Twiglet Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 Well, I'm puzzled about Lily - abit of history first to paint the picture...... A month or so before Christmas she stoppped laying ( having always been the most prolific) and went into a massive moult. I thought, oh, that's why then. She soon grew a beautiful new plumage. Trouble is, she hasn't laid since - BUT......that's not the problem....... About a month ago I noticed she was definately not herself, the bad points are - She is very slow walking, doesn't run anywhere anymore, spends a lot of time asleep or just sitting, closing her eyes a lot, she's also missing a few feathers on her rear. Her poo, (don't we ALWAYS get on to this subject )is weird - it's very watery, green and with very yellow wee The good things are - She still eats, drinks, goes up into the house to sleep (all be it much earlier than any of the others) pecks around a bit if let out. Still likes her treats, I have checked her for mites, lice, etc. she is regularly wormed with verm-X and she has no runny eyes, nose etc. Comb is cool with a good colour to it. So...........anyone any idea what's up with her or has she turned prematurely old???????????????? (she's about 2 and a bit now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon, but, reading your post, I wondered whether you ought to try worming with Flubenvet? I believe that Verm-X is not totally reliable...more of a repellant than actually killing the worms. I'm sure I read on here that green poo was indicative of worms... Hopefully others will be able to confirm/refute this theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 18, 2008 Share Posted May 18, 2008 I would hazzard a guess that she has got worms. Green poo can be a sign of this. Why not give her a course of flubenvet? I personally never found Verm-x any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Got to be worth a try, will do that - thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Hi Sarah *waves* I hope that you get it sorted, try worming first, just give her dried food with Bokashi Bran mixed in. That usually works. If all else fails, then take a fecal sample to the vet - mine charges about a fiver - that should show up any problems. Green poo can be a sign of coccidiosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Hello Claret *waves back* Will try some flubenvet I got off Fleata for the 7 days and see how she goes...always some worry isn't there with them. By the way, No. 1 step-son has now got chooks, 3 Orpingtons - Gosh! aren't they big compared with mine! They are in my "spare" eglu as they have a cube on waiting list to come in July. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 Ooo, I love orpingtons, so gentle and stately. Love to you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 Have started Lily on some flubenvet, hope it starts working soon, I'm getting more worried now . I'm sure it's not my imagination but her comb seems to have a blue-ish tinge to it? At least she's still eating and drinking well. Keeping all my fingers & toes crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Hmmm, an off-colour comb can be a sign of general malaise, but it can also be more serious like a heart problem. If she doesn't pick up after worming, then I'd get her to the vet Sarah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola O Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Just a thought......... Could it be sterile peritonitis ? Same sort of symptoms as you've described and they usually stop laying as well. If you pick her up a feel her belly (under the vent / between legs - that sort of area) does she feel rounded or swollen. My Mavis has had SP for about nine months now, has the sypmtoms you describe, especially the sleeping a lot - she has a lot of 'power naps' throughtout the day - she also has runny poo so she has to have her bottom washed fairly frequently . Otherwise she is fit and well, eating and drinking o.k. Mavis has never had a blue tinged comb, but I know someone has mentioned it before - Claret, was it you, I can't remember now ? - perhaps someone else with SP will be along to offer their experiances. Nicola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 Oh dear.... could you have started something Nicola, I have just felt Lily's undercarriage and what I assumed to be just her shape (she is a fairly big bird) I now think there is definitely something up. She feels quite swollen in the area you mentioned and it also feels quite hard as well. You say that yours is still ok in herself, did she get any treatment for it? Unless anyone else has a theory for these symptoms - could this be it? I'm so reluctant to take her to the vets as they aren't much good at Poultry round here and she eats & drinks so well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 The Omlet Forum is so useful isn't it. I've just done a search after my last post and seems quite a lot of you have experienced this peritonitis in chooks. I especially related to Chelsea's post as she described the symptoms exactly as Lily has, even the John Wayne walk and purple comb bit. It seems that treatment is very hit and miss and most go on to leave happy if sedentary lives, and so while I don't thibk she's in pain and is happy to eat & drink, I will leave her be. Just hope I am doing what she wants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola O Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 I hope I haven't got you too worried. I posted the same question a few weeks ago about Mavis when I realised how big she was underneath. Her belly looks low to the ground and has a wide legged stance. Her poo is quite runny so I have to wash her fluffy knickers quite often, and she does sit and have a lot of 'power naps'. She hasn't laid for several months now. On the positive side - she eats and drinks as normal, loves her treats, can keep up with the others and still runs about with them, but does have her quieter moments. She does not seem ill at all and from what I've read chickens can continue to live practically normal lives for months, even years. I did find this on another site - I found it quite useful :- "Peritonitis can be caused by a number of things, most often by yolks missing the "funnel" and falling directly from her ovary into her abdomen. Other types of infections and sometimes cancer can also cause peritonitis. There are also two types of peritonitis - sterile and septic. If your girl has sterile peritonitis, it means that the fluid in her abdomen is not filled with bacteria and is not caused by an internal infection. With this type of peritonitis, the best thing to do is leave the hen alone. If she is extremely uncomfortable and having a hard time breathing, you can try draining off some of the fluid to relieve pressure AS LONG AS you do the procedure under sterile conditions- if you introduce bacteria into her abdomen, she will get a nasty infection and the peritonitis will turn septic - then she will likely die. With sterile peritonitis, the hen will have trouble getting around and will have some loss of appetite, but she will continue to eat and will improve gradually over time- potentially she will recover totally or she will always have fluid build-up. I have a hen with sterile peritonitis and she has been this way for over 3 years now. She has a harder time breathing as the fluid has put pressure on her airsacs and lungs (this is especially evident when she roosts at night) but she is still hanging in there. When she stops ovulating for the year, usually in winter, the fluid is reabsorbed into her body and she is totally normal. She's running around and acting quite silly at the moment... Your vet can choose to remove the fluid, but it usually builds up again quite quickly. Massive fluid loss all at once can cause shock, as well, so if fluid is removed, usually only about half of it is taken at a time. The other type of peritonitis is septic peritonitis- the fluid gets bacteria growing in it and then there isn't much you can do for her as the infection is so wide-spread and huge that usually even massive doses of strong antibiotic aren't enough. In that case, you can tell that your hen has this type because they go downhill rapidly and lose their appetite. Often they have a fever (hot comb- very hot under wings). If your hen has cancer, this can also cause peritonitis, but she will go downhill with this type as well, and will stop eating and act very sick indeed. If your hen is still eating well and drinking, she likely has sterile egg-yolk peritonitis and may very well just carry on for years without any added intervention. If you have the resources and this hen is a pet, you may want to ask about getting her spayed and having the offending ovary and the yolks removed from her. There is risk involved, but many have done it with success". edit by Sheila; Thank you for this info Nicola, I'll copy it into FAQ, it's a very good explanation. Good luck with your little hen... Nicola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 21, 2008 Author Share Posted May 21, 2008 Thanks very much for that info. Nicola, it has given me a little more reassurance but at the end of the day it all seems in the hands of fate. She's going to get extra TLC from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiglet Posted May 25, 2008 Author Share Posted May 25, 2008 Just to update and thanks for everyone's advice but yesterday Lily(two) collapsed - her legs just gave way, presumably the weight and size of the swelling was just too much for her. Although she was still trying to eat and drink, she was dragging herself along the ground with her wings!! That did it and I took her to the vet first thing. Unfortunately, although he didn't know much about chickens, he did confirm that the swelling was too solid to have any chance of being drained etc. and so I had to do the inevitable and let him help nature take it's course. I think deep down, I knew it would come to this but it's never a nice thing to do is it. It has started me thinking what causes this peritonitis? as it seems more common than you think when reading all the posts on the forum. The only thing I wondered is if it is more common in the hybrids because they are bred specially to produce a high number of eggs, could this make them more susceptible???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I'm so sorry to hear about Lily. Having had a henwho declined over a couple of weeks (and who had been taken to the Vet to be put down but the Vet suggested trying a differnt antibiotic first), please take comfort from the fact that she went quickly and was eating happily up to the end. Hugs to you and your other girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 I am sorry to hear about your hen. Egg pertionitis is one of the commonest causes of natural death in the female chicken. It is caused when a shell is produced but its not hard enough to cope with travelling down the reproductive tract and cracks inside her body. There is nothing you can do about this, if that comforts you at all. I wonder myself if hybrids have been pushed too far in their egg-laying capacity -- but you can't stop them laying. Even if the struggle to produce an egg every day doesn't result in shell weakness, I imagine that the sheer number of eggs they produce in a lifetime means that the chances of one breaking inside will rise. But to put this in perspective, it was my two pure-breeds who laid very few eggs which suffered prolapses, not my hybrids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny R Posted May 25, 2008 Share Posted May 25, 2008 We put my girl Vanessa to sleep last Bank Holiday because of the same problem. Hadn't laid for about 10 months, runny poos, then started laboured breathing, so took her to the vet who said that it was unlikely that she would get better, even if we drained her and gave her antibiotics as the potential blockage could only be removed if she had an operation and then she was unlikely to survive the anaeasthetic. But, having read the forum more over the past two weeks, there does seem to be a lot of it about. Not sure there is anything that can be done. Just hope I don't have to suffer it again with one of the others. On the good side though, we have a couple of lovely new girls, although having to go through the process of them establishing their new pecking order, which I think is worse than trying to get kids to get along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 Sorry to hear your news Twiglet. So sad, but glad that she isn't suffering. I have to take Sadie to the vet tomorrow evening and I know it will probably end in tears (mine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted May 26, 2008 Share Posted May 26, 2008 It has started me thinking what causes this peritonitis? as it seems more common than you think when reading all the posts on the forum. The only thing I wondered is if it is more common in the hybrids because they are bred specially to produce a high number of eggs, could this make them more susceptible???? I've been wondering about this too. Not sure how long a hybrid keeps going for. Sorry, no advice but wanted to say sorry to hear about Lilytwo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Sorry to read your news Twiglet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auntie FiFi Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 Hi - I lost a chick last week and the vet said she had an egg that had broken inside her and caused a blockage/build up of fluid. She was very poorly all last week and eventually died on Thursday night. From reading about your poorly chick I think that mine had peritonitis. The vet did say that the egg breaking inside her was fairly common as the hybrids are bred to produce so many eggs in their life times. I'm very sorry that your chick has this - it is very sad to lose them and worrying in case the other girls get the same thing. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
