4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[skye]

Hello all

 

Wondering if you could shed some light on my findings today. I have discovered blood in the nesting box, and some lumps of dark red matter - not clots, more spongy and solid than that, more like flesh. There was also either some mucus or the white of an egg in there. I'm sure before I got there quite a bit of it was eaten

 

Our gingernut Layla is looking fairly down in the mouth. She's doing a fair amount of standing about and keeping out of the fray, although she doesn't look totally sick, just uncomfortable, I guess.

 

Otherwise consistently healthy, she's never been a great layer and I've always been concerned about her laying 'equipment'. She's just turned 2yrs old and to my knowledge she hasn't laid an egg for at least six months. Last year's eggs were mostly softies and tiny eggs with no yolk.

 

If anybody has any experience of what this might all mean, I would be very grateful to hear about it. I'm going to keep an eye on her and take her to the vet if she seems worse tomorrow.

 

xx

Edited April 30, 2009 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

Sometimes they shed the lining of their laying tackle. Perhaps this was what you found.

[skye]

Thank you Egluntine, I was hoping that she would have picked up today after her bleed yesterday. But she seems to be very hunched and puffed up, eyes shut most of the time, and there was evidence of having laid a softy on her bottom and in the nest this morning, although no further blood.

 

When I offered grapes she was interested and competed for them almost normally, but then returned to her hunched, beachball posture.

 

Wondering whether perhaps there is another softy on the way - or whether she might have peritonitis from laying all these soft-shell eggs

 

At what point do you take them to the vet though? I'm not quite sure what to do next.

 

skye

[Budgies]

Personally I would take her to the vet.

 

Chickens are incredibly tough little critters and can hide their illness really well (because to show weakness means certain death in a flock).

 

So the fact that she's displaying her illness so clearly, with the hunching, means she's really quite poorly.

 

You never know, the vet may be able to help get her through this - it sounds like it's gone beyond the waiting game at this point.

[skye]

Thank you for the advice Budgies.

 

I took her to the vet this morning who x-rayed her and told me she is egg-bound. The egg is stuck high up in the oviduct nowhere near the vent. They have tried to express it manually to no avail, and have now given her calcium injection, an injection of oxytocin and a baytril injection. Apparently the oxytocin and calcium potentially will help her to pass the egg, although it has limited success (30%).

 

We have to take her back tomorrow lunchtime if she hasn't passed the egg, to decide whether to try with another oxytocin injection as apparently if it is going to work it will do within 24 hours.

 

When I got her back she seemed very stressed and gasping, but i have put her in a quiet spot in the kitchen with a warm bottle under the towels. She seems a bit calmer and has started drinking a fair bit of water, but still seems completely out of it from the sedative (or would it be from the other drugs?).

 

The vet told me that if the oxytocin doesn't work then we should think seriously about either referring her to a specialist or having her put to sleep, as she would suffer more with the ensuing infections.

 

I hate seeing her suffer. Does anybody have any advice?

[Guest]

only you can decide when you think she's had enough and it's time to let her go. It sounds like you're doing everything you can and I hope it pays off, good luck to you and your little girl xxx

[skye]

Thank you very Poet, that is much appreciated.

 

What is so upsetting is that she is otherwise an extremely healthy chicken.

 

Thought I would add a pic of the x-ray which may be of interest to other omleteers.

 

The stuck egg is clearly visible at the bottom of the shot, at first sight it seems as if it's close to the exit but in fact it is a long way up the oviduct - the vent is top right near the tail bone. You can see evidence of other matter which is either as a result of the egg having fractured inside her or from other shell-less eggs.

 

 

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Poor Layla . I hope the vet's intervention saves her . Thanks for the x-ray, very interesting to see.

[Biker Betty]

Hello Skye

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your chook. I too have had very similar problems in the past two weeks. Please follow my stream further down the page on the clinic.

 

To give you just a bit of hope, mine seemed very terminal last Wednesday and I thought it was curtains but decided that as she didn't seem in too much pain, not to her her PTS until I'd given her another chance. I put her on baytril, metacam and zolcal-d. She wouldn't really eat anything much at first but developed a hunger for green things - cucumber in particular.

 

She has made an almost full recovery - but she does still have the egg stuck - despite running around, eating and drinking etc as normal right now. I have spoken to lots of people about this in the past week and it seems that sometimes it can take 3 or 4 weeks for a particularly stubborn egg to come out and the chicken can recover after this. I have been advised to try feeding her liquid paraffin to help it from the other end - hers is stuck very far up in her system too so its untreatable from that end.

 

Of course if I'd have thought mine was really in pain and suffering at any point, I would have made the other decision instead. Only you'll know when that's right.

 

Anyway, I hope your girl makes it through - please feel free to swap stories with me - I think it always helps to have somebody else going through it.

 

My thoughts are with you. Bx

 

p.s. thanks for the X-ray - that's fascinating!

[Lizzie]

Hi

So sorry to hear about your chook and her problems.

I had exactly the same with Lucy and sadly we did have her PTS - the egg in the position it was in was affecting her liver and breathing, she really was not well and we thought it the kindest thing to do.

I will keep everything crossed that the injection she has had will help her pass it.

 

Very best wishes

 

Liz

[Egluntyne]

Fascinating. It is stuck a long way up. Sounds as if you have a decent vet.

 

Fingers crossed for her.

[Budgies]

Oh Skye, sorry to hear this about your poor girl.

 

It certainly sounds as though you're doing everything to help her right now.

 

As Layla's chicken Mummy I'm sure you'll know whether you think it's worth trying to treat her and when to call a halt if necessary. Be open minded and keep a close eye on her is my advice.

 

Very good luck, hope she's a bit brighter tomorrow

[skye]

Thank you all so much for your kind support and wise comments. It is really appreciated.

 

I have just returned from my night shift, my OH was looking after Layla while I was out. She is still accepting water whenever it is put under her nose and drinking quite enthusiastically. Although it is night, so hard to judge, she does possibly seem calmer than she was. Looking forward to seeing how she is when the sun comes up in an hour or two.

 

Thank you all so much once again, and Biker Betty, I will read your story. Big chicken cuddles to your girl xx

[skye]

Sadly little Layla did not lay the egg as a result of the drugs she was given. It was very hard watching her having painful contractions and struggling to breathe yesterday. This morning she was quieter, so we gave her a warm soapy bath in a last attempt to try and help her expel it. Unfortunately for the rest of the morning she seemed to go downhill, and I thought it kindest to take her to the vets to be put to sleep at lunchtime.

 

Thank you everybody for all the support..

 

RIP beautiful little Layla, we will never forget you. xxxx

[Budgies]

Oh Skye, so sorry to hear about poor little Layla. At least you know you did everything possible to try and help her come through this.

 

Thanks for sharing her story with us on here, just wish it had been a better outcome for you all. RIP Layla.

[Biker Betty]

I am so very sorry to hear your news. I can only say what a wonderful job you did of taking care of her - please seek comfort in that.

 

My thoughts are with you - I know how sad it is to lose one of your girls.

 

Bx

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Oh no . I'm so sorry . Poor little Layla .

[sandyhas3chucks]

Just caught up on this, so sorry Skye.

Which Vet do you use? Please

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear it.

[MedusA]

I'm so sorry to hear about Layla. You did everything you could to help her and I'm sure she had a happy life with you. Rest in peace little hen. *hugs*