How I diagnosed my sick chicken...

[jgervais]

I lost my poor little Dorking hen a few days ago.
It was frustrating looking online for symptoms and trying to diagnose her myself.
Hes some info I learned and the story of my hen:
http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2012/03/egg-yolk-peritonitis-diagnosing-sick.html

 

[magnolia-1971]

She was a beautiful hen. She was not just a chicken, she was a pet. I am sorry for you loss.

 

[suebee]

So sorry you lost her. She was very beautiful. I too have lost hens to this disorder.

 

[jgervais]

Thanks.

Is it a genetics thing that causes this? Im still confused on the conditions that a hen would lay a shell-less egg or an internal egg... Do you think she didn't have enough calcium?

 

[suebee]

I think we're all trying to figure it out. I think genetics has a lot to do with it. I had hens and their female chicks all eventually die of it...but..they were all from the same place, meaning I got 2 hens from a farm, they had babies. Out of 8 hens from that "genetically linked family" 7 have died from internal laying or egg peritonitis.

I don't breed the last living hen and have since gotten hens/eggs from other sources. I haven't had a single hen die of this disorder now.

I do remember when I got the 1st two hens from that farm the lady was feeding them leftover goat feed...so lack of nutrition may have certainly contributed.

Here's a good article on laying disorders..scroll down 1/3 way.
http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/PennysSurgery/PennysSurgery.html

 

[jgervais]

Thats a good link you sent... geeez the things we do for chickens!