*Update - Unsuccessful Spay. Anyone have experience with Suprelorin implant and/or spay? Egg yolk pe

[mg15]

I have prayed for Ella and you.
You are right we love looking at their eggs once the girls begin but the process can kill them.
So sad.

 

[kculbert]

Thanks, MG

 

[kculbert]

Ella hasn't laid an egg in a while and it's been at least a week since I found any signs of soft-shelled or shelless eggs being dropped at night. That's about all she does anymore. I was pretty sure this was a sign that we were looking at egg peritonitis. Then she gave me this! There are still some irregularities in the shape but it is much better than usual. Best of all, the shell is hard!!!

Unfortunately, I had to throw it away because I just treated her topically for mites as a precaution because we added a couple of new girls to the flock. But could care less at this point whether I ever eat one of her eggs again. I'm just glad she isn't egg bound !!!

 

[Luvmy9hens]

So happy to hear that Ella's shell was hard. Ellie is back to laying eggs at least once a week or so after having gone the summer eggless. She laid 2 very soft shelled eggs so I upped the calcium hoping that would fix the problem. I was giving her the supplement once a week but have increased it to twice. Her last egg was harder but still not what it should be. I am now back to giving her 1/2 doses (1ml) each day and hope that solves the problem. My hens are losing feathers faster than they can replace them. The coop looked there was a pillow fight. All clean last night but all feathery again in the morning.

Ellie had a severe molt last year. This year she has lost some feathers but nothing noticeable.

 

[mg15]

Whew so good to hear all good news!

 

[Luvmy9hens]

The Calcium really helps. What threw me off was Ellie laying 2 eggs within a week. I can usually tell when she is getting ready to lay (tail straight out, back humped). I gave her 1/2 doses of calcium but should have given a full dose. I am giving the 1/2 doses daily until I see a pattern in her egg laying. Poor girl. She does not look well during the process and has such a hard time...

 

[kculbert]

Poor Ellie. I hate that she has it so rough.

 

[Luvmy9hens]

Hi Kimberly! I hate to see them suffer too : ( How is Big Fatty doing? Have your hens been laying with the change in temperature? Molting yet? I read that you have new hens added to the flock! Would love to see some pictures. Mimi (the hen with the bad leg) still has the leg. She is accepted by her hatchmates and can get around. I did not have the leg amputated because she does use it for balance and sort of like a rudder. She swings it in the direction she wants to go and hops on one foot. That helps her turn. They are getting big now and make Ellie look like a little chick in comparison. Winter is just around the corner so I have to continue to upgrade to keep them cozy. Thinking about supplemental heat as the temps can dip to -40.

 

[kculbert]

Luv, Big Fatty is doing great! Ella will lay a regular egg and then drop one the next night. She is healthy and it hasn't seemed to cause her any problems health wise but I don't think she will ever lay normally. My little silkie is laying like crazy, which means she's probably about to go broody again. Sigh. Phyllis looked like she was done with her molt but apparently that was just phase one. She blew out all the rest of her feathers and pretty much became the ugliest chicken on earth. Her pin feathers are coming in so now she looks like a porcupine. She laid all summer long but is taking a break while her new feathers come in (hopefully).

The new girls are two Ameraucanas I got from Paul Smith outside of Dallas. They are his culls but I think they are lovely. One is a blue and the smaller one is black. I think he wanted me to chose one of the nicer blacks but this one was the smallest and I saw her get a head peck from one of the bigger girls so she had to be mine. The introductions have not gone well. I introduced them slowly and kept them separated, but within eyesight of the big girls. The two newbies are incredibly bonded and spend most of the day hiding from the big girls.

 

[Luvmy9hens]

You and I think the same way. I can't stand to see the chickens that may be "different" bullied by the others. I would have adopted them , too! Ellie's egg laying has stopped for the time being. Her comb is shrinking and the feathers are dropping. Hopefully, it will not be as bad as last year's molt... YIKES : o

These are from last September. The weather has been warmer this year which seems to have delayed her molt.




We have to integrate the new hens with the older girls...SOON! I don't know how that will go. I worry especially about Mimi. She is defenseless and can neither get away or protect herself.