Derperella, the (weird) Faverolles, & Friends

[froggiesheins]

Derp should be her own breed.

I CONCUR!!! CAPITAL IDEEA!

 

[drumstick diva]

Thank you Chicken Peeps - I try.

 

[alisar]

Omg... that list should be the basis of the derpella book. Just paste her head on various chicken breed bodies.

A moderp game? *dies*

 

[froggiesheins]

Omg... that list should be the basis of the derpella book. Just paste her head on various chicken breed bodies.

A moderp game? *dies*

GOODNESS, if anyone can do that photoshoppin stuff.......... got my popcorn waiting..... .... GO!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Thank you Chicken Peeps  - I try.

 

[ChickenPeep]

GOODNESS, if anyone can do that photoshoppin stuff..........

got my popcorn waiting.....

....

GO!

If I had more time.... Oh the things I could do!

 

[Nambroth]

Hi folks,

I wanted to drop a line to explain why I have been so quiet lately. On top of my shows and projects, Kua has not been well.
Actually, she has been very well-- but I can tell something is wrong.

Kua stopped laying in early June, and I was excited... I thought she was going to molt! See, poor Kua has been an egg-laying machine (thanks to her 'breed' of a red sex link production hen) and has not molted since winter of 2012!

So, I waited a week, then two. Sometimes my hens stop laying a week or two before they start to drop feathers and grow new ones.

Nothing... hmm. So I examined her carefully and found a very small but firm mass in her abdomen. Not an egg-- I always make sure no one is egg bound-- but a small mass up higher. I emailed my vet, explaining my concerns about internal laying/EYP or ovarian tumors, because Kua is a production hen and they are very prone to reproductive issues.

I went to my show and got back mid week last week, and the mass in Kua's abdomen is huge! Aaah noooo! Anyhow I had made a vet appointment before, and couldn't get one sooner, so we go today. I know that this doesn't look good. I will discuss options with the vet (if she thinks a hormonal implant might help we will consider it, but the mass is already so large..!) and do what is best for Kua.

I'm very sad that these hens have been bred to be such egg laying machines, given the side effects....

Sweet Kua snuggles a slightly offended Moa...

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Poor Kua. I will keep my fingers crossed hoping for some option that may maintain Kua's quality of life. Please, update us when you get the chance.

 

[KayTee]

Poor Kua - I feel so much for her. I have just been going through a very similar thing with Little Miss Shy - one of my two rescue production reds. She is around 3 years old (not sure exactly), but she and her sister laid HUGE eggs regularly for 2 years, then dropped off dramatically, and got 'forgotten about' by her owner, which is why I got them. She suddenly got very swollen, walking like a sumo wrestler, lethargic, slow, floppy comb, sitting down... I treated her for egg binding at first, then noticed she was passing 'scrambled egg' diarrhea, so I'm certain she's started internal laying. I don't have an avian specialist anywhere remotely close, so I have done the only possible thing - warm water baths to clean and relax her, 'nutri-drops' to boost her energy, and antibiotics in case it is EYP and actually infected. It's been almost a week now, and she seems to be improving (fingers crossed). I've stopped the warm water baths because she is not really dirty now, and has started fighting me and complaining when I do it (which is really good news - feisty means energy and feeling better!) I know that I'm probably only buying her a few weeks (or months at most), but as long as she is not suffering and has got her appetite back I am happy that she is still part of my flock.

It is so frustrating to have a sick chicken and not know exactly what is wrong. Even worse to know exactly what is wrong and not be able to do anything to save them. (As Nambroth knows only too well). I suppose it is part of owning any pet animal - their life spans are shorter than ours, so we have to accept that we will see them die, but it is still the most horrible thing in the world to have to go through. Even worse when you realise that it is a result of their breeding.


All my best wishes for you and Kua are winging their way across the ocean to you Nambroth

 

[Suzierd]

Do they do the hormonal implants in the US now? I have a young hen laying nothing but rubber eggs for over a week now.