butchered chickens full of eggs

[family farm ma]

O.K., this sounds nasty, but we have a small flock - 9 hens - most of which are golden buffs, along with a barred rock - all which came from Meyer hatchery two years ago. Five of the golden buffs and the barred rock haven't laid a single egg since last August. We keep light in their coop for 16 hours a day, they can free range in a 1/4 acre area (which they've scratched up every living thing in). They're fed Purina Layena pellets, along with oyster shell free choice, and any weeds/grass clippings we have.

Allowing for non-laying in the cold (we live in northeast Ohio) and molting early last fall, I began separating them to find out which ones were laying and banding them, not wanting to keep feeding the ones who weren't producing.

Today (May 6th) there was no rain in the forecast, so I butchered the "black banded" ones. All but the barred rock seemed to be full of eggs - yolks in every stage of development - LOTS of them (made for messy butchering). What the heck is going on, does anyone know? They are healthy, no mites. Is this normal as they get a bit older? When I've butchered out older (like 4-5 year olds that stopped laying) hens before, I've NEVER seen this. Can anyone give me any ideas? Did I just off a bunch of hens which were about to start laying again?

Thanks!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Possibly.

Also possible they were hiding eggs anywhere, or eating them after laid? Or maybe even internal laying... a common problem with sex links.

Looking at someone else necropsy the other day and wondering why I wasn't familiar with the reproductive system... I realized, I haven't YET processed a hen.

Especially for older hens that go through molt (or if you add new bird yearly no need to feed separately)... I would consider switching to Purina flock raiser with OS on the side... especially if keeping dual purpose birds basically on a dry lot (as described by you, maybe consider making it deep litter or a scratching compost area to look for bugs in a portion) as they will do best with at least 18% protein. The 16% in "layer" feed is the bare minimum for light bodied layers like leghorn. Feathers are made from 90% protein and it's amino acids... therefor birds tend to recover faster from molt...

Also 22% protein was shown to give the best hatch rates... which for me says more nutrition in the eggs my family is consuming.

I think it's awesome that you work hard to manage your flock in a way that works for you!

I guess I honestly don't know if they were about to start laying... but this late in the year with the light you provided and adequate nutrition not diminished by treats... I would have ZERO second thoughts about processing as you did... and consider you to have possibly saved them from a slow uncomfortable reproductive death issue!

I hope you will get some more input... as I am here to learn as well. Thank you for sharing!

 

[aart]

My guess is that they may have been laying out in range area.

How and how long did you separate them?
A newly confined bird may not lay, due to stress, until she gets used to being confined...could take a week or more.

Were the yolks mostly near the ovary or spread all over the abdomen?
Was there a shelled egg in there?
I have slaughtered laying hens, seeing all the ova/yolks(different sizes is normal) is pretty incredible, some have had shelled eggs in them.

Afraid to say you may have slaughtered actively laying hens.

 

[MandaH]

Another idea is that they were just about to start laying again? I have done the same thing before, more than once I am afraid to admit, and have wondered if I had just been a little more patient that I would have had eggs coming in soon. But of course, there is that chance they had those nests out in the grasses too