Chicken with impacted oviduct

[Anonymous]

Perky is a 4 year old Bovans Goldline. She has never been a good layer. She started laying rubbery yolks.The Vet give her an implant to stop her laying. This worked for 6 months. She did not get rid of any material in this time . She moulted then come back in to lay. Now she is swollen. She did not act like a layer nor go in the nest box. She must have give up trying to lay it. The Vet said Oxytocin nor a calcium injection would help as it is a solid mass. She is eating ok. It is affecting her breathing. It must be pushing on her airsacs. I have had the operation done twice before and it did not work, on other Chickens. I won't put her through that at her age. The Vets can't help. They have learnt alot from me and my chickens. I know eventually i will have to let her go. Is there anything i can do to help break up the material so she can pass it naturally not with chemicals. I masssage her abdomen and sit her in hot water. I would love to help her. She is enjoying life at the moment. She stands sometimes with her eyes closed. I hope another egg is not being laid. When Chickens are sick or stressed they go off lay. Why is it when they lay internally they keep laying? I would appreciate any help. Maureen.

 

[foxy]

Hello and welcome Maureen 08 I am sorry that your first post is so sad, you obviously care a great deal about your chickens.
Implants are fairly new and still in the research stage, early evidence suggests they work well by preventing the hormones that trigger the egg release, thus a useful way of treating hens which lay internally.
With your hen, it does sound unfortunately that there is a build up of fluid now in her abdomen which as you have found is now putting pressure on her air sacs. MAssaging would not be a good idea as the fluid is in her body cavity, sometimes a hen will be able to absorb some of this, depending on her overall condition, often though it leads to more complications and the prognosis is not good. Maybe a good idea to take her back to the vet would originally implanted her for a more accurate assessment of her condition, sometimes draining fluid or giving a diuretic can help but only a hands on vet would be able to prescribe appropiate treatment.
Saying all this 4 years is a good age for a hybrid, so don't be too sad!

 

[Anonymous]

Hello Foxy
Perky has no fluid there to drain.Tiny another one who has had the implant about the same time did have. The Vet drained her. She come back in to lay a couple of weeks ago. She laid a proper egg and a large ball of rubbery yolks. They must have been there all that time. When the oviduct started working it come out. She only laid one then laid internally again. We thought she had Peretonitis which the implant is suppose to stop them long enough to cure. She must have had an impacted oviduct aswell. She stopped eating alot of food and has now come into a moult. Her droppings were fluidy but she never got swollen again. I think she made herself go off lay by starving herself. She seems okay now.
The Vet said they can't have another implant for a while. I just wish Perky would never lay again.
I have used KY Jelly but that don,t reach where the yolks are. I know what it looks like inside her as i have had a Post Mortem on one like it before. I give her milk sometimes thinking it would mix with the yolk and come out like scrambled eggs. I give her Garlic capsules aswell. I just want to do more. Shes precious. Maureen.

 

[Chicken Vet]

Hi Maureen,

In my opinion, what you are describing sounds like she is an internal layer which is usually caused by an Infectious Bronchitis infection as a chick. The condition permanently damages the oviduct stopping her from transporting eggs from the oviduct out. Unfortunately, if this is the case, there is no real treatment. The implant probably stopped her laying, but the implant is only effective for so long. I think that you are left with only two options, to have another implant inserted or let her go. It is very sad that these things happen.

Regards,

-Chicken Vet

 

[Anonymous]

Hello Chicken Vet
I was told IB can be the cause of impacted oviduct as i have had three others with it so i had tests done. IB was ruled out. The others all laid perfect eggs before it happened. It might be possible for a shock to cause it. If she stops laying would all the material just stay in the oviduct till the oviduct is working again though? This seemed to happen to Tiny. I know if it is in the body cavity it could be absorbed.

You don't know of anything else i can do or feed her with that might help?
Thankyou.
Maureen.

 

[Chicken Vet]

Hi Maureen,

Infectious Bronchitis is usually the cause of a compacted oviduct. However, there are other diseases which could cause it. You are correct that it is possible for the material in the oviduct to be absorbed, but if the bird is allowed to continue laying then the absorption rate will be affected and take much longer. The only options other than letting her go here are to 1) get her spayed via surgery 2) insert another implant, or 3) use a course of antibiotics and vitamins. If you decide to put her on a course of antibiotics and vitamins, then we would not recommend baytril for this, and a vitamin supplement with carnetine such as LC Energy would give her the energy boost she might need.

I hope that your hen does recover, please do let us know.

-Chicken Vet

 

[Anonymous]

Hello Chicken Vet
Thankyou for your help. I am going to try to get LC energy. What antibiotic should i use. I only have Baytril and Auriomycine in stock. Maureen.