# Chicken not standing following illness



## poly2005 (6 mo ago)

Please could someone offer some medical advice on our chicken whose condition is described as beneath.

On the 07.07.22 our chicken ( a 2.5 year old ex battery hen named Poly) was diagnosed with egg peritonitis. She weighed 2.3Kg and after the vet drained the abdomen of 200ml fluid she weighed 2.1kg. The vet took a scan which didn't reveal any egg shell but the fluid drained off was milky and so the vet prescribed a 5 day course of anti biotic (6 days if you include the initial injection). The anti biotics finished on 12th July - poly's temperature is now normal and she shows no signs of having any further fluid retention/peritonitis.

On the 13th July Poly stopped eating - we gave her egg yolk by syringe twice daily. She lost a lot of weight with a bey rib cage resulting.

On the 15th July Poly became reluctant to stand or walk and was still not eating - later that day we started Poly on poultry power drops (a multi vitamin drench 2ml administered daily for upto 5 days). A few hours later Poly started eating and has now regained her appetite - she is eating scrambled egg, grated cheese and mini sausages plus bits of corn and grit about 5 times per day and drinking from small saucers (into which we have put Kali Phos - homeopathic remedy that I understand is good to prevent EPS).
However Poly is still not walking - she stands up, stretches and then lays back down. We are massaging her legs a few times each day.

Do any members have any suggestions on what we can try next to get Poly back on her feet.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Once egg peritonitis starts it's a sign that things are not going well in the reproductive tract. @LoxiKat has had similar issues with her X battery hens. Her vet inserted a hormone pellet to stop her ovulation entirely.

Hopefully, @LoxiKat will step in. She's from your area and can probably give you a ton of information. She's done very well with her X battery hens.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Welcome to the forum, kudos to you for rescuing the ex-battery hens!


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## poly2005 (6 mo ago)

By way of an update - after 4 days off palliative care, which involves leg stretches and lots of encouragement to take water and food, Poly is now able to get up and stand on her own - every day the frequency and durations of her standing last longer - today she took her first few steps. Fingers crossed for improved strength over the coming days.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I wish @LoxiKat would show up. She could probably give you some good incite into caring for the birds.

She's relatively new too but her instincts are good.

I'm glad to read she is doing better. Sadly, unless something else is done it's probably temporary.


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## poly2005 (6 mo ago)

In term of the original condition that Poly presented with - that being egg peritonitis and noting that Poly is one of 3 ex battery hens we got at the same time - all 3 hens appear to have stopped laying a few weeks ago - their nest box has been empty since and no eggs found around the garden - therefore my hope is that if Poly and her friends are now at the end of lay, there isn't any need for a hormone implant and egg peritonitis will not return.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

poly2005 said:


> By way of an update - after 4 days off palliative care, which involves leg stretches and lots of encouragement to take water and food, Poly is now able to get up and stand on her own - every day the frequency and durations of her standing last longer - today she took her first few steps. Fingers crossed for improved strength over the coming days.


It's good to hear she is doing better.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

With your extreme heat they will quit laying for a time.

BTW, how do you find out they're up for adoption? You rarely see X bat hens being adopted here but I think that's more because they don't advertise the availability.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Perhaps small commercial operations allow adoption. The one here, several miles from the sanctuary does not. The 4500 birds are always in rotation The farmer operator who owns the farm does not own the birds, they are on contract from a national poultry and egg producer, you would recognize the name from the grocery store. No visitors or photography are allowed. I am told they average 130 to 150 bird deaths per day, they are scooped up with a tractor and run through a grinder and pellet mill to make fertilizer. The average citizen has no idea how far they are removed from the food chain represented at their local grocery. Factory farms are not compassionate places.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No, they're not. Some of the commercials for those "named" farms cause me to sneer because I recognize the lies in their words.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

Hiya! Just catching up with the chat....

So pleased to hear she is doing better now. Lots of TLC! We really have a job to do don't we with our adorable rescues! X My days they are precious..

I've been lucky enough to find a highly experienced vet, I've learnt so much about these girls. Am Happy to keep in touch and share experiences? I've really been through quiet a lot with my girls over the last year or so. It feels like years.

So far, I've learnt, that Sadly within a year to two years, its typical for the abuse of the factory farming industry to take it's toll.... Especially with reproductive/egg laying issues. Eventually, for these girls, the implant will be the only option to stop egg laying problems.

Hilda, my oldest girl, had to have major surgery and the implant was the only option she had. She is thankfully doing very well.

Would your vet do an x-ray? There can be so many things that aren't obvious going on. So at least to rule any underlines out? Or catch anything that needs to be caught asap? Or what to do next?

As well as vet treatment Ive also been researching and exploring alternatives... Such as adding supplements (immune boosting vitamins and anti inflammatory...) to foods now to help prevent/slow down fluid build up, and fight any infections and inflammations. Still researching on what more I can do.

A lady who works at a nearby hatchery also coached me in completing an in-depth health check on the girls. It can be helpful in detecting any symptoms earlier. 

Happy to share/ talk more. Do pm me if you want to. X

.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

robin416 said:


> Once egg peritonitis starts it's a sign that things are not going well in the reproductive tract. @LoxiKat has had similar issues with her X battery hens. Her vet inserted a hormone pellet to stop her ovulation entirely.
> 
> Hopefully, @LoxiKat will step in. She's from your area and can probably give you a ton of information. She's done very well with her X battery hens.


🙏 Thank you. The support of the forum has been priceless.


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## LoxiKat (Aug 15, 2021)

poly2005 said:


> In term of the original condition that Poly presented with - that being egg peritonitis and noting that Poly is one of 3 ex battery hens we got at the same time - all 3 hens appear to have stopped laying a few weeks ago - their nest box has been empty since and no eggs found around the garden - therefore my hope is that if Poly and her friends are now at the end of lay, there isn't any need for a hormone implant and egg peritonitis will not return.


I had to lose a couple girls to egg laying issues to realise, nothing can reverse the scaring on their uterous from over production, and nothing can reverse what manifests from their genetics being hybrids. 

Egg laying issues with the hens eventually developed into astitis... (Water belly) which is the liver no longer being able to cope with egg particles being left inside them due to scaring. It is serious...
At this point, implanting them is the only thing that can stop this. 

I can only say where I'm at with this now, going through it with a few hens, and being educated by vets knowledge and what our girls are teaching us. 

it's prevention as much as possible, with diet, supplements, excersice and early detection of astitis with regular health checks. if That's where I'm at.... Symptoms of astitis can progress very quickly. 

I check their abdomens every few days, for any signs of watery type fluid. My vet and the hatchery helped me identify it. I'd do this even if they would appear to stop laying. X

Hope she is even better today. X


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