Weekend Guest (Part 1)

This morning little Sprout was looking even more subdued so I was glad I’d made the ‘just in case’ appointment for this today. It takes about 40 mins to get the vets as they’re based in Northwich; I’ve seen a lot more of them in the past 3 months than I’d have liked, but it’s well worth the drive. They’ve actually seen my entire flock now apart from my only non ex-batt, Ruby Tuesday. Anyway, when Richard (the vet) checked Sprout over he did an internal exam and found a deformed egg that she had been trying to lay. It had no yolk, just white and had broken into two parts. Sprout was also very warm and seemed to be holding fluid in her abdomen. With the wonderful Carli assisting, Richard removed the offending egg and gave Sprout antibiotics, pain killers and some calories via a tube feed.

Tube feeding is very fast and looks far worse than it is. Carli showed me how to do this and I was shocked how much of the tube actually disappears into the hen’s throat. As an owner of ex-batts, I thought it was important to learn this technique although I am apprehensive about having to use it but it’s a two person job so at least I won’t be on my own! It’s an ideal way of getting fluids, medicines etc. into a hen who isn’t eating or drinking and it may give them the chance of another 24-48 hours if you can’t get to a vets. My girls have been at ‘death’s door’ at a weekend or even better, a bank holiday weekend and the wait to get to a vet can be worrying.

Sprout was sent home to recuperate for the weekend with more antibiotics and painkillers for the next four days. If her problem is related to the egg that was stuck then she should be showing some improvement by tomorrow. If she is then we discussed the possibility of an implant for her which will stop her laying for a while and hopefully prevent this problem from reoccurring. If there’s no improvement tomorrow then it will be a return visit to the vets early next week.

I’m hoping there’s a dramatic improvement overnight as since we got back from the vets she hasn’t brightened up at all. I’m keeping my fingers crossed it’s just the infection making her feel a bit poorly still and nothing more serious. If she doesn’t eat or drink by herself tomorrow then I’ll have to have my first attempt at tube feeding her too…….not something I’m looking forward to so I hope in the morning, Sprout is a happier, healthier little hen.