Single hen

[redfrock]

Bella isn;t right. She was full of beans on Sunday, then when I went out Monday morning all the others were running around in the pen and she was huddled in a corner in the cube. I was able to pick her up, check her over etc very easily (something she never lets me do). Within a couple of hours, when I nipped home to take her to the vet, she had perked up slightly and was outside with the others. Unfortunately both my vets are on holiday for several weeks (chicken experts) and the locum was in. I don't like him anyway, from previous experience, but he simply wasn;t interested and told me that as the others were all ok I should just take her home. I showed him her floppy comb (it's still red) that she was quite lethargic and that I shouldn;t be able to handle her so easily but to no avail

 

Well, Bella is still with us but I am seriously concerned. Each morning she has been up and out with the girls pootling about. She goes to bed earlier than them but if I let them out for a run around when I get in she gets out of bed and joins them and pecks about. However she is still too slow and only showing vague interest in food. Her poo is like curdled egg and has bits of green in it (which I know can mean lack of food but I really am trying with her, hand feeding etc, giving mash instead of pellets because it is the equivalent of chocolate for my big girls). Feeling around her, her crop is ok, but I think from her squishy undercarriage and the poos she is doing that it is almost certainly sterile egg peritonitis, especially as she hasn't laid this week and she is a good layer normally.

 

There is little point taking her back to the vet as he obviously doesn't want to know. The other local vet was struck off (another story). I've tried reading up on SEP and can't work out if it is something they call pull through themselves and if there is anything I can do to help her. I know it is often a case of having the fluid drained but without a willing vet ...

 

She is a gorgeous girl and I need to do right by her

 

Thankfully Andy is home tonight. It always all goes wrong when he is away . Mind you that is probably because he is away more than he is not at the moment.

 

Oh and she is 2 and a half. One of my original girls

[Egluntyne]

Is her abdomen swollen and taut and is she waddling like a duck? They are usually the signs of peritonitis.

 

My girls who have had this have had fluid aspirated from their abdomens and courses of antibiotics. The symptoms do come back unfortunately.

 

There are no home remedies I'm afraid.

 

Is there no other vet in the wider vicinity?

[sandyhas3chucks]

I WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER TRAVELLING TO YOUR available vet.

if you go to the RCVS website and search for a vet, if you use the advance selection you can select poultry.

Sge sounds pretty poorly to me, and would need antibiotic only available from a vet!

Until you can get her there I would try syringing water with some avipro if you have it. they get fehydrated really quickly, a little everty hour or so, she may even drink lots herself once you get her started if you drip it into her beak(like a rain drop)

My poorly girl only ate cucumber for 3 days, then lettuce. she is now partial to digestive biscuit. you could also try apple. ( i like to get moist things in when they are not drinking or co-operative.

[chelsea]

my old gal Ella has had sterile peritonitis for a good 18months or so now and leads a normal chickeny life on the whole. The symptoms sound slightly similar to Bella's but she has never pooed curdled egg - so that is a bit odd.

 

As Eglutine says symptoms range from - waddling, swollen undercarriage, purple comb when sitting/lying down - also when sitting the breathing is laboured due to the pressure of the fluid.

 

Ella has had the odd course of Baytril here and there which perks her up, but the fluid never completely disappears. Although this time of year (peak laying time) this fluid is more when in the winter she has no fluid build up.

 

We've never had her drained, usually it is not recommended as it mostly leads to infection and then loss of the hen unfortunately. Although when Ella had here bowel accident a few months back she did lose all her fluid in the process, but then she was on a very expensive 6 week course of Baytril and there was no infection.

 

Do you have any Avipro? That might boost her in the meantime, maybe just until you can see your chicken expert vets for an expert opinion.