Gardencityhens Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 HI All: I am a new proud owner of 4 Welsummers. We have had them for 6 weeks now. Three have started to lay over this period apart from Florence. Over the last few days she started to sit in the nest box, but seemingly to no avail. Two days ago she sat in the nest box for a couple of hours, but still no egg. Yesterday she was in there for over half the day. Over this 72 hour period she has become very lethargic and is now not eating very much, although she is still drinking. Today she was very slow to come out of the pen and is just standing around a lot of the time with her eyes closed. As you can see in the images she has a lot of poo around her Vent. I have posted images below of her backside, after reading around it seems to me she is “egg bound” although maybe this is a very quick assumption. All help and advice is welcome, she looks quite poorly and we are all feeling very sad. http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/7729/flow1x.jpg http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/7017/flow2.jpg http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2654/flow3.jpg http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/371/flow4.jpg http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/3046/flow5s.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 She looks a bit 'low slung' to me - low to the ground around her back end. Have a feel at her tummy and see if it is swollen, tight or fluid filled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardencityhens Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 She looks a bit 'low slung' to me - low to the ground around her back end. Have a feel at her tummy and see if it is swollen, tight or fluid filled. HI & thanks for you quick response.....i have fett her tummy and it does seem "Fluidy" thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 I am afraid that she may well have peritonitis and really needs to see a vet. The prognosis is not good and what you do next if she does have it will depend on several factors(not least cost) that only you can decide. There is no absolute cure and treatment palliative buying from weeks to a few months. There is available a new method of attempting to provide a little more time but it is as yet unproven and costly. I have had 2 with it. 1 was treated by having the fluid drained, she lived on for approx 5-6 months (which was much longer than I had expected) before it came back with a vengeance and the other we put to sleep as soon as she became unwell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hi, how is your girl? Such a shame she looks beautiful . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardencityhens Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 We have given her a bath, which she took too quite well. We have cleaned her up and kept her dry and warm. However she has not really improved visibly, she is drinking a lot more than usual but still not eating. she made her own way (very slowly) to the pen and went into the basket where they they all have been laying. We will see how she is in the morning and post again. Thanks for your support. Any further advice anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Hi, i am not an expert but i would get her to a vet asap if you can. I lost a hen last weekend and wish i had taken her to the vet sooner. I know its costly but at least if there is nothing they can do they can end her suffering. I really hope its nothing too serious, i know how upsetting it is even if you havent had them that long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 What you are doing is fine in terms of supportive nursing but I doubt she will improve without some intervention from a vet. Something is obviously going on and I feel that it probably requires treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
