Ode to Old Hens... Pictures of the Seniors in Our Flock

[speckledhen]

Well I don't understand it, but Frenchy (6) has been laying pretty good for an old girl.

Buckwheat (4 1/2) too. I checked her egg and it was fertile so I stuck it under a broody hen.

Now one of Frenchy's eggs hatched a very tiny yellow chick. I had to help it out but there was no blood and it appears to be okay. Poor thing can't be more than 2". Toes are so tiny. I put it in the brooder as I don't think the hen that hatched it would even notice it.

I know it's late in the year to hatch but I can't be sure how much longer these girls will be with me.

I can't imagine what has started them up again. I wonder if it's the 20% protein chick starter?

You'll think I'm nuts, but sometimes, I think it's their last hurrah before dying, leaving their progeny on the earth. Had that happen with a very old rooster my friend thought was infertile, hadn't fathered chicks in her barnyard for a long, long time, but suddenly, out of hatching eggs she gave me, he had produced four of the chicks. As soon as they hatched at my place, he died of a massive heart attack. Spread his seed one last time, LOL.

I'm very sorry for your loss. I just started raising chickens a couple of months ago, and my very first three chicks, a black Silkie, BR, and EE mix, had to be euthanized Tuesday. The Silkie had been repeatedly sick from about a week after getting it. I tried treating it, and it occasionally cleared up too. I took them to the only vet in my area who handles chickens, and had blood drawn, to be sent for testing (for IB, MS, and MG); here it's much cheaper than a necropsy. Anyway, all three were positive for MG, and two also had MS. Even though I hunt, and will even cull nuisance or dangerous animals, I couldn't do it to my new pets. I paid the vet to euthanize them. I know they must've thought I was crazy, sitting in there crying over chickens...lol After he gave them the shot, I sat with them, holding the Silkie, and patting the EE and BR until the last one was gone. I know this is a part of having any pet, but I guess the first time with new ones can be the worst.

I'm very sorry and I do understand not being able to euthanize your own pets. MG and MS are cruel, which is why I just can't ever buy started birds and am so very careful about biosecurity in whatever way I can be. I'm glad you had a vet who would do it; so many won't handle chickens at all.

 

[dsbailey70]

I bought two Partridge Silkies yesterday. One is about 1, and the other is closer to 2. Before putting them into the coop, I sprayed everything with bleach. I'll keep them out there for two weeks to try to make sure they're not sick. When I thought I knew what would happen, I bought an EE chick and a BR chick, both a day old. I've got them in a 100 gal stock tank inside the house (spare room). They're technically almost ready to outside, but they'll stay inside until I know the silkies are ok. Then I'll close the door between the runs, so they can be socialized.

 

[speckledhen]

Best of luck to you, then. Hopefully, by being very, very careful buying birds and adding to your flock in the future, you'll avoid the problems again. Ask sellers if they've ever treated with antibiotics or had anything contagious run through their flocks, get references, avoid Craigslist and most flea markets and the seedier swaps. Better yet, learn to hatch or only buy eggs or chicks from very reputable breeders who have excellent references and use an axe for disease control.

 

[dsbailey70]

Thank you! Once I'm well settled in with raising them. I may take a shot at hatching sometime. The Silkies would be great to sit on them.

 

[rancher hicks]

You'll think I'm nuts, but sometimes, I think it's their last hurrah before dying, leaving their progeny on the earth. Had that happen with a very old rooster my friend thought was infertile, hadn't fathered chicks in her barnyard for a long, long time, but suddenly, out of hatching eggs she gave me, he had produced four of the chicks. As soon as they hatched at my place, he died of a massive heart attack. Spread his seed one last time, LOL.

I'm very sorry and I do understand not being able to euthanize your own pets. MG and MS are cruel, which is why I just can't ever buy started birds and am so very careful about biosecurity in whatever way I can be. I'm glad you had a vet who would do it; so many won't handle chickens at all.

Perish the thought.

 

[speckledhen]

Perish the thought.

Absolutely! Sure hope that isn't the case, but seems like they do that sometimes. It's nature's way, I guess. Hope she keeps on kicking for a long time to come.

 

[speckledhen]

Ellie, one of my remaining two Delaware hens, is dying tonight. She isn't nearly the oldest of my older hens, only 5 1/2 years old, but she's been going downhill visibly for at least a month. I feel she will probably be gone tomorrow because today she was refusing food and water, but she is sleeping in the middle nest she always prefers, surrounded by her sister, Georgie, Isaac and the other few hens in that group.

Georgie is so darn smart, that girl. She usually sits on the edge of the first nest next to Deacon. My husband was out there a few minutes ago and said to her, "Georgie, look at your sister, look at Ellie." Georgie peered over the divider between them at Ellie, who is almost unresponsive at this point, her comb dark and laying flat on her head. Then, husband says to her, "Georgie, you take care of Ellie, don't let Deacon bother her, watch out for your sister." Georgie literally got up from her perch, walked to the second nest where Ellie was sleeping and sat down on the edge of it, leaning over her sister and settled down to guard Ellie. They are so amazing, these birds, and I think the Delawares are some of the most intelligent of all the breeds.

Thankfully, Georgie and Isaac seem quite well. Georgie is laying almost every day right now and has her full weight, and even Isaac has gained back most all his weight and is looking healthy and younger than ever. In fact, there is a little chick in one of Georgie's eggs under my broody BR hen cheeping its head off and probably will be hatched by tomorrow morning, so the line continues.

 

[Stiggy]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your precious flock. It never gets easier. And I agree when people say chickens only lay for 2 years, that's just silly and incorrect.
Compared to you my flock is only young as my oldies are all gone now. I had a hen called Brownie she was a rir glw Cross that came to us as a chick. She lived to be 13 before we had to put her down due to bad arthritis and a facial tumor that was taking over. She was our matriarch for a long time, and she over saw anything and everything that was happening. She stopped laying at 8 years old and went broody at 12 and hatched some brought in eggs. She outlived most of the others including her sister golden syrup who passed at 7 and blackie a black Orpington who passed at 3-1/2 . she was outlived by her friend Andy the huge splash Andalusian hen who died in 2012 in her sleep, she was 8 years old.

My flock now is younger, mainly 1-3 years this spring . I have 3 older girls who are 4&5 years and still lay regularly and go broody regularly.my rescue rooster is 3 and not in overly good health but he still looks after his girls. Though at this rate I doubt he will make it through next years winter.

I love that you have an old age retirement coop, that's awesome and I'm glad I wasn't the only one to have had one

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I'm sorry about Ellie. It is heart warming to think of Georgie looking out for her.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your precious flock. It never gets easier. And I agree when people say chickens only lay for 2 years, that's just silly and incorrect.
Compared to you my flock is only young as my oldies are all gone now. I had a hen called Brownie she was a rir glw Cross that came to us as a chick. She lived to be 13 before we had to put her down due to bad arthritis and a facial tumor that was taking over. She was our matriarch for a long time, and she over saw anything and everything that was happening. She stopped laying at 8 years old and went broody at 12 and hatched some brought in eggs. She outlived most of the others including her sister golden syrup who passed at 7 and blackie a black Orpington who passed at 3-1/2 . she was outlived by her friend Andy the huge splash Andalusian hen who died in 2012 in her sleep, she was 8 years old.

My flock now is younger, mainly 1-3 years this spring . I have 3 older girls who are 4&5 years and still lay regularly and go broody regularly.my rescue rooster is 3 and not in overly good health but he still looks after his girls. Though at this rate I doubt he will make it through next years winter.

I love that you have an old age retirement coop, that's awesome and I'm glad I wasn't the only one to have had one

My originals have been gone for a couple of years now, too. Ellie will be the 7th hen we've lost this year, though two were younger ones we did not expect. We remember each one as they go. Ellie is the best of the Delaware personality, friendly and sweet without being annoying and is named after my dear friend, Ellie, in California. She will be very missed.

I'm sorry about Ellie. It is heart warming to think of Georgie looking out for her.

Thank you.