Healthy birds as pets?

[SarahLadd]

After losing my favorite bird to cancer, I'm thoroughly traumatized and grieving her loss as I thought as long as I did everything to keep them safe and healthy, I would have a decade plus with my beautiful feathered pets. I feel remiss in my research before ordering my babies that I never learned that laying hens get cancer readily and commonly don't make it past 3 years old. I'm so crushed. I am now down to a flock of 2, and I think that it would be best to get at least one or two more babies to fill in for my beloved ameraucana.

If the cause of the cancer is the line breeding for hens that lay prolifically, are there breeds that are friendly, intelligent and not big layers? I live in Minneapolis, so the weather has extremes in summer and winter. Can anyone recommend to me what breeds to look at?

Thank you all.

 

[Hei 20]

After losing my favorite bird to cancer, I'm thoroughly traumatized and grieving her loss as I thought as long as I did everything to keep them safe and healthy, I would have a decade plus with my beautiful feathered pets. I feel remiss in my research before ordering my babies that I never learned that laying hens get cancer readily and commonly don't make it past 3 years old. I'm so crushed. I am now down to a flock of 2, and I think that it would be best to get at least one or two more babies to fill in for my beloved ameraucana.

If the cause of the cancer is the line breeding for hens that lay prolifically, are there breeds that are friendly, intelligent and not big layers? I live in Minneapolis, so the weather has extremes in summer and winter. Can anyone recommend to me what breeds to look at?

Thank you all.

I am sorry for your loss.
You know, I believe it is in the food we all eat. Humans or animals, they put crap in the food that makes us sick, even the food that we think is healthy.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I'm very sorry for your loss.
Ameraucanas are not really considered production breeds, so chances are good what happened to you was more happenstance than anything else. Anyone can get sick at any time, even if some breeds carry more risk than others.
I suggest looking at hardy/medium-heavy dual-purpose breeds like orpingtons, wyandottes, plymouth rocks, buckeyes, and others. However, more importantly is to avoid extreme production breeds like sexlinks, leghorns, etc. Line breeding has little to do with it as even heritage breeds are line bred, and it's much more likely to be impacted by average eggs per year.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I think it is in the breeding. We (humans) have bred these lovely birds to produce as many eggs as possible. That leads to reproductive disorders and diseases. Domesticated chickens just don't live long because we made it that way.

I am losing my first chicken now. It hurts like hell because I give my flock good food, lots of greens, fresh water, sunshine... But I'm in the same predicament.

I don't know breeds that live longer than others. You might try breeders. But you might also think about it this way: you gave her the best life you possibly could. You sacrificed some of your happiness and gifted it to her. I think that's amazing.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I suggest looking at hardy/medium-heavy dual-purpose breeds like orpingtons, wyandottes, plymouth rocks, buckeyes, and others. However, more importantly is to avoid extreme production breeds like sexlinks, leghorns, etc. Line breeding has little to do with it as even heritage breeds are line bred, and it's much more likely to be impacted by average eggs per year.

If they come from a hatchery, those breeds are still bred for maximum egg productivity, and can still have the same problems as chickens bred more traditionally for egg laying.

Bantams and ornamental breeds (like polish, phoenixes, and hamburgs) are usually not bred as much for egg production, especially if you get them from a breeder.

 

[SarahLadd]

I think it is in the breeding. We (humans) have bred these lovely birds to produce as many eggs as possible. That leads to reproductive disorders and diseases. Domesticated chickens just don't live long because we made it that way.

I am losing my first chicken now. It hurts like hell because I give my flock good food, lots of greens, fresh water, sunshine... But I'm in the same predicament.

I don't know breeds that live longer than others. You might try breeders. But you might also think about it this way: you gave her the best life you possibly could. You sacrificed some of your happiness and gifted it to her. I think that's amazing.

It's the worst. I am sorry it's happening to you, too. They don't deserve what we've done to them. She was loved so much all the way to the end. I felt stupid in the vets office bawling hysterically over a chicken, they were patient and kind though and gave me time with her and a footprint in clay to take home. She wasn't just a chicken to me, she was family. She always came when she saw me looking out the window. She'd wait at the back door all day just to watch us in the house and hop into my arms when I went outside. She liked Chinese noodles and hated carrots. She'd run inside the house any chance she got. She was my baby. My other birds are nothing like her, she was so special to me and I feel cheated that cancer took her. It's not fair.

I'm looking at old English game varieties and sebrights. Are bantams a bad idea considering how cold it gets?

 

[Aunt Angus]

What a lovely bird. I'm glad you have such sweet memories of her. And I guarantee I'll be bawling in the vet's office, too. A lot of us here @BYC feel the same way.