ILT in Chickens - Update

Vet Visit - ILT Check Up

Rosie went off to the Vet this week to have the ILT plaques (soft growths) in her throat checked and cleaned.  She has one constant plaque that flaps over her trachea and makes her cough several times an hour.  It grows slowly over several weeks and I have now had it removed three times this year.  She has one small plaque on the roof of her mouth but that seems not to be such an issue. 
As usual Rosie was great during her visit.  She finds it very uncomfortable to be picked up by placing your hands around her body so I now take a thin towel (thick towels actually make it more difficult for handling hens) and wrap her up so she can still be in a standing position but just has her sweet, little head popping out the front.  I then hold her with her head facing away from me and the Vet props open her mouth and plucks the plaques piece by piece from her mouth.  The size of the largest plaque is only about a quarter of the size of a pinky fingernail.  It looks so petite and insignificant but the difference its removal creates for Rosie is anything but.  She also had a combined vitamin A, D, E and C injection.  It's terribly cute to watch as the needle goes in and the syringe is half way through the plunge when she makes a small, protesting call of discomfort. 
The Vet commented that Rosie is in excellent condition, that the two plaques do not appear to be advancing and that the remainder of her throat is in excellent condition.  He feels that she may be one of the lucky hens to make it through ILT.  Of course I am really happy to hear that but I still have my reservations.  ILT has been vicious to our baby girls and I don't hold stupid fantasies of happily ever after.  This time last year we had 10 hens, we now have 6.  

Rosie - Sunday May 19th 2013.