Hen passed blood clot & weird egg membrane

[Tailwise]

I have shell & grit mix available for her.

 

[Sondraa]

Crossing fingers! Sounds promising. Will be a huge relief for you to have another Vet interaction. Won't come too soon!

 

[Tailwise]

I managed to get the most senior avian expert at the hospital this time. He said she looks and acts like a perfectly normal, healthy, sassy (she pecked his hands a few times) chicken. As long as her eating keeps improving and she doesn't lose another 40 to 50 grams, he doesn't think there's much to worry about.

('She's vocal, she stands high on her legs, she's interested in her environment, she's not dangerously skinny.')

He chalks the lack of appetite up to a slow recovery from a pretty intense misfire of the reproductive system. Says there's no eggs left in her body and that a bunch of the weight loss is also probably due to how the ovaries shrivel up when a chicken goes off lay.

Wait and see, basically, but for now he sees no reason to be concerned and thinks doing further tests won't necessarily accomplish more than increasing everyone's anxiety.

Mind you, part of the reason I've been so anxious about this is that the emergency vet last week was worried about how thin she seemed. The avian expert waved that away. She's on the thin side, he said, but her body condition is still that of a healthy chicken - just one who could stand to eat a few more sandwiches every now and again.

 

[Sondraa]

Well....that is the best news you could get! You can finally sleep peacefully.

 

[SkyAJK]

I would like to share with you about the birth control implant.
My Isa brown had her first implant - she ate only a few bites, super quiet and by herself. She was usually very noisy. A week later she molted big time, and new feather grew very fast, but still she was quiet, isolated herself, and a bit grumpy. Once all that molting was over, she started to eat a bit more, still very quiet and this went on for 4 months. She looked rather depressed.

Suddenly she got all vocal, being pushy around the flock and before I knew it she pooped an egg. The implant was for 6 months, but it lasted just a bit over 4 months. It was a good break from excessive egg laying, new feather, looking healthy and gained weight.

Her 2nd implant lasted 2 months. She went back to laying eggs for a little while, then went broody.

Just recently I was going to have her on a 1 year implant with the hope that it lasted a bit longer. But I notice she was quite happy, & have not lay any egg for almost a week. I read an article on here BYC about how do you know your hen is laying or not. I checked her pin bones and it is less than 2 finger space, so I guess she has stopped egg laying. No implant needed! She is almost 4 years old. I just hope no more egg, occasionally 1 egg in a blue moon will not cause reproductive issue.

 

[Tailwise]

I would like to share with you about the birth control implant.
My Isa brown had her first implant - she ate only a few bites, super quiet and by herself. She was usually very noisy. A week later she molted big time, and new feather grew very fast, but still she was quiet, isolated herself, and a bit grumpy. Once all that molting was over, she started to eat a bit more, still very quiet and this went on for 4 months. She looked rather depressed.

Suddenly she got all vocal, being pushy around the flock and before I knew it she pooped an egg. The implant was for 6 months, but it lasted just a bit over 4 months. It was a good break from excessive egg laying, new feather, looking healthy and gained weight.

Her 2nd implant lasted 2 months. She went back to laying eggs for a little while, then went broody.

Just recently I was going to have her on a 1 year implant with the hope that it lasted a bit longer. But I notice she was quite happy, & have not lay any egg for almost a week. I read an article on here BYC about how do you know your hen is laying or not. I checked her pin bones and it is less than 2 finger space, so I guess she has stopped egg laying. No implant needed! She is almost 4 years old. I just hope no more egg, occasionally 1 egg in a blue moon will not cause reproductive issue.

Thank you. It's stories like this that gave me some hope this weekend that maybe her lack of appetite wasn't due to an underlying illness, so I appreciate you sharing. I'm glad to hear she's doing well!

My Pluisje is now noticably eating better. She was always her best self when she wasn't broody or laying, and she seems to be slipping into that personality, which I'm grateful for. We will see after the implant runs out if this was a one time thing or she needs more intervention.

 

[SkyAJK]

It is wonderful that she is eating better, she will gain some weight as she is no longer lay egg. It is giving her body a break and this might be just the thing her body needs to heal itself.

The implant my girl had was for 6 months, but on the 2nd time it only effective for 2 months. I was advised that it is depending on the individual hen's body, how it processes this medication. I read a blog online it says on their hen it was only effective for 2 weeks. But they were happy as they can see the big improvement on her health.

Any break from egg laying is allowing the body to heal & recover. Egg laying is heavily taxing on the little chicken's body.

All the best with your Pluisje, before long she will be back to her usual good health again. Please keep update.

 

[Tailwise]

It is wonderful that she is eating better, she will gain some weight as she is no longer lay egg. It is giving her body a break and this might be just the thing her body needs to heal itself.

The implant my girl had was for 6 months, but on the 2nd time it only effective for 2 months. I was advised that it is depending on the individual hen's body, how it processes this medication. I read a blog online it says on their hen it was only effective for 2 weeks. But they were happy as they can see the big improvement on her health.

Any break from egg laying is allowing the body to heal & recover. Egg laying is heavily taxing on the little chicken's body.

All the best with your Pluisje, before long she will be back to her usual good health again. Please keep update.

How long did it take your girl to start building up weight again rather than losing it? I am a little fretting still since she still seems to be losing a little weight (though her body condition remains fine and her feathers actually look better).

 

[SkyAJK]

She gained weight after the molting was over, if I remember correctly it might be a little over a month. The molting started on 2nd day of the implant and it was a big molt. She ate little, barely do anything, just mostly slowly walking about or stand quiet, not hanging out with the flock, comb was pale pink colour. I gave her extra food like egg york to help with the molting that what I read online. Like you, I gave her whatever she likes to eat, some vitamin drink and mix a little bit of molasses drink for energy.
She was looking depressive for the whole period of the implant being effective which was just a bit over 4 months. Once she started behaving like her old self again, that was when she returned to egg laying.

Like you, I was constantly monitoring her and at time I thought....she could be going down hill. Once the molt was over, she ate a lot, and then gained the weight, but still depressive in appearance and behaviour. I did read that chicken with implant will eat less as they are no longer laying egg and do not required that much food.

Your girl poops normal so that is a good sign. Keep doing what you are doing give her extra variety of food so that something for her body. Also, chicken behaving strangely when they molt. Thinking of you and your little hen.

 

[Sondraa]

SKYAJK's chicken may have also been distressed away from the other chickens? Whereas your Pluisje wont have that issue so may springback a bit faster hopefully.