Sdwd

[kathyinmo]

Kath, so where does the mottled wheaten/buff fit in that list of your F2s? I know you've told me this before, but is the F2 where you breed all the F1s together, or do you breed F1s back to BRs or NHs?

Breed F1s together

 

[speckledhen]

Hope is only 1 1/2 years old. Way too soon to lose her. Of course, Sunny was 6 1/2, Riley almost 3 and big old Suede is going on 6 now.

What is doing to kill me is Gypsy. She will be 5 in November. She's my best girlfriend, that one. Thankfully, she seems fine right now, still laying.

 

[halo]

Oh that is very young. That just doesnt seem fair; maybe she will get better.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, either she will or she won't. It's beyond my control anyway. Most of this reproductive malfunction stuff is.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I hesitate to express this but I tried something several years ago that I think may have worked if I had caught it/thought of it sooner.

Not being able to lay an egg is the chicken version of "female reproductive problems" do you agree?

I researched and then purchased some black cohosh herbs. I gave my non-laying hen maybe a half tsp daily in her food. After a week or two, she started passing yolks on the poop board under her perch. I continued giving it for a while longer when it seemed she might be close to laying a real egg. Then I quit... and so did she. I ended up culling her because she was so obviously uncomfortable. I didn't do a necropsy.

My point being, she started passing yolks. Her egg tract had been shut down for I don't know how long and so I think if I had gotten to it sooner, she may have been able to put whites and shells on those eggs.

Now it's totally up to you. I'm not telling you I'm right. I'm only sharing my experience.

If its only been a short amount of time, maybe you can help her with this?

 

[speckledhen]

Lacy, I don't know if it's internal laying or EYP or something else entirely. I'm not sure it's an exact parallel of female reproductive issues, since human females don't solidify infection with egg yolks into cheesy masses like chickens do.

If it's internal laying, that means yolks are going into the abdomen and are not in the oviduct. If they are solidified in the oviduct like sausages in casings, as can happen with a salpingitis infection, hard to say if there is any hope. I've lost 13-14 hens to egg yolk peritonitis and/or internal laying, plus a few to ovarian cancer who were older hens and opened them up to learn what the situation truly was inside there.

Of course, from the outside of a hen, no one can say which one, or ones, are involved. Internal laying is a genetic/hormone based malfunction. I am skeptical that any herbs will fix something with a base cause like that. No idea where I would get that herb and honestly, I doubt I can afford to buy it if it requires a health food store purchase, but thanks for the information.



ETA: By the way, read the latest in the adventures of Tiny the Terrorist, here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-she-become-a-suicide-flogger/50#post_9515186

 

[Cetawin]

LacyBlues....Black Cohosh is a great herb for female hormonal issues (night sweats, hot flashes, restoring ph levels and etc) but it will do nothing for the underlying infection or the cause. It merely aids in passing the toxins...in the case of a hen, the egg matter that was not properly forming an egg.


Cyn...I have tons of it, in capsule form so anytime you want to try it just yell and I will send it off to you. It is the only thing that keeps my hot flashes at bay...I also use evening primrose oil which does great for the night sweats and such as well as hot flashes.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, LH! Wish I had that when I was having serious hot flashes years ago.

 

[1QueenBee]

Gloria Jean

My rocks seemed to start a little later than my Dels...around 22 weeks. I'd LOVE to see pix of them if you get a chance

My Columbians are getting close to laying (I have 2 of the hatchery girls laying), but the other 3 breeder quality girls should be anytime in the next 3-4 weeks. Combs and wattles starting to get really red and they are "playing" in the nest boxes. 3 of the CR boys have started to crow.

My SQ Barreds are only about 12-13 weeks and 2 of them started crowing yesterday before church. Still have one splash rock roo though (about 6 months old) that hasn't crowed and has ZERO interest in the girls!!!!

Care to part with that splash rock roo?! We would love to have roo that didn't crow!!

 

[speckledhen]

Care to part with that splash rock roo?! We would love to have roo that didn't crow!!

Oh, honey, he'll crow. He's just late! They all crow eventually! Six months is still young. I've had them that age who didn't crow, but then, when they start, they never quit.