Heritage Breeds and EYP

[socalchickens76]

Hi,

I started chicken keeping in 2020 with six hens I bought from a local breeder. I've lost three of them so far: one to a bobcat and two to egg yolk peritonitis (both Wyandottes). I lost my third chicken just last week to EYP (which we didn't know she had until the day she died, although we knew we she was sick, just didn't know what exactly it was or how severe). My recent research is showing that EYP is extremely common among chickens particularly those that lay a lot of eggs/ are high producers. I am also seeing that heritage breeds or ones that lay less eggs might be less prone to EYP.

Is there any truth to that last statement? Seeing the rapid decline of the chicken I lost last week was very sad and traumatizing. I'd rather spend more on a heritage breed that will lay less eggs but will live longer with less health complications. Or are there any breeds in general that suffer from EYP less often?

Thank you!

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

Sorry about your losses. Yes, the higher production breeds are more prone to all sorts of reproductive disorders. Their bodies rarely have time to rest/recover from all the egg laying and with every egg is a (small) chance of something going wrong. I've also found that my plump girls (usually the top girls who get to the treats first) are way, way more likely to get reproductive trouble, so much so that I've cut way back on scratch grains and have a tendency to yell at family members who, just wanting to see happy chickens, throw a lot of treats around.

I don't know of any breeds that are less prone to EYP, and a number of heritage breeds have been "improved" over the years to lay more/bigger eggs (RIRs), so being "heritage" alone isn't necessarily a guarantee of the best health, but certainly there are breeds known to be healthier. Dominiques and Plymouth Rocks might be worth looking into, but a lot depends on where you are and what exactly you want. Bantams generally live longer than larger chicken breeds, but you're also going to get smaller eggs...

 

[socalchickens76]

Sorry about your losses. Yes, the higher production breeds are more prone to all sorts of reproductive disorders. Their bodies rarely have time to rest/recover from all the egg laying and with every egg is a (small) chance of something going wrong. I've also found that my plump girls (usually the top girls who get to the treats first) are way, way more likely to get reproductive trouble, so much so that I've cut way back on scratch grains and have a tendency to yell at family members who, just wanting to see happy chickens, throw a lot of treats around.

I don't know of any breeds that are less prone to EYP, and a number of heritage breeds have been "improved" over the years to lay more/bigger eggs (RIRs), so being "heritage" alone isn't necessarily a guarantee of the best health, but certainly there are breeds known to be healthier. Dominiques and Plymouth Rocks might be worth looking into, but a lot depends on where you are and what exactly you want. Bantams generally live longer than larger chicken breeds, but you're also going to get smaller eggs...

Thank you for the reply. I figured just because you get a heritage breed doesn't mean you will get a healthier bird. Nothing is ever that simple. I will definitely look into the Dominiques. I have a barred rock and she is going strong so far (knock on wood). The bantams certainly are adorable and I would consider one, but I follow a woman on Instagram who has three of them, and good Lord, are they LOUD! I don't know if that's one of their characteristics, but I live in the suburbs and my neighbors would kill us if we had super noisy birds like that lol.

 

[Razzlefrazzle]

I have some bantam cochins that are generally quiet, but if I don't open up the coop early enough they decide it's time to wake the entire neighborhood...

Also, assuming you like getting eggs, you need to consider that you may end up with a flock of geriatric hens that only lay about ten eggs a year (which is what my 8 yr old cochins are down to)

 

[socalchickens76]

hahaha unfortunately I can't take that chance The bantams are so darn cute though! You should check out the woman's account (mad4hens) on IG. Seriously can't believe how loud her hens get!

Yes, it's a struggle I didn't think about when I decided to get chickens. We definitely want the eggs but also don't want to see them suffer and die so young. I'm good with keeping older hens as pets until they die, however, my husband is a different story.

 

[ChknMama50]

Yeah, I too learned the hard way!! We are classic new chicken owners- hubby brought home chicks from TSC after many discussions but not really any decisions ;-) haha
Not saying we weren't ready and haven't given them all the best possible, but that we ended up with chickens that yes, were bred to PRODUCE...and produce they did for the first two years and now this third year or at least half of it has been riddled with health issues....
Had one who never did lay- probably due to reproductive issues that were far more serious if that's possible-like tumors blocking things etc... and two "big" girls (laughed at the comments above about them being "tops" and getting the best of treats first...

I'm so careful about that now that I was hand feeding any "treats" (BSFL and sunflower hearts) by hand making sure they were doled out as equally as possible ;-) ) and scattering any scratch I give them ALL over the run to keep them occupied instead of getting bored and picking on one another.

The two left from our first "foursome" are just much bigger breeds than the three Easter Eggers that we also got- won't bother with their Hoover Hatchery names (fairly certain that was where TSC got it's chicks from- at least back then.)
SO yeah- I'm with you- next chickens we add to our flock will be FAR more carefully chosen and from a reputable breeder- not that it will assure health by any means- but it's a good first step!!

BTW- my hubby WAS that way about having chickens that don't lay... but he fell for Puffy (the one who never laid and who we lost rather suddenly this Feb) and she was his BUD!! We're both fine now too with them laying less if it would keep them healthier and feeling good! Not going for records of how long I can keep them alive but eggs are not our number 1 priority- though not trying to do ALL this work and spend all this money for NONE ;-) haha Think that's how people end up with so many.... once they cut back on laying they get more...

 

[socalchickens76]

I am totally with you! I don't need the most eggs, but I definitely want some We definitely want it to be a symbiotic relationship. Now I just need to find a quality breeder that has the breeds we want and when we generally want them (which is not as easy as I thought it would be).

 

[Kiki]

The daily treats are a problem when it comes to these type of laying illnesses.

 

[socalchickens76]

The daily treats are a problem when it comes to these type of laying illnesses.

What do you mean by treats? Mealworms? Kitchen scraps?