Hen just passed this

[LeezyBeezy]

M@M@2four :

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Well, thanks...I think I just mini vomited in my throat...

ditto.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

OK, I'm still confused- what is it made of? And why does it kill the hen? thanks

 

[HEChicken]

Wow, thanks chickenlady08 for that picture. I don't know if mine has laid since or not. Yesterday was a weird day. From the 5 laying hens, I've been getting a consistent 2 eggs a day for the past few weeks. The only hens I've observed in the nest box during that time have been the two BO's and the BR. But yesterday we brought in 6 eggs!!! It was kind of wild. DH went out in the late morning and brought in 2 eggs from a nest I had no idea they were using. Long story, but we're in the process of building a new coop and I guess one of the hens approves of the new coop and built herself a nest in it. It is the BSL, who hasn't laid since November - later in the day we found her in the nest so figure she must have laid those 2 eggs Thur/Fri and laid a third yesterday. Good to know she is laying again. So the other 3 eggs "most likely" came from the 2 BO's and the BR but the only one of them I saw actually sitting in the nest was the eldest BO. I suspect it is the RIR who produced this thing and I'm trying to keep an eye on her to see if she lays again now that she's passed it but so far have not seen her in the nest.

LeezyBeezy - I'm curious to know the answer to that question too - hope someone can help educate us

 

[speckledhen]

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It's made up of yolks and solidified infection. Over time it just gets larger and larger and because it's basically an infection, it goes systemic and kills the hen. It blocks the oviducts and as yolks keep coming down the duct, they can't go anywhere.

If you've ever dealt with bumblefoot, which is a staph infection, you see that the pus becomes cheesy and solid. Same with this, but it's inside the abdomen and oviduct.

 

[K9ThorsMom]

Quote:
It's made up of yolks and solidified infection. Over time it just gets larger and larger and because it's basically an infection, it goes systemic and kills the hen. It blocks the oviducts and as yolks keep coming down the duct, they can't go anywhere.

If you've ever dealt with bumblefoot, which is a staph infection, you see that the pus becomes cheesy and solid. Same with this, but it's inside the abdomen and oviduct.

Thanks for the info...is the infection caused by the stray "yolks" going somewhere or getting stuck? If not, is there any idea how the infection starts? Thanks!

 

[chickenlady08]

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It is egg matter that drops down into the abdomen.

 

[speckledhen]

It doesn't always drop into the abdomen. Sometimes, it stays in the oviducts and sort of looks like link sausage in casings. It's a raging infection that cannot be knocked out. The hen cannot live being plugged up, plus it puts a terrible strain on all the organs, sometimes causing the abdomen to fill with fliuid and then, it may progress to the lungs and those begin to fill with fluid. Her heart cannot take the strain on all her systems. They do die from it, every time, that is, unless a vet does a hysterectomy and successfully eradicates all infection from the abdomen.

Infection can start as salpingitis which is bascially an ecoli infection. Some high production birds get "loose" cloacas and feces is sucked back into the oviduct, which of course, starts an infection. Normally, the oviduct closes off when the hen poops, but if that malfunctions, waste matter in the oviduct begins the infection.

 

[chickenlady08]

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Thank you speckledhen

I never knew it could get stuck in the ovuducts also. I have lost quite a few to this as I know you have. I have seen ur posts. I took all of mine to the vet for her to drain them and show me how to do it.

Poor sweet hens. This is so unfair.

Are there any birds immune to this? I know hatchery birds are but are private breeders stock less fortunate to not have to deal with it?

Thanks

 

[speckledhen]

So far, my breeder birds have not had this issue, mainly my hatchery stock. Olivia was the only hen who died from this ailment who wasn't directly from a hatchery, but her mother was a McMurray bird. I believe her sister, Tux, was also laying internally, however, she had a stroke, or it has all the symptoms of someone with stroke. The others were all hatchery girls from the same hatchery.

 

[chickenlady08]

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My girls came from the one u mentioned. I got my RSl at pol and they came from PA so I know they were. Only bred to lay more eggs. This makes me sad.

Now how can birds that have parents not be hatchery stock? Or does it take several generatins to breed that out? This is interesting to learn this.