Bunty Goodchicken had been a bit ‘off’ for a day or two, with nothing obviously wrong, but by Tuesday she looked very unhappy, hunched and straining. On closer inspection I discovered a small prolapse. After washing it and pushing it back in, it refused to stay put, so as I was at the edge of my chicken knowledge and feeling somewhat panicked, we whisked her off to the vet. The vet tried to put it back in but by the time we had got home, it had popped out again. So I spent much of the evening (Valentine’s Day – so romantic) with my finger holding in her prolapse. We put her to bed in the broom cupboard (warm, safe and dark) tucked up in lots of towels. I hate illness and ever since Tom was so ill I struggle to cope with it. Bunty is a very special chicken, the sweetest of girls and I wanted to do everything I could to make her better again.
All night, when not awake fretting, I dreamt of prolapses and dreaded finding her in a worse state in the morning. But after an early morning check-up and although it had got bigger, it was not as bad as in my nightmares. She was immediately taken back to the vet where she had a purse string suture put into her vent under anaesthetic to hold in the prolapse and a superlorin implant to stop her laying and hopefully stop the problem re-occurring. She also had an X-ray to ensure there were no imminent eggs. The suture allows poo to pass out of her vent but will not let an egg pass so it is a balancing act between leaving it as long as possible to stop the prolapse re-appearing and not leaving it in too long so it stops eggs being laid. The implant takes a day or two to kick in but after that should hopefully stop her laying for about three months.
I spent all day at work worrying myself into a tiz about her being alone and frightened and operated on, but she arrived home quite perky and nonplussed by the whole thing. She had to be isolated to stop interested friends pecking anything that may emerge – the main danger of a prolapse is that being red, it will attract pecks and lead to a fatal bleed. Being a friendly, sociable wee girlie, she didn’t take kindly to her enforced isolation and wasn’t quite herself for a couple of days although the combination of the implant and the anaesthetic probably didn’t help.
She had to visit the vet every day to make sure there wasn’t an egg forming and a decision had to be made as to whether the suture would come out. After three days, and a rather grumpy Bunty at having yet another internal examination, her stitches were removed. So far…after 9 hours…quite a few poos and much checking of her ‘area’, it has not returned. She is sleeping alone again tonight, just in case, but if all is well in the morning I will let her back in with her sisters and keep a very close eye on her.
My darling brave girl deserves the very best, I hope we have done enough to save her, she is the most precious of chickens.
Ah Jo! good little Bunty Goodchicken I am sure she will now be OK and thank goodness for Suprelorin – have just had another implanted, Faith (6 months) has come out of hers. She is laying sensible sized eggs at present but when they get big implanted again she will be!
xx
Bunty has always laid ostrich sized eggs Anna so I expect that is where the problem was. I am glad Faith is coping well, bless her. Yes superlorin is amazing – expensive but worth every penny. The results with Dolly have been amazing!
Hi Jo,
Healing blessings to Bunty Good Chicken. I have dealt with prolapse on many occasions in many types of birds from chickens to canaries. I would like to offer my experience (out of love) in what to do to help your and other exbatt chicken lovers to prevent prolapse and slow down egg production in birds that are prone to this condition.
My question to you is does Bunty still lay eggs as regularly as your chickens without the implant? In other words is she laying a clutch normally?
If you would like tips and tricks I have learned that really work please let me know and I would be glad to share them with you and any other chicken lover/rescuer out there.
Sincerely,
Liza (aka the Fairy artist)
Hello Liza, yes please all help advice and info most welcome! Bunty was laying regularly (large eggs) every other day approximately. I don’t remember seeing one of hers for a few days before the prolapse and now, as of this morning, the prolapse is still in and no eggs. I think the implant has kicked in (I hope so ) and she wil no wnot lay for about 3 months all being well. I have taken her off ex-battt pelletts and given her corn but once she is out with the others she may well eat them. So any advice on slowing down egg production woul dbe gratedully recieved. Thank you xxxx
Hi Jo,
I’ll write up an article and send it to you. I’ll also address “egg binding”.
I hope you find it informative enough to post it on your blog for fellow exbatt rescuers! Just need a day or two to get it together.
Liza
That sounds fabulous Liza, thank you so much I am very much loooking forward to reading it and learning more xx
Jo, I took Faith to the avian vet who operated on her for a large growth in her abdomen and took one of her eggs which as you say was ostrich size – he did not believe in implants as he said ‘hens lay eggs’.followed by if he could do something he would??…I then went to the vet who implanted Julie RIP and Faith was implanted.
I do not know as you say why they are so expensive as all of us who are using them should make the price come down? They have gone up in price again from last year!
I look forward to what Liza adds to this.
ps Jo if you want to delete this post feel free.
xx
Now why would I delete it?? 🙂 it is great to hear of other girls gettign implants as it is still a new thing for vets I think. How is Faith getting on now?
Hi Jo,
I wrote this this morning. Hope it helps!
Promoting Birds Health Mother Nature’s Way
How to prevent prolapse in Chickens
How to prevent and deal with “egg binding”
Reading Jo’s blog about her wonderful exbatt chickens has inspired me
in very many ways. It’s about the journey and understanding how being kind
effects all life including our own. Because I have experience in dealing with certain situations when it comes to birds, I wanted to contribute what I have learned in supporting the natural way of life as nature intended.
Some considerations to be taken into account are that some breeds of chickens have been bred by mankind to produce, produce, produce. While these birds have
been altered physically over time we can support their natural way of “being” in the hopes that a balance will be achieved in the long run.
Nature is wonderful and a great teacher. Observing the cycles of life can be a teaching factor for bird lovers. During the spring, wild birds will have an increase in different types of food that will support breeding cycles. Nutrition is a key factor during this time, especially proteins like bugs, which are are good calcium supplements. The birds begin to court setting up a nest and brood, taking breaks in-between to eat. Some bird species take turns in brooding their young and the father plays an important role in this wonderful endeavor. Grouse and turkeys also have a natural cycle and looking at their natural ways of living will give you an indication to what your chickens’ needs are. Because egg production chickens, especially exbatts, have never been outside and seen the light of day or even know what natural cycles are and never had the opportunity to “sit” their eggs, these birds have been conditioned to produce without even having their simplest natural requirements met in nature’s way.
In the wild if a bird’s nest is destroyed and the eggs are taken, the bird will usually pick a different spot so not to attract a predator to the same spot. During this time they have to rebuild a nest, collect materials and eat, the hen has a bit of time to build her body back up to lay eggs again. This is not so with chickens. When we take their eggs they will keep laying. They may have a rest but these particular birds have already been altered by man. Because exbatts have already gone through so much, they really need natural support.
Prolapse happens for many reasons, some of which are:
A) The birds begin laying eggs at a very young age and have not had the time to
physically mature inside.
B) They are laying too many eggs in a short time span or the eggs are too large for them to support laying without having damaging effects.
C) The bird is older and has changed physically after all the years of egg production and should have stopped producing at this point. However they do not due to their conditioning and breeding
Some things you can do to support the natural holistic way of living for a bird who had been denied the experience of living in the cycles of nature:
Allow your hens to actually brood their eggs if you do not mind losing the eggs or you can get “dummy” eggs and replace the edible egg with the dummy egg. (Note; Some hens are wise to their eggs being switched!) Allow her to sit the eggs, place food and water close by. You also can get fertile eggs and allow the hen to raise some chicks. While she is raising her chicks she will not be laying eggs but focus on being a mother. If you live by fellow chicken enthusiasts who do get fertile eggs because they have a rooster, you can replace her eggs with the fertile ones. Plus they all do not have to be fertile, even if you get two to three fertile eggs and the rest are hers that is fine. Hens rearing young should have their own space for the protection of the chicks. The first few days alone together is a bonding time. One of the key factors involved is your chickens wanting to brood. Some hens lay their eggs and walk away. Brooding can also be a “learned” behavior. It just takes time for them to get it. All their lives they have had their eggs taken from them. Some chickens are better at sitting then others. They also may need their own “space” temporarily to brood. Watch for what your hens have to say about themselves in this arena. A hen that does not sit her eggs and has a tendency to prolapse may have several re-occurrences. You can support brooding behavior by simply leaving the eggs there even if she does not “sit” them. Eventually seeing her eggs not being taken away may encourage her.
Hens who are allowed to rear young are healthier in many ways (mentally, physically, emotionally) and it is healthier for the chicks. Still, if you do not want to go that route then the dummy eggs will also work. Eventually the hen will tire of them and abandon the nest because they did not hatch. The issues with prolapse is that it may occur again. Many of the prolapsed birds I have dealt with, have had a re-occurance that laying year. When given a “winter” reprieve from laying the next year, things “tightened up” and there was no more prolapse.
In nature, a bird has an entire year or more to mature before going to nest and breeding season. Your exbatt chickens never had that opportunity because of their breeding.:( Plus they were taken away from their own mothers at a very early age and they never had that necessary emotional connection. From birth most chicks are shipped out to farmstores for Easter.
We as animal lovers may not stop the things of which man has created for his own use, but we can support what nature has intended anyway.
How to deal with egg binding and prevention:
Egg binding is when a hen can not pass an egg usually because the egg is too soft due to calcium deficiency. The hens rear will look swollen, they will be fluffed and weakened. This is a very delicate situation and handling the bird must be with caution and gentleness because you do not want that egg to break inside of her. When lifting the bird, hold her away from your own body and just around her wings or tuck her under your arm in the opposite direction, rear facing out. The things you will need are a heat lamp and or a warm heating pad (the temp of the heating pad must not go over 99-100 degrees), moist towel and calcium supplement. I highly recommend always having on hand liquid Calcium glutamate which can be obtained from your Veterinarian. You also need at least two syringes. Calcium glutamate is fast acting and will harden up the egg quickly.
Place the bird in a warm area, if you have a incubator even better. You want the temperature to be very warm. The towel must be warm and very moist and you want to shape it in the form of a nest (that’s why I recommend a heating pad).
The humidity and heat really helps to pass the egg. They must be in a place that is quiet and they should not move around too much because you want them to sit on the warm moist heating pad. A large plastic transparent storage container with holes drilled in for air and ventilation can do wonders:) The temperature of the container ideally should be between 99-100 degrees. You will have to administer the liquid calcium by mouth. The dosage will be recommended by your veterinarian. The first syringe is for the bird’s mouth. The second syringe is for her vent area. Please mark which is which:D You can put a couple of drops of mineral oil with warm boiled water that has been cooled to 95-100 degrees very gently into or around her vent area. This acts to lubricate her and aid in the passage of the egg. I personally would very gently do a little bit inside my bird’s vent and it worked like a charm every time.
However, your Veteranarian may advise against putting anything inside your birds vent area and while this worked for me in many instances I suggest listening to your Veterinarian’s advice first. This is such a delicate situation and one slip can do greater harm than good, especially if the bird is not cooperating.
The problem with egg binding is that even if you got through the first one you still have a clutch more to go. So since one of the main problems with egg binding is that there is just not enough calcium in the birds body to support her laying an egg, you will probably want to keep her on the Calcium glutamate and in a warm place until she is done with laying her clutch. Oftentimes egg binding is directly related to calcium deficiency. If there are roosters around you may want to keep her away for awhile to at least prevent her from mating. The other calcium source I recommend is easily found at the pet store and can be used once in awhile to insure your birds are getting calcium.
It is found in the reptile section of the store, “Reptocal” and calcium powder for reptiles. You sprinkle a bit on their food and mix it in to disperse it evenly. I cant tell you how many times I have used it for my duck Shortbeak when I see her egg shells appearing thin. I realized I cannot always rely on their food to have all they need and sometimes hens just need that bit of extra. I also save egg shells, wash them out and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. I grind them down and sprinkle them in the food.
To prepare for egg binding with egg layers is really important. You know how things go. It’s Sunday, the vet is closed, the nearest place is very far away and it may stress out the bird more to travel. The egg may even break during the ride and that is exactly how I learned to deal with egg bound hens and prolapse.
(I also recommend holding your birds in the positions I mentioned above so they get used to the idea and being calm in certain situations.)
I absolutely adore chickens. Having had them I know what awesome, intelligent, affectionate birds they are and because I loved them there are many tips I have learned to deal with “emergencies” and to be prepared for things that happened. I learned so much from them and loved them so well that I became fascinated with learning as much as I possibly could. Many of the Avian Veterinarians were so wonderful because they freely shared valuable information with me. Chickens will always have a very special place in my heart and those of you who have them, I am sure understand why there are so many of us who have a passion and deep affection for these wonderful birds. Once chickens get in your “blood” they never get out, but hey I think that is a good thing:) I hope that what I have written here does help those of you with your rescued chickens to raise awareness and support natures way of doing things, with the assistance of medical needs, to the best of our ability and support health in a wholesome and balanced way.
Blessed be!
Liza
Not sure if you wanted to copy and paste it anywhere so I just posted it here:D
I’m so glad Bunty is doing better. I hope her bits stay put this time! xx
Oh Liza, what a lovely,informative and compassionate article! Thank you so much, so good to hear someone who so obviously loves their hens 🙂 Am just waiting for Gary to get off the phone so he can put it on the blog so everyone can read it!!
I am so glad that you like it. I don’t have chickens now but I will someday again! I love swapping stories and info! Your stories about your girls are so inspiring and they come to me on days when I need them the most.
Any info I have I will gladly share:)
If you like this one I will write more in the future if you would like me to.
Liza
That would be great Liza, thank you so mcuh 🙂 Do you have a blog I can link to or shalll I post them on here?
Hi Jo,
No I do not have a blog. Between creating and marketing I just don’t have the time to keep up with a blog. Then there are my animal peeps who do require of me my presence and attention! I’m more like a bee, pollinating the beautiful flowers along the way:)
I dont need credit back (a link) for this Jo. It’s ok. If it helps one of Mother natures feathered people and their human parents it is enough. Mama nature is very good to me in all ways. Just paying it forward and sharing her teachings to me.
Blessed be.
Thank you Liza I am just about to post it, you are an angel xxx
Hi Jo
Faith has a big bottom again so will have to be re-done soon. She had her first last July so it lasted well. There is one waiting at the vet (as you know they come in two’s) left from Bubbles.
Thank you Liza for the information – I feel the biggest thing for battery hens is to build up their immune system – it is totally gone when they come out of the cage with all the daily drugs that they have had in the previous 18 months. Having girls now for over 6 years, I am working on this route with bits of my human nursing background.
We find that a lot of rescue girls eat their eggs when they can, I do not blame them as they taste so good!
I agree Anna, these girls need boosting up to be strong and healthy so they have a fighting chance against disease. Mine have scrambled egg if they are not well as a treat!
Dear Jo
I have just read your blog on your beautiful chicken Bunty, and I was wondering if you could give me any advice on my beautiful pet chicken Hettie.
While away on holiday she had a prolapse, at present she is at the vets, they have put in a stitch and a bow to open her vent if she has an egg,
she has not laid an egg for 2 days now, the vet is looking into an implant like Bunty, although he has not heard of it in chickens,
we are really worried that she will prolapse again.
I could give her a fertilized egg to sit on, although i notice that was not an option you chose with Bunty, was there a reason for that?
Also as I too live in West Cornwall, I wondered if you could give me the name of your vet who did Bunty’s implant.
Hettie is a young chicken and lives with her chicken friend Belle and we want her to have the best life we can give her.
Many Thanks
Stella
Hello Stella, poor old Hettie send her our love. The vets is Penmellyn http://www.penmellyn.co.uk/Contact-Us.aspx and they have surgeries in Pool, Newquay and St Columb. They have done the chicken vet course and I would certainly reccommend them.
I didn’t try the fertile egg as firstly I didn’t think about it (!) but reading Liza’s fab article it may well be a good plan to stop her laying until the implant kicks in.
The main danger with a prolapse is it being pecked and causing bleeding.
My vet hadn’t heard if the Superlorin implant either until I asked for it. It is used for dogs normally but works in hens too. It is just a big injection basically and stops them laying for about 3 months. Dolly had it with miraculous results and Bunty too has been fine. No eggs at all although she is having a little moult which is quite normal ans shows it is working! It takes about 24 hours to kick in so I would ask if they can get it in asap but in the meantime isolation and an egg to sit on.
If I can help any more please do ask, and please keep me posted, she is a lucky girl to be so well looked after xxx
Thank you Jo.
Hettie is still “in hospital”, but if the local VET cannot help us we will contact Penmellyn.
I will keep you posted.
Thank you xx
Hi Jo, I have had Faith implanted again today – she was as good as gold and I held her (different vet, the other one took her away to another room).
I have also had Eily (rescue from last year) injected with Delvosterone, she had laid this week a paper shell which I extracted carefully and the egg department is not good. She is moulting and I do not think they can combine both things, it seems to take its toll on their bodies and then lead to EYP. She also had an injection of Calcium and I shall follow up with Vit. D3 drops. I have gone this route as I just want a short break for her. The injection lasts around 4-5 weeks, will keep you posted!
Hi Anna, I shall be really interested to see how it goes – certainly sounds the right decision. DId you go via Penmellyn? I was in the vets with Evie the other day and they mentioned someone in Newquay wsa having an implant too.
Hi Anna, I don’t know if you’ll ever see this.
I’m a hen keeper desperately trying to get some information on use of Delvosterone in hens. Your comment here came up in a Google search.
I’ve an ext-batt that’s had problems with Superlorin/Suprelorin, so I’m considering Delvosterone for her, but really need some insight from someone whose hen has been through it.
I’m @firebird_uk on Twitter or firebird.email at gmail.com if you ever see this and would be happy to share some info.
x
Jo – I’m up by Stratford upon Avon!! Eily is in moult from the injection and Faith’s comb has a little shrinkage.
Sorry Anna, got confused. Bunty is moulting too after the injection but feathers regrowing now!