MY 2nd EGG

Yep, I have to say 2nd because there was one right next to this one all broken.
But I have an egg..

and a problem:

I found the egg because U isn't doing to well.. she didn't come out of her coop this morning.. and you know it is serious if a cornish doesn't come out for food.. so I check on her.. she can't seem to stand..
She seems to be panting as in "labor.. I watched her.. she will poop.. of course for cornish very large poop.. I know TMI.. but.. she really seems to be straining.. I felt around under her and she seems empty.. I don't feel any "hard" spots.. but when I push her to far she will flutter me and stand but then goes right back down.. I have given her water & food, she has taken a bit of both, but hasn't stood up... she is still panting and pushing... now mind you I keep saying she... heck she could be a he.. I don't know... I have just always called them both fat girls.. neither crowed and the egg was in their coop... but the other layers can and have gotten in their coop..

I don't know.. guess I'll head out and check on her.. till then, heres my first whole egg!

Could she have gotten a bit of shell stuck? Don't know what to do for that, but I know it happens...

I've heard that.. but I thought if she is still acting funny I could give her a warm bath, but I don't even know if this is her or if she is just "done".. these are birds that are suppose to finish in 6-8 weeks and I have kept them alive for 5 months.. they are almost 20 pounds.. I tried to keep them healthy and not live a cornish lifestyle.. but.. they are bred this way.. so my first though was her failing health has nothing to do with the egg.. that is just a coincendence.. not sure.. will be watching close.

Has it suddenly gotten hotter there this week? I know here we have had record heat this week. If so that may be the problem. I once raised cornish in the summer and had things going okay, until a heat wave. Then several of them went down and never recovered. I don't want you give up hope but thought I would share my story. Have you tried to get her to a cooler place or put a little coll/cold water in with her and see if that helps. Just a thought.
Sheila

I wondered too about Cornish X morbidity. Hope she pulls through--does she crouch down when you pet her? That is how I verify that my pullets are indeed pullets and ready to lay.

Dehydration?! Too fat to drink enough? I wish I knew. I'd've sworn I heard somewhere about Epsom salt baths but it sounds a bit too crazy -sitz bath for birds?!
If she's "panting and pushing" then surely it's something more specific than failing health. Maybe there's something you can give to help her pass whatever may be causing the discomfort..

ok... boy things happen fast with chickens..

ME.. just laid an egg,

U is still in distress, yes it is a pushing/panting, so I am going to give her a warm bath.. we'll see how that works.. shes so darn big... like bathing a unfrozen alive wiggling turkey! oh.. who barks.

She is eating & drinking as long as I hand it to her.
And Cat, you pegged it.. they both have been doing the crouch down when you pet her.. I thought they were too fat to run.. althought they are the friendliest chickens we have.

ok.. going to bath a cow...lol

ME;

..U,

right in the middle of a pant... contraction.. thanks coach..

Well it is 6 and she is still at it.. so she is in my bathtub soaking... I figured out an ingenius way to soak a chicken...
I am using one of the small dogs wire crates.. I lowered her into a warm bath, she was calm.. no flapping.. shes in there soaking.. I am not bent over the tub.. I have warmed the water twice.. when I take her out, I will run her , in the kennel right onto the deck to drip dry... it is still warm enough.. I can remove the tray so she can drain..
Some days I am smarter than I deserve..

Come on.. certianly somebody out there has invented something they are just so darn proud of...
I made this poor girl wait all day cuz I couldn't figure out how to get her into a warm bath without soaking me, upsetting her, getting the warm water outside, trashing the whole bathroom.. and poof.. there was my answer staring at me!

And of course the kitty Pixel had to help.. but I chased her away.. after a photo shoot..

I just read this on wiki answers.. very interesting:
Egg binding is the inability of a hen to pass a developed or partially developed egg. A partially developed egg can have either a soft shell or no shell. Many cases of egg binding occur when a hen is trying to pass what appears to be a "normal" egg. The inability to pass the egg can quickly result in the death of the hen.
Nutrition is often at the root of this problem.Calcium not only forms the shell of the developing egg and maintain strong bones, but is also crucial in the proper functioning of the muscles. While it does take a large amount of calcium to form an egg shell, the hen also needs calcium for the muscle action needed to expel the egg. Vitamin D is crucial in the absorption of calcium. Even when we are feeding the hens a good source of calcium (egg shell, cuttlebone, oyster shell) other things can effect the absorption rate.An excess of phosphorous from plant seeds. Oxalic acid found in spinach, beet greens, chard also reacts with the calcium so that it can not be absorbed. Full spectrum lights can help.A vitamin D water soluble supplement is best.
There are some things you can do.
A warm, quiet environment will help the bird to focus it's reserves on passing the egg.
An immediate increase in calcium will do wonders in improving the muscle action needed to expel the egg.
If the bird has stopped eating and drinking, calcium and Vitamin D liquid from a feed store can be administered directly into the crop.
Massaging a small amount of vegetable oil into and around the vent will help soften the mucus membranes around the vent and help the hen pass the egg.
When the egg has passed, the bird will have made a complete recovery from this episode but correctional steps need be taken.

I am proud of you, too!

That is very interesting and the best discussion of egg binding I have ever read!

I thought so too Cat, thats why I posted it.. I thought here is would always be available for us chicken folks.

OMG.. I had my hand up a chickens butt!! WHoda thunk that??

There is a very small very soft egg there, I vasalened her.. after soaking her..
but its not an egg problem... it is her leg.. she is just too big.. she cannot walk at all, she falls over and her toes just go straight.. when I touch her "drumstick" she barks..

I am so sad.. because for U, I beleive her days are over.

I think I need to put her down tonight.. I am alone, I beleive I can do it.. but I do need someone to talk me through.. I had planned on "practicing, processing.. but it is too late and I need to get her out of her misery.. and
DD will be home around 2 am from her trip and I would like U gone before then..

Anyone want to walk me through this??? you can dmail me.. I am waiting.. Please?

I haven't euthanized any of my chicks--the state avian vet I spoke to showed me how to humanelykill a chicken--it involved holding the chickens head down with a stick and giving a quick jerk upward to disarticulate the spine. He stressed that it doesn't take a lot of force. I'm afraid that is all I know--Other people here have a lot more experience.

Help!

I'm afraid I only have Granny's solution(my great-gran, that is). I hold my hen under one arm, cradling her feet so she's calm, put thumb and forefinger around her neck, then swing her around 3x by the head. It's horrible to do, but it keeps both of us calm until "the moment when." I don't believe it hurts (spinal cord injury, whatever) and it doesn't take long for them to go. Keeping you both calm helps more than anything I know of.

Sorry

Frans- are you ok? I am sorry U had to go- I
wish I had been there for you last night. I have been
so busy, and am just getting in to check on all of you
and to say 'Hi'. Hope things went as well as they
could.

Yes Frans so sorry to hear. Hope you are ok.
Hugs

I just read this and I too truly hope every thing went well. I have tried the "neck swinging" method and it didn't work too well for me. I think an axe is the best way to go.

Patch, I've failed at that before.... Probably means we all have to find what we handle best, calmer us, calmer bird.

Much hoping to hear back from Frans. It's NEVER easy, even when you're sure it's the kindest thing to do.

Oh Fran, I just saw this. I'm so sorry. And just after such a wonderful egg, too. I hope everything went OK with the necessary duties. You are so brave to do that. I would be a great big chicken to do it myself. Let us know anything you learned when you are ready.
Claire

No doubt about that grownut. Hoping to hear from her soon......

fran, sorry i hadn't read this. was going to congratulate you on your eggs. now i will say how proud i am fo ryou to take such good care of these animals, right to the end. and the cage in the tub was brilliant!

now, how are you? and how is U?

tf

Here I am... We as a family are all ok.. a growth moment one might say!

When my dd and dh brought U & ME home they gave me the sales pitch that "these 2 $1.50 chicks would help us train the dog before we got the expensive chicks.. they would always be older than the other chicks and we would always learn from these chicks first.. and all for $1.50."
So.. dd got home from her trip the other night before my dirty deed could be completed.. it was to dark and I did not have the proper tools. So I made her as comfortable as well as I could.. fed her and made sure she was drinking.. moved her every few hours.. as she would poop but couldn't move out of it.. Sorry, again, TMI..

Anyway, sat the family down yesterday and told them this was it.. no fair to U.. But.. I wanted to follow through on the entire lesson.. from birth through death.. and have her teach us ALL.. And not just how to put her out of her misery.. but also how to do it correctly and how to process a bird the right way.. We all agreed we would not eat her, I tried to explain, that would have been the ultimate sacrifice.. but they really did draw the line.. so.. we took a step back.

Anyway, U was completely processed this morning, from beginning to completly dressed and ready for freezer it took us less than 1 hour. Now that was not bad for our first chicken. I am so proud of us all.. The only part that was really REALLY hard.. was that first cut... I used my very sharp 2 inch tree branch loppers.. one squeeze it was over... it was just a very tough squeeze. I had to remind myself why I was doing this.. then I closed my eyes and poof.. I was done.. came in to get my boiling water.. when I went out to finishe processing her.. then it was very easy.. just like being in the kitchen.. she was no longer U.. now she was food.. so odd how the human mind works..

I am now ready for the 25 fall cornish.. BUT they have to be processed at 6 weeks!!! not one second later!

Thank you all for worrying...
DD was great and really does understand... just no chicken this week.. hmmm, wonder if she doesn't trust me??

so sorry you had to endure that I know it had to have been extremely hard hope I have that kind of courage if ever in that situation.

I suggest being very proud of yourself and family!!

It is SO hard to do what we know we need to at times like that. To have faced it and done all that was necessary is truly a great thing. Particularly now when meat comes in packages and is never connected with a real life. I remember at one point having to explain to my daughter that each life needs to be used well for all the others that come along after.I think she was wanting us to build little birdy (wild) coffins at the time rather than burying. Surely we should value everything that we take in, whether the veggies and grains that take habitat from others or the animals themselves we eat. (I should learn this lesson better and maybe lose some weight:-/)

Thanks for taking the time to update us.

I am so happy that you and the family delt with the situation the way ya'll did. I give your DD and you High praise. I know it must have been hard. You did better than I know I could have done on my own.

hugs to you fran!

alright, I am back. Thank you all for the support... I am sure one or two of you have been in my shoes.. or shoes like them.. and know there is nothing like having my cyber family right there in my head holding me firm to my truth. And it is so cool and spiritual.. and I don't mean to "replace" any religion so please don't anyone misunderstand me..
It is knowing there are others right there.. holding my hand, knowing what I need and giving me the strength and belief that I know what I am doing, I have read enough, discussed enough and the step in which I am about to take is necessary and I can do it, Together we can! I know sort of corney.. but know, you were all with me and in that helped me give strength to my family..
Although when I was done and still didn't open my eyes and had this horrible grimice on my face.. my dh asked if I was ok.. did I hurt myself.. cuz I really looked in pain... ummmm, I just cut off someones head.. I am in pain.. HELLOOOO... I do love him..lol

Anyway, I am back.. And I too am very proud.. it was one of the hardest things I have ever done.. but I am now ready to move on... and become a "real" farmer.

Thanks again Friends!

You did great Frans!!! I have been in your same position before as others here have, and all I can say is it gets easier. I believe it is good to know exactly where your food comes from. Keeps people in check when they feel like being wasteful. ; )

Hear, hear! Amen!