagnosis. I doubt this will get better on it's own I'm sorry to say.
HF
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Well I did have a feel around in her vent yesterday, and the only thing I could feel was poo! Which was the right colour, but on my finger rather than on the ground! :lol:
Thanks for the advice re the Tylan HF! I won't give her any more then. But you are right, it doesn't look good, and there is no way Brian will take a bird to the vet that he didn't want in the first place. So it looks bad for her I'm afraid.
The previous owners haven't been in touch yet since they moved, but when I said how big she was, they just said oh she's always had a good appetite!
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Hi Grannie Annie,
So sorry to hear about your dilemma and difficulties with Mabel. I was once asked to look after a friend's chickens whilst they were away. On the first day I noticed one of them waddled towards me, rather than walked. When I picked her up she was very heavy and her abdomen appeared very swollen. I took her straight to the vets. The vet I saw was very fascinated as he had never seen anything like her before. The vet said that he thought that she either had a form of peritonitis, perhaps with the egg causing a problem deep inside, hence the not being able to feel a problem through the vent, or a tumour.
He suggested either an ultra sound or an x-ray, both at great expense, or to put her out of her misery. Knowing the owners and their financial situation I took the difficult decision to have her put to sleep.
When I spoke to the owners they were glad of what I had done, as they couldn't have afforded to do anything as expensive as a scan. They also said that they had not noticed anything untoward, just that she was a little slower than the others but as they didn't handle the hens regularly they wouldn't have noticed how heavy she was. They had kept chickens for a number of years but I guess they weren't as obsessed by them as we perhaps are...!!! The vet also said that it may have come on quite quickly. I really wish that I had done a PM, to see if it was anything obvious but I felt a bit bad about cutting someone else's chicken to bits and so she was buried and I guess we'll never know the cause.
I really hope you have a happier outcome for poor Mabel.
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I had one of my hen euthanized on Thursday with EYP.
The vet said it was a very painful condition for the hen and if treated with antibiotic, pain killers should be given too. Treatment is rarely effective and the condition frequently reoccurs.
Don't let her suffer too long Grannie :(
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However today when I picked her up, her abdomen is very tight and swollen, which I would have thought maybe egg peritonitis, but can you get EP when you have NEVER laid an egg before?? They reckon she has never laid an egg in her 2 years.
She's been wormed, and we've got some Tylan, do you think the Tylan may help?
Brian wants to cull her, but I told Sarah I would look after her girls, as she was very upset to have to get rid of them. What am I going to say when she emails me to ask how they are doing??
I read this very quickly last night and rereading it there maybe a clue as to what has caused this though it's not very helpful I'm affraid to finding a cure.
You say they have been wormed GA but were they carrying a heavy worm load do you know? If so and they haven't been wormed regularly by their past owner a sudden load of dead worms in the gut can set up an infection which could have caused the imflamation you are seeing. Not much help to a cure I'm affraid but it would emphasis the importance of regular worm control.
They can still get EYP without having ever laid normally. There are some birds who are what's called internal layers. A condition where by the egg drops into the body cavity not the oviduct and is absorbed. This can result in sterile EYP which may go unnoticed or peritonitis infection which will cause severe swelling and definite symptoms of illness.
Re the relationship between the heart function and weight. Obviously being over weight can cause strain on the heart as well as other organ functions however poor heart function can also lead to fluid retention as the kidneys don't work so well and the bird can become bloated with excess fluids. This is a viscious circle. People with impaired heart function, say after a heart attack, are often given diruretics to stimulate the kidneys.
In your chx case I suspect the infection particularly given her non-laying history obviously points to something not right internally.
Probably Brian is right that to cull would be the kindest course of action.
HF
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Probably Brian is right that to cull would be the kindest course of action.
HF
I agree with Brian too Grannie !
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Hi Grannie,
1 of my chickens (Shirley) had a soft shell 2 years ago and we managed to sort here out but ever since she has not laid an egg ( but got fatter ) 2.5kgs..
2 weeks ago we noticed her just lying on the floor and when we picked here up we notices she was even fatter than normal.. we took here to the vets and told them she had not laid for 2 years and we thought she had an infection..
We got some Bytril and only fed here yoghurt and layers pellets and lots of water with ACV .
She may not be a sprinter any more (walks like a penguin) but she is as happy as she has ever been..
I also thought about culling here but i also thought about that 2 years ago ( glad i didnt)..
I know it is probably the right thing to do but i couldnt cos she is sooooo kute.
Just thought i would let you know my story and hope mable is ok.
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It was a surprise to see this post again after a few months break! :) Thanks for that everyone. As far as I know, Mable is still well and hopefully a bit thinner, as the Kindly Joyfull took her on to save her from being culled! (She took her mate Amy too!)
Last I heard, she had fallen in love with one of Joy's cockerels, but had trouble following him up into his favourite tree! :lol: :lol:
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Mable is still big but not quite as big - still not laying and still swollen in the underneath bit, however she can run quite fast to get away from the other cockerel (Big Boppa) now :lol:. Her friend Amy is now growing back her feathers and these two wander around with Big Emily and Beeper the red/black araucana cockerel who sadly still sleeps on his own in the trees as they still haven't managed to fly up :D
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Awww, Joy, thank you for letting us know how the girls are getting on! I knew they'd be happy with you!!
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I am so tempted to put a ladder up against the cherry tree so they can cuddle up to beeper but I think they may injure themselves flying down in the morning :(
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parachutes? something soft to land on? :lol: :lol: