I have a rock red pullet who is very affectionate. She likes to sit in my lap and cuddle. While doing this she saw my pearl earring and snatched it out of my ear and ate it. My question is, how long does it take a chicken to pass something like a pearl earring, or does it just stay in the crop until it is worn down? The earring was very special to me and they were extremely nice pearls. Thank you for any input. Andrea

-- Andrea Robinson (AndreaandNate@aol.com), February 04, 2001

Answers

Andea, if you ever want to see your pearl again, you will probably have to kill the chicken to get it back. You can try grabbing the bird by the neck and working everything upward out of the gullet, or shoving your finger down there and try to clean it out and she may survive these methods. Whatever you do, don't wait long or the pearl will be damaged.

Somewhere in the archives is a thread about the chicken swallowing and emerald. The chicken did not survive.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), February 04, 2001.

(Chuckle)
When I read the subject I thought to myself "now there is a subject you dont hear about often". Im afraid I dont have anything constructive to say though, I do hope you get earring back.

Dave

-- Dave (Ak) (daveh@ecosse.net), February 04, 2001.

I'm afraid I have to agree. The only way to get your earring back is going to be to butcher the chicken. If you think about it chickens can eat whole corn yet they never pass whole corn....it's always liquidy. I'm afraid your pearl will be in the crop till it is ground up by grit.

-- Amanda in Mo (aseley@townsqr.com), February 04, 2001.

Thanks, I've had a rough day and this made me laugh! Have you tried holding her upside down and kinda working the stuff out of her crop? I've seen some of my chickens when we would pick them up to put them over a fence or something and sometimes stuff comes outta there. Don't wear sandles! HEehEE!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 04, 2001.

Andrea,This too shall pass.Are you absolutly sure she ate the pearl?The number of times my wife had me begining surgery to recover expensive jewelry that shouldn't have been worn around live stock in the first place i can't count.(often it was on the ground where it came off).If you are SURE the bird ate it.you need to put the bird in a box or someplace secure so you can see what it passes(this may be days)You can gradualy work the contents of the crop up and out out with your hand and fingers.(if it is an odd size it is likly still there)Another option is to give the chicken a laxitive to speed it along out of the bird (less exposure to acids and abrasives)syrup of ipicac should get it out by vomiting but it will be violent and not too pretty.Don't do a laxitive and vomiting.Pick one.The last option involves soup.e-mail me if you want me to walk you through it or need a good recipe.In fact I'll e-mail you my phone #

-- Greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), February 04, 2001.

If you're really attached to the chicken, think about taking her to the vet and having them sedate and get it out. Otherwise, the chicken is going to metabolize the pearl, altho if this is a pierced earring, there is also a possibility that the post could pierce the digestive tract at some point. Um, I'm not too sure about giving the chicken Ipecac -- it's poisonous in and of itself, and you could end up killing the chicken inadvertantly. I've never seen a chicken vomit, I'm not even sure if they can. I know other birds do, but there is also a possibility of aspiration into the lungs and death.

I had a pony eat one of my pearl earrings once. I spent days sifting through manure and never got it back. Never even found the post.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), February 05, 2001.

Funny we're talking about this, my less country friends would crack up that someone else would actually be interested in chicken poop or urp besides me......yes....I have seen chicken's urp! I haven't ever given them anything like epacac. Could you call a vet? Have you tried to work the stuff up out of the crop? That is probably where it is. If it is a good size pearl or stud it will probably be too big to work it's way out the Southern exit.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), February 05, 2001.

I didn't read all the post so sorry if someone printed this. There's a thread in the archives about a chicken eating an emerald out of a ring. They had the chickie for supper. Anyway it was a good discussions that followed. I don't have time to look for it now. as i remember it had a few laughs in it.

-- Cindy (SE In) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), February 05, 2001.

I personally am thrilled to hear that someone else wears really nice jewelry on the homestead, thought I was the only one decked out in precious gems while tending the animals and gardens. Hope you get it back!

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), February 05, 2001.

My grandfather did a little surgery on his chickens from time to time. Mama says if they picked up too many rocks, he would have her hold them down while he cut through and removed some of it. He then stitched them back up and they were just fine. If that chicken actually swallowed the pearl - it is probably history. Pearls are soft and dissolve easily.

-- Linda Al-Sangar (alsangal@brentwood-tn.org), February 06, 2001.

Don't ever milk the cow with your Tiara on Dahling.....Talk about Mad Cow!

-- Sha Sha (Green Acres @gems.com), February 06, 2001.

Go back to the archives and look for a similar thread entitled, as I remember "Emerald Chicken" or something close to that. The emerald was recovered, as was a tasty chicken dinner. Unfortunately for you, emeralds are quite able to endure acid environments, while pearls are not. Your earring may already be history! In any case, I suspect that your pawing through chicken leavings will be for naught! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), February 08, 2001.