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

[lovebugette]

Having had one hen put to sleep with peritonitis, I was always suspicious whether I did the right thing or not and now I know the answer. I should not have listened to that vet!

 

My second hen to suffer peritonitis showed the symptoms - fed up, fluffed up, not eating or drinking, swollen abdomen and runny bottom with messy feathers - her weight was a miserly 600g. I am sure she was the one passing the rubbery lumps too in their nest and immediately thought the worst. As I mentioned, another hen was put to sleep with the same symptoms when a local vet said nothing could be done for her.

 

I contacted the man from whom I'd purchased my hybrid hens and he recommended a vet at Sandhole Vets in Snodland, near Maidstone in Kent. I made an appointment with Kate Everett and drove the 50 minute journey without a second thought. Thank god I did - Kate is an expert in her field and enlightened me with the news that vets learn NOTHING at vet school about poultry. She is self-taught and a pioneer of the hormone implant in hens amongst other things, and was most positive about Henrietta. I could have hugged her - the relief was indescribable.

 

It would seem Hen had peritonitis and, whilst her body tried to fight the infection her intestinal system shut down thus causing the food to stay in the crop and not move on. Kate of course explained it perfectly, but I will do her an injustice to try myself! However, she prescribed Baytril and Amoxinsol antibiotics to treat the infection of her reproductive tract, Metacam pain killer and anti-inflammatory, Metoclopramide to help the crop empty and the intestinal system to start working normally and also a one off 30 ml of Harrisons recovery formula whilst at the vets to help give Hen the energy to fight the infection.

 

After 5 days of keeping Hen indoors and administering the meds by mouth together with her eating a measly amount of food (barely a grape and a dozen mealworms passed her beak per day) she suddenly perked up. Her crop FINALLY emptied and she started to hoof her food again. Organic porridge, meal worms, you name it, she scoffed it! She also went back into the garden with her friends and took charge once again. She gained 300g within a week and 6 weeks later is still the same, we even had an egg from her one day despite her being 3 years old and having not laid since last summer

 

I am conscious it may return, and if so I will not hesitate to return to Kate for a hormonal implant. No, this was not cheap. The bill was almost £80 and an implant would be as much, but I do not consider my hens merely throwaway farm animals - they are friends with gifts! (!egg!'s)

 

I wish anyone else luck - if your vet won't help then tell the vet to contact Sandhole Vets and ask Kate for her advice - she does run courses and hopefully she will train enough vets so that more girls like Henrietta can carry on their lives. Hope I have helped

[kevf1]

good information maybe the mod's can makie this a sticky...

[Nicola O]

I so pleased for you that you've found a fab chook vet and I can whole heartedly agree with everything you've said.

 

Two of my ex-bats have the implant. Stan had hers about seven weeks ago and as we caught the peritonitis really early she was not too swollen, and within a week her bottom had shrunk back to normal. Two weeks ago Gladys' bottom was huge and she was quite poorly. The vet drained a lot of the fluid off, she had Baytril and Metacam and the implant, and again, in about 10 days her bottom was down to it's normal size again and she is back to the best of health.

 

My vet is really knowledgable and keeps chooks of his own, and certainly sees chooks as an animal worth treating (I've met a couple of vets who don't and have the 'why spend a lot of money on a bird you can replace for just a few quid' attitude ).

 

I know that the implant is thought to only last six months but I do think it's worth it and the early signs are really positive. Best wished to you and Henrietta and I hope she continues to improve.

 

Nicola.

[lovebugette]

So true about some vets attitudes, and other people too to be honest! I love them as much as any other pet and would do anything for them. Just because you can buy two for a fiver to eat (although I don't personally) people in general consider them worthless.

 

We are lucky to have found out fab vets, although the vet that put my other girl to sleep did have his own hens AND is named on the Omlet site as being a chicken vet, so his attitude was very disappointing. Add to that the fact that after putting Billina down, he brought her back to me still convulsing and squawking, in the last throws of death. I was devastated and must admit to making a bit of a show of myself (was jet-lagged too, but maybe "THIS WILL STAY WITH ME FOR THE REST OF MY LI-I-I-I-FE" being shouted out was a bit over the top...... Oh, and "I AM SOOOOO TRAUMATISED".) Bet he won't do that again!

 

In addition, some clever clogs in the waiting room asked what I had in my basket (prior to being PTS of course) and when I said "A chicken" he said "Oh, they're nice with chips". Shame my brain wasn't working quicker as I could have reminded him that in Korea his little dog is nice with chips too.

 

All in all we have a tough time justifying our love for our hens don't we? The implant is definitely my next step, so glad to hear your girls are doing well with theirs.

[Dolly]

Just to say a very helpful and heartwarming post Lovebugette, thanks for sharing your experiences, it's always nice to know for future reference.

Oh, and no, you didn't go over the top with your response to the vet at your previous visit, I would have said exactly the same, and probably more! :shock:

[gongladosh]

yep, I agree, it's absolutely awful of the vet to bring your girl to you like that - I'd probably never go back there.

 

As for anyone who can be sarcastic in a vet's about a pet, that's pretty low.

 

It's worth remembering though (and this is purely to reassure people of how hens die), that the convulsions are not pain or anguish, it's the brain shutting down, neurons firing left right and centre and the legs/wings responding accordingly. Don't feel that the hen is struggling - she's already gone by then.

[lovebugette]

Thanks gongladosh, feel a bit better about Billina now. Would have preferred not to have seen it though, but at least it was normal and not her suffering.

 

A quick update regarding Henrietta - husband took her on the hour drive to the vets and she has had her "Suprelorin" Implant put in (£49.77 plus VAT). Henny had to have 150 ml of fluid drained from her tummy first but the vet thinks the implant should sort her out for good now. She thinks it should last a minimum of 8 months so money well spent I'd say.

 

Henny had a small cut inbetween her shoulders where they placed the implant which was glued shut again and she is now tucked up in bed with her pals in the . Hope she gets over the stress and this is the end of her troubles with swollen tummies!

 

Husband might take longer to overcome a) the embarassment of taking a hen to the vets in a cat basket (not manly, apparently) and b) that he had to take my phone as his was out of battery. And? I hear you say. Well, I called him whilst he was in the vets and my ringtone is Dirty Dancing's "I've had the time of my life". Doubt he'll offer to help next time.

 

He's suffered worse - my car is a VW Beetle with 5 inch plastic eyelashes on (google Car Lashes and you will see the problem) and he has to take it out occasionally. Poor man, he truly suffers in silence.

[Chucky Mama]

Another thread on this hen/topic now running HERE