Euthanize?

[ashmariewa]

I have an almost one-year-old hen who has always had vent problems. It's been swollen on and off and we're constantly cleaning the poop away, giving her baths..etc.

Today I went to the chicken coop and she didn't come out to free range with the others. I noticed it looked like her vent had prolapsed, she was pecking at what appeared to be her intestines.

I ran to the house to get the isolation cage and a saltwater bath set up and by the time I came back, the prolapse had gone back in but she was seeming very dazed. I gave her a 20 minute salt water soak, cleaned the vent area and then put her in her isolation quarters. She tried to fly out of the bath several times, so was pretty spunky, but since putting her in her crate she's been standing in the same spot, not eating or drinking. I have offered electrolytes and scrambled eggs with a calcium supplement but she hasn't taken either.

Her abdomen is extremely swollen. I don't think she's egg bound because she did pass some poop that I saw while I was examing her prolapse issue, but she is quite obviously not well. Her abdomen nearly touches the ground.

Thoughts?

 

[Eggcessive]

You can pull down on her wattles to open the beak, pop a human calcium tablet into her beak, and she will swallow it. Has she been laying eggs? How old is she? She might be laying internally or have ascites or both from her upright posture. Cancer is also possible. Salpingitis causes them to lay lash egg material, and sometimes the egg can be deposited in the abdomen where it becomes a solid mass. Ascites or water belly is where the liver is not healthy and yellow fluid is collecting inside the belly. That can go along with salpingitis and egg yolk peritonitis/coelomitis. I would make her comfortable as possible. If I offer cooked egg, tuna, canned cat food or other favorite foods, and they refuse them and water, it is only a matter of time before they die. I put them down if others are picking on them or if they appear to be suffering. If the calcium doesn’t help and she continues to prolapse, I don’t think anyone would fault you for euthanizing her. Sorry about your hen.

 

[ashmariewa]

We have 10 hens so it's really hard to tell if she's been laying or not, however about a month ago I did find two rubber eggs that one of them had laid off the roost.

She hasn't touched the eggs or the water, but did poop, and the prolapse appears to be staying in. Her vent is pulsing though, so I'm worried she's in pain.

 

[Eggcessive]

You can offer some water with 1 tsp of sugar per 8 ounce cup, or some electrolytes, Gatorade, etc. Let us know what happens.

 

[ashmariewa]

If we think she isn't going to get better and it's some type of laying internally or ascites, is it better to keep her separated in the crate where she doesn't seem super comfortable, or just keep her with the flock until her time comes? I don't want her to be stressed, and just want to do what is best for her.

 

[TerryW]

I've just had an interesting prolapse situation, came here and read all of the posts on what to do. Came back here just now to post how it turned out, I'll do that in a new post.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

If we think she isn't going to get better and it's some type of laying internally or ascites, is it better to keep her separated in the crate where she doesn't seem super comfortable, or just keep her with the flock until her time comes? I don't want her to be stressed, and just want to do what is best for her.

I’m sorry about your hen. It can be hard to know what to do. If you think she isn’t going to get better don’t let her suffer until she dies naturally. The broomstick method is fast and humane.

Euthanizing a young chicken is emotionally hard but even if her life is short, she’s had a better life than most of the laying hens in the world.

 

[Eggcessive]

I like to keep the hens with their flocks, unless they are being pecked or bullied. If that is happening, I keep them protected inside a dog crate with bedding, food and water. Even if one is sickly or dying, they are usually more comfortable with the other chickens.