Diagnosis please - egg bound? prolapse??

[kathyd]

Hi. One of my birds (the disabled one) has a problem, but I don't know what it is. Can anyone advise me please?

Syptoms:

- Walking very slowly and looking uncomfortable
- Undercarriage somehow looks droopy
- Not wanting to eat
- Thirsty
- Very restless, pacing around - I actually thought she was looking for somewhere to lie down and die to be honest, but now I'm not so sure
- Can't or won't sit or lie down - even now she's in bed, she's standing up trying to sleep
- Rushed out of the coop this morning and into a nest box, but didn't lay an egg
NB: came back into lay a few days ago, had a few soft shelled eggs (unusual for her), and a couple of OK ones.

Her rear end looks swollen, and a bit messy with something pale coloured dribbled out. I've never seen either a prolapse or an egg-bound hen, so I have no idea what to look for, but I don't want to try to encourage something out if it should be staying in!

Unless you tell me otherwise, I'm intending to leave her be until the morning because messing with her stresses her, and I don't know what I can do to help anyway.. Please don't tell me to go cull her now because it's something I really can't do.

[RichmondHens]

Kathy, it sounds like egg peritonitis, especially as she has been laying softies recently. It would be my guess one has broken inside her and set up an infection. No matter how hard it is it would be kinder to cull if she is an older hen. If she is a youngster then prompt antibiotics might work but not guaranteed.

By all means leave her till morning but if she is no better then you need to make some sort of decision.

[kathyd]

Poor little thing . She's about 18 months old, but never been in the best of health - I'm surprised she's still with us to be honest. I really really can't cull her myself - I feel so guilty because I'm letting her suffer, but I'll try to find someone tomorrow to do it if she survives the night. Thanks for the advice RH.

[petal]

I agree with RH, she needs to be put down, its easy enough and you shouldn't let her suffer through the night, its easy enough to do- not nice and I have cried putting fave hens to sleep but never felt I have allowed them to suffer. Hope that helps?

[rita1]

sorry but i agree, if you have a good vets that deal with poultry you could take her there. otherwise cull her don't let her suffer.

[scorpius]

Sorry, I agree with the others, more than likely egg peritonitis Not a good prognosis, never an easy thing to do.if you cant - take her to the vets

[Scarlet]

Have you managed to do it Kathy? As the others have said it isn't easy and I'm with Petal, I've cried a few tears and the first one is the worst. It's not an easy job but it goes hand in hand with chicken keeping.

[kathyd]

Hi all

I thought about what you said Petal - in fact I was awake all night thinking about it. However, I decided that, even if I could face it, it would be irresponsible for me to tackle it for the following reasons:

- I have never seen a chicken killed
- I have never been shown how to do it and therefore have no idea how to go about it
- I find the Haynes Chicken Manual instructions totally incomprehensible and almost fainted at the warning about a loud cracking noise which might make the faint hearted feel sick

I decided that it was probably kinder in the end to leave her in peace and find a neighbour or friend to do it for me in the morning, as I'd said to RH earlier. I felt that someone completely inexperienced and desperately squeamish could well end up causing more distress and suffering because they'd likely make a botch job of it. So...

I went in to see her in the morning expecting the very worst, and found her roaming about with the others as though nothing had happened. She wanted to eat, the swelling around her bum had disappeared and her posture was normal (by her standards anyway). I admit to being somewhat concerned because there was no sign of an egg or any other discharges anywhere to be seen, but later in the day she did dispose of a soft shelled egg - although it was broken. I don't know if it arrived broken or if she trod on it, so I then worried about some being left behind and causing the infection you've talked about. However, it's now Tuesday (I think) and she's still with us and appears quite happy, although hasn't laid another egg yet. Don't know if this is a good or bad thing.

Please understand that I'm not being irresponsible or unfeeling here, I can't bear to see anything suffer and have always planned on taking my birds to the vet's if necessary, despite the obvious expense. I don't like the sound of my neighbour despatching with an axe (not a farmer and has no poultry, but has apparently done it before...) , and although my OH said he could cope with it, I have a horrible feeling that a sledgehammer would come into it somewhere. So vets it is.

To illustrate my problem: years ago I found an injured wild bird which was obviously in pain. I couldn't bear to see it suffer but couldn't bear to kill it either - so I put it in the gas oven to send it to sleep... some time later I found it hadn't died and went to ask OH about it. After quite a lot of loud noises and rushing about opening doors and windows, he reminded me, quite politely I felt, that British Gas hadn't been toxic in that way for years, but the chances of my having blown up the house with us in it were actually quite high. I think he used to smoke at the time, but he's given up since, can't think why.

I hadn't considered the possibility of having to despatch my birds myself when I got my first hens, because I wasn't keeping a cockerel and the birds aren't for eating. Maybe it's something I need to think about before I buy any more in the future, but I'd certainly not try it myself without being shown a humane way to do it first...

Anyway, thank you all for your concern and advice, I'll let you know if there are any further developments!

[RichmondHens]

Totally understand Kathy. I actually have an oldie "on watch" at the moment as she alternates between looking peaky and perky. She is 6 and has only laid one egg this year and I feel her time is fast running out but am loathe to do the deed until I feel the time is right as she is a bit of a pet. You will know the same with your hen too. It would be worth asking around for someone to do it in advance of the moment, so that when the time comes you can just pick up the phone. I'm sure you won't let her suffer.

[kathyd]

Thanks RH. I hope your's lasts a bit longer before you have to make that decision too. I'm going to try to meet the local poultry farmer and see if he'd be willing to despatch her for me when necessary - as long as I can keep my feelings on battery farming hidden of course...

[rustylady]

Kathy, I know it's asking a lot of you but could you ask him to show you how it's done?

[kathyd]

I've been considering that RL - if he does it humanely then I may do, yes. Maybe on an already-dead bird! But I've not met him, I'll have to ask another ex-pat for an intro, so I don't know what he's like at the moment. If it doesn't work out, I'll try to find someone else.

[rustylady]

I was just thinking that if you actually saw it done, and saw that it was quick and the bird didn't suffer, then at least you would have the knowledge should you need it in the future.

[Glutton4...]

I feel for you Kathy, as I also would have enormous trouble killing one of my Girls. However, I've got my Husband to despatch them before - he has a big meat Cleaver, very sharp, and he uses that, and a block of wood. It's very quick. Yes, it's messy, but it's quick, so they don't suffer. If they are ill, they don't put up a fight, it's like they want to go.

[kathyd]

I do think I need the knowledge yes, even if I never (hopefully) have to use it. But I think I'll have to work up to it slowly... My neighbour suggested a meat cleaver, but he thinks the whole thing is a big joke anyway and that we should be eating them and not keeping them as pets! I think he enjoys watching the mad english next door.