Ask FDA to approve implants for chickens to prevent egg production

[Pampered chicken girl]

That's right, they are pets

I'll never forget the time I purchased some wild bird seed from Southern States. The cashier overheard my wife and I talking. When we rang up at the cash register she couldn't help but say "This is rather expensive for chickens don't you think?" All I could say at that moment was "People buy this for wild birds because they think they are pretty to look at. Our chickens are every bet as cool to watch plus they like to snuggle. Why not spoil them with good things to eat?" - the cashier rolled their eyes but... that's how I feel.

Same here, people just think chickens are dirty egg producers or bags of meat when in reality they are smart beautiful creatures and are wonderful pets! I can't imagine my life without them anymore!

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Many such chickens already exist. If you want chickens that lay fewer eggs, just buy suitable breeds.

I don't think the OP just wants fewer eggs, I think they want better lives for all chickens no matter their breed.

 

[arosenzweig]

Many such chickens already exist. If you want chickens that lay fewer eggs, just buy suitable breeds.


What breeds were they?

Many were adopted so I don't know for sure what breeds they were. The one who complained the most about laying was a Lakenvelder. We had a Silkie who laid a lot of eggs but when you read about them they say they are not prolific layers but that was not our experience. The eggs were small but they came out often. To be natural, like mother nature intended, they would have to lay no more than 15 eggs per year. I'm pretty sure nearly all chicken breeds today lay more than that.

But let's say, for the sake of argument, that there were some sex-links that needed a good home. They are bred to lay as much as possible. Would you refuse them because of their breed? Or would you implant them if you could? I would if I could without driving out of state.

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Healthy birds who eventually became unhealthy after 5 to 7 years of life. Could not get them implanted when they were young. Could not get them implanted when they started to have problems but... it's already a bit too late at that point as ovarian cancer had already set in. Even when they were "healthy" I'd argue they were not. Pumping out eggs every 25 hours. That's unhealthy. We bred them to do that. Jungle fowl would not. One girl in particular would complain for over an hour about the pain of laying an egg. I felt so bad for her. I wish I could make the eggs go away. I got particularly offended when neighbors would innocently ask "are they for eggs?" The correct answer is "no" but if I say that their mind immediately jumps to "for meat." They are for companionship. Does your dog give your eggs?

Yes, but I would also argue that  stopping them from laying eggs for 4 months is unhealthy. I agree that breeders should take more care, but stopping them from laying eggs is not any better than making them lay excessively.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Yes, but I would also argue that  stopping them from laying eggs for 4 months is unhealthy. I agree that breeders should take more care, but stopping them from laying eggs is not any better than making them lay excessively.

Why?

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Why?

Because you are stopping a part of their body from working for an extended amount of time. That can't be good for them either.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have a chicken under your wing who is having difficulties due to egg production? Perhaps a prolapsed vent? Don't want a relapse? Don't care that she makes eggs or not so long as she is happy and healthy? There's a drug for that, but it's illegal in the USA to use for chickens, let's change that!

Healthy birds who eventually became unhealthy after 5 to 7 years of life. Could not get them implanted when they were young. Could not get them implanted when they started to have problems but... it's already a bit too late at that point as ovarian cancer had already set in. Even when they were "healthy" I'd argue they were not. Pumping out eggs every 25 hours. That's unhealthy. We bred them to do that. Jungle fowl would not. One girl in particular would complain for over an hour about the pain of laying an egg. I felt so bad for her. I wish I could make the eggs go away. I got particularly offended when neighbors would innocently ask "are they for eggs?" The correct answer is "no" but if I say that their mind immediately jumps to "for meat." They are for companionship. Does your dog give your eggs?

There's plenty of folks here on BYC that live in the US that have had implants.

I'm not sure why you would want to implant a bird that is healthy and laying eggs regularly to begin with.

Find heritage breeds that have not been bred for production. You may find them a bit more suitable for you since they don't lay quite so many eggs, but laying eggs is what a hen does. Even with heritage or non-production birds you are STILL going to find that you have issues. I promise you that.

Implants are not a fix all. They are not cheap. Vets are not cheap. I'm not against anyone wanting to treat their chicken however they wish to do, but you have to be realistic too.

Like I say, there's threads here on BYC where folks have had the implants. Do some searching, most never follow up, but some do. Even with implants, surgery, medications, treatments, food, supplements, etc. etc. etc., ultimately the hen died. Implants may extend life for a period of time and even offer a measure of comfort, but sadly, in this world no one is going to beat death.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Because you are stopping a part of their body from working for an extended amount of time. That can't be good for them either.

Hmmm, interesting to think about. Maybe we should work towards breeding chickens to lay fewer eggs but not completely stop

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Also, these drugs can have side effects that can hurt another part of their body.

 

[arosenzweig]

Yes, but I would also argue that  stopping them from laying eggs for 4 months is unhealthy. I agree that breeders should take more care, but stopping them from laying eggs is not any better than making them lay excessively.

That's debatable. Certainly egg laying is something chickens naturally do and so it would be natural to keep them laying eggs... if only they didn't lay so many. We certainly "fix" dogs and cats before they ever get pregnant, at a young age. We "fix" our human problem but "break" the animal from how they were born. People don't have a problem with that. It's difficult to spay a chicken in the same way though technically possible. I'd be ok with surgery if it was a simple and less-error-prone procedure on a hen.

In some sense we really do fix dogs and cats because they tend to live longer: https://www.denvervet.com/site/blog/2021/11/02/spay-neuter-live-longer

Dogs and cats live happy healthy lives without reproduction anatomy. Why can't chickens? Why is that unhealthy for them?

Could you imagine if your chickens had an average lifespan of 15 years instead of 5 because they stopped laying eggs?