First birthday today & she died

[Relleoms]

Thanks for the info! She actually weighed less than 5 pounds; Easter Eggers should weigh 4-8lbs is my understanding, and they free range nearly all day! And the only junk food is actually feed (besides wild bird seed) so I don’t know I’m hoping when they get the final report back there will be more information. At some point you do what you can & hope for the best. I think that’s where we are at.

 

[Trish1974]

Thanks for the info! She actually weighed less than 5 pounds; Easter Eggers should weigh 4-8lbs is my understanding, and they free range nearly all day! And the only junk food is actually feed (besides wild bird seed) so I don’t know I’m hoping when they get the final report back there will be more information. At some point you do what you can & hope for the best. I think that’s where we are at.

If you do get additional information from the final report please update us on the findings. I can't imagine the way you are keeping your chickens would cause fatty liver.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

I am so sorry for your loss, what a pretty girl.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

I'm sorry your girl died so suddenly. Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome is becoming more common in chickens because we are keeping them more like pets and treating them more. That said there is also a genetic element to it. It is more common in heavier breeds like Orpingtons and Sussex and is usually associated with a diet too high in carbohydrates.... either the owner is feeding them too much scratch or corn or bread etc as well as their regular feed or with mixed grain feeds like Scratch and Peck, the bird is selectively eating the high carb components of the feed and leaving the higher protein pulses. If they have access to wild bird seed, this could well be the problem. Many people feed corn through the winter because they think it helps to keep the bird warm, but the combination of limited exercise due to snow and rain and the high carbs can mean that fatty deposits build up through the winter but the bird may not exhibit problems until they come back into lay in the spring. It builds up over a period of months and because fat is not heavy, the bird may not weigh a lot but still have significant fatty deposits. Cupping your hand between their legs whilst they are roosting is a good way to regularly monitor their body condition as this is where they most often start to store the fat.
I've never heard of high protein being the cause of Fatty Liver and most will advise to feed heavier birds a higher % protein like 18-20% to prevent the disease. Higher protein usually means less carbs since they are the main constituent of any feed.

I hope you are able to figure it out and ensure the health of your remaining flock. A pelleted feed or crumble is best to ensure they get a balanced diet, because it is homogenous and also means that there is less waste as they don't bill it out of the feeder to look for the "best bits".

 

[Relleoms]

Hi

I'm sorry your girl died so suddenly. Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome is becoming more common in chickens because we are keeping them more like pets and treating them more. That said there is also a genetic element to it. It is more common in heavier breeds like Orpingtons and Sussex and is usually associated with a diet too high in carbohydrates.... either the owner is feeding them too much scratch or corn or bread etc as well as their regular feed or with mixed grain feeds like Scratch and Peck, the bird is selectively eating the high carb components of the feed and leaving the higher protein pulses. If they have access to wild bird seed, this could well be the problem. Many people feed corn through the winter because they think it helps to keep the bird warm, but the combination of limited exercise due to snow and rain and the high carbs can mean that fatty deposits build up through the winter but the bird may not exhibit problems until they come back into lay in the spring. It builds up over a period of months and because fat is not heavy, the bird may not weigh a lot but still have significant fatty deposits. Cupping your hand between their legs whilst they are roosting is a good way to regularly monitor their body condition as this is where they most often start to store the fat.
I've never heard of high protein being the cause of Fatty Liver and most will advise to feed heavier birds a higher % protein like 18-20% to prevent the disease. Higher protein usually means less carbs since they are the main constituent of any feed.

I hope you are able to figure it out and ensure the health of your remaining flock. A pelleted feed or crumble is best to ensure they get a balanced diet, because it is homogenous and also means that there is less waste as they don't bill it out of the feeder to look for the "best bits".

Thank you, lots of good info here. I’ll try to monitor their body fat on the roost as you suggest rather than weighing them. Seems that would be a better indicator of body condition.

My vet will be back in the office today, so hopefully she’ll weigh in as well.

Our “treats” have been fermented scratch & peck feed (corn-free); no additional corn, so that combined with the wild bird seed could be responsible. Regardless, all they’re getting now is fermented & dry crumble all-flock feed to supplement free-ranging; no treats & we removed the wild bird feeders.

 

[Kiki]

Which exact Scratch and Peck feed do you feed?
This one chicken may have been picking out one of the seeds/grains.

A complete feed...pellet or crumble is better IMO to feed out because the birds don't have the option to pick and choose which seeds/grain they can eat.

 

[Relleoms]

Which exact Scratch and Peck feed do you feed?
This one chicken may have been picking out one of the seeds/grains.

A complete feed...pellet or crumble is better IMO to feed out because the birds don't have the option to pick and choose which seeds/grain they can eat.

They were getting layer last fall & over the winter, then I started mixing in starter late February when I got baby chicks. The babies were getting starter only; I was making separate batches for each group. I used up all s&p a few weeks ago and haven’t reordered, trying to use up the starter & all-flock crumble I have (which I mixed and have been using for their dry feed & fermented feed). My plan was to transition everyone to all-flock dry and fermented s&p grower until the babies reached laying age, but I think I’ll keep it simple & feed all-flock, dry & fermented, to them all (babies are 9 weeks old) moving forward. And of course keep oyster shell free choice for the big girls. Does that make sense?!?

My question though, is, if the s&p was corn-free, and 1/2 their diet was ff, wouldn’t they be getting more corn (and presumably more fat) by eating only crumble (regardless if fermented or dry) because it contains corn? Would I be better off feeding only fermented, corn-free s&p???

 

[Kiki]

It doesn't matter if you are feeding dry or fermented. I'm, it matters what the actually feed itself looks like. I prefer a feed that has been made into a pellet or crumble...not a seerate grain feed where they can pick and choose each peice of feed out of the mix. I wanted to know which exact feed you buy to see if your birds have that option.. to pick and choose each piece they eat. If they are only choosing to eat one grain out of the mix...doesn't matter if it's the corn piece or the oat piece...it will cause problems because they aren't getting a complete diet.

Give me a little bit to find a better example of what I am trying to say...I will link it here.

 

[Kiki]

It's not just about corn.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Thanks for the info! She actually weighed less than 5 pounds; Easter Eggers should weigh 4-8lbs is my understanding, and they free range nearly all day! And the only junk food is actually feed (besides wild bird seed) so I don’t know I’m hoping when they get the final report back there will be more information. At some point you do what you can & hope for the best. I think that’s where we are at.

You didn't over feed her, or give her too many "snacks". I think chickens, like people, have different metabolic rates. She was pre-disposed to this type of disease. I am so sorry for your loss, it's a very emotional time, and you will miss her for a long time to come. My sympathys.