Barnevelder, Yellow Vent

[HarleyBarley]

Hello all. First time owner here. I raised my girls from chicks and we're in our first laying season. I have 2 (maybe 3, her feathers are an odd pattern) Barnvelders, 1 SLW and one EE. I was giving a few of my girls the once over and noticed that my Barnvelders have yellow vents. Should I be concerned? Is this typical of breeds that aren't strong layers?

I have no issues with pasty butt, but there are a few suspect poops. I think I've identified them as cecal poop (dark, slick, not mucusy nor have I noticed any blood present). I also have corid in our water as a preventative as we have had NOTHING but rain (wettest march since 1930). They get their purina layena along with some type of fresh veggie each day.

Of the three Barnvelders I'm getting maybe 3-4 eggs a week. I'm wondering if they're even all laying. I know typically a Barnvelder lays approx. 180 a year, so I'm thinking this must be about right.

I'm really trying to identify who all is laying. I am pretty sure my EE is broody as well, I found her in the besting box arranging the hay and I've seen some pretty massive poops around as well.


What do you do when you need to break a broody hen but want your other girls to have access to the nesting box?


Thanks for all your wisdom!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

noticed that my Barnvelders have yellow vents

Can you post some photos?

Barnevelders have yellow skin, but it would be good to differentiate between naturally yellow and something like "yellow" that is not quite right. Make sense?

When you say you are on your first laying season - do you mean the girls have been laying through winter...how old are they? Have they just started laying?

 

[HarleyBarley]

Can you post some photos?

Barnevelders have yellow skin, but it would be good to differentiate between naturally yellow and something like "yellow" that is not quite right. Make sense?

When you say you are on your first laying season - do you mean the girls have been laying through winter...how old are they? Have they just started laying?

They're like 27 weeks old, and so I've only been getting eggs for a few weeks now. I'll see if I can get some pictures today. It was abnormally yellow in my opinion.

 

[aart]

What do you do when you need to break a broody hen but want your other girls to have access to the nesting box?

Crate her up!

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[HarleyBarley]

Crate her up!

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
View attachment 2070805

Thats clever!