Any Way to Make a Hen Lay LESS Eggs?

[OldCrookedToe]

My 1 year old Easter Egger Petunia had to go to the vet over a swollen, distended abdomen and an open wound. The wound was taken care of and the vet said her abdomen was that way because she's laying too many eggs and her muscles were damaged. She's also lost weight and is now only 3.6 lbs. Basically the vet said she might just lay herself to death and she's laying too many eggs. Petunia has only missed about 4 days since she started laying and layed all winter through. Her health depends on getting her to lay less - but I don't know a way to do that. I've heard some rescues use birth control of some sort to inhibit egg laying and my mom said we can maybe trick her into going broody and let her recover but I'm stumped.

 

[junebuggena]

Reproduction is usually the first thing to shut down if something is wrong with a hen. The vet might not be that familiar with treating chickens if he thinks that a year old bird can lay herself to death. The swollen abdomen was likely the result of the injury. Internal laying can cause a distended abdomen, but you would not be getting eggs regularly if that were the case. Her productivity is actually a sign of her GOOD health. If she was underweight, she would not be able to produce an egg. The only way to naturally stop her from laying is to keep her in the dark for 14 hours a day, to reduce her feed intake to the point of near starvation.

 

[feedman77]

This would just be a theory on my part.

But could you lock her in a small cage pen and place her where it's dark. Limit the amount of light she gets (like winter). Most egg laying comes from the pituitary gland. So less light would make its chemical release less. So in turn egg laying should slowdown or cease.

Good luck with her.

 

[OldCrookedToe]

The vet specializes in birds and exotics but I'm not sure chickens are a common occurrence for her. She's still laying every day, eating, drinking, pooping, playing etc. Her belly fells like a water balloon and I tried to draw fluid but got air and called it quits and called a vet to see her before I screwed up and stabbed something.

 

[OldCrookedToe]

I have a barn I can put her but she would easily overheat there with the door shut. I have to separate her any ways for her daily meds and monitoring so wherever I set her up I'll try to limit her sunlight hours and try to shut down the egg laying if at all possible while maybe giving her the laying hen supplements I got recently in addition to laying feed and oyster shell free choice.

 

[cowboyclayt]

I think what feedman77 said was a good idea. Do you have a big metal dog cage that you can put her in and put a tarp over or something? Feed less if possible. Check out this website.

http://www.thehappychickencoop.com/7-reasons-why-your-chickens-stopped-laying-eggs/

Remember to thumbs up people's posts!

 

[junebuggena]

If she's eating, drinking, laying, and acting normally I wouldn't really worry about it. Those are all the indicators of a happy, healthy bird.

 

[aart]

Ascites(water belly) is a symptom of multiple diseases/conditions.
It's hard to know why, thus treat, until autopsy.
Just how swollen is she...can you post good pics??
Any bird I've had with belly bloat isn't laying much if at all.

 

[lazy gardener]

Ascites(water belly) is a symptom of multiple diseases/conditions.
It's hard to know why, thus treat, until autopsy.
Just how swollen is she...can you post good pics??
Any bird I've had with belly bloat isn't laying much if at all.

I agree with aart. I think the vet has totally missed the mark on this bird. she has ascites, may be laying internally. If her belly has palpable fluid, then... this bird has problems. She will continue with this issue till she is culled, or until she dies.

 

[junebuggena]

I agree with aart. I think the vet has totally missed the mark on this bird. she has ascites, may be laying internally. If her belly has palpable fluid, then... this bird has problems. She will continue with this issue till she is culled, or until she dies.

If she were laying internally, how is it that she is still producing normal eggs daily?