I have lost 10 chickens in 4 years

[AngelicaRoss]

They could. I have 5+ year olds in my flock, looks like they can live for a few more years.

Since most of mine will be 5 next year I hope a few survive past that.

 

[nuthatched]

Sounds like you were given some poor stock, tsc gets their chicks from hoovers which is a crummy hatchery, and you can never tell from random breeders. It's unusual to loose so many to cancer. Maybe get some new stock from a better hatchery or beeeder.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

Sounds like you were given some poor stock, tsc gets their chicks from hoovers which is a crummy hatchery, and you can never tell from random breeders. It's unusual to loose so many to cancer. Maybe get some new stock from a better hatchery or beeeder.

I believe my original flock (Australorps) came from Hoover. I think the mixed breed ones came from TSC stock. I have 4 roosters. Hopefully they're outlive everyone. Maybe I'll just stick with roosters.

 

[Quaen]

I feed Nature's Best layer feed 16% and 2 canning jars of fermented Scratch and Peck 16% a day. They get oyster shells. They only free range for an hour or two a morning when I'm out with them. I guess the more you have the more you lose.

I actually own more chickens than you do...Sounds like you fed them really well, apart from slightly less protein. Its odd to me that they would have liver issues...

 

[AngelicaRoss]

I actually own more chickens than you do...Sounds like you fed them really well, apart from slightly less protein. Its odd to me that they would have liver issues...

That was the first year of having them. The one that was necropsied my vet said was healthy other than that. Good weight. She thought it was something genetic.

 

[Quaen]

I actually own more chickens than you do...Sounds like you fed them really well, apart from slightly less protein. Its odd to me that they would have liver issues...

My recommendation would be to make sure that they are in a stress free environment and provide them with egg shells (baked and crushed). The fact that some of your deaths had to do with eggs breaking, prolapse, my guess would be their eggs are too soft. Chickens definitely prefer egg shells over oysters shells, even in my flock. Soft eggs are harder to lay, so it would make sense that it would cause issues.

 

[Quaen]

How old were the hens that died due to cancer? Or to egg issues? I would guess they got a reproductive disease, which cant be prevented entirely.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

My recommendation would be to make sure that they are in a stress free environment and provide them with egg shells (baked and crushed). The fact that some of your deaths had to do with eggs breaking, prolapse, my guess would be their eggs are too soft. Chickens definitely prefer egg shells over oysters shells, even in my flock. Soft eggs are harder to lay, so it would make sense that it would cause issues.

They do have fairly thin shelled eggs. They have oyster shells and I used to feed them eggshells but stopped when my vet told me to just use oyster shells. They are eating the oyster shells. If I see shells too thin I add bone meal to their fermented feed. As far as stress free environment that's little harder. They seem to fight often and I have 4 roosters but only two are in the pen with the hens. My girl that lives inside lays soft shelled eggs too. Even with lots of supplements and she is not stressed. But she has pendulous crop and had surgery a few months ago when part of her crop died off and had to be sewn back together.

 

[Quaen]

They do have fairly thin shelled eggs. They have oyster shells and I used to feed them eggshells but stopped when my vet told me to just use oyster shells. They are eating the oyster shells. If I see shells too thin I add bone meal to their fermented feed. As far as stress free environment that's little harder. They seem to fight often and I have 4 roosters but only two are in the pen with the hens. My girl that lives inside lays soft shelled eggs too. Even with lots of supplements and she is not stressed. But she has pendulous crop and had surgery a few months ago when part of her crop died off and had to be sewn back together.

That sounds like the reason for deaths. Soft eggs are nasty. Egg shells are okay to feed, much better than bone meal IMO. I have been feeding it with no issues and no soft eggs, except 1 or 2 from new layers. But most of my layers are hens, so I havent gotten a soft egg in over a year. Last year I added a few chickens, so I got 2 soft eggs from 9 pullets, which isn't bad. Soft eggs are not a good sign, especially long term.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

How old were the hens that died due to cancer? Or to egg issues? I would guess they got a reproductive disease, which cant be prevented entirely.

Bernadette was 3 and Cordelia was 3. Tilly who had a prolapse had also been laying lash eggs for about a year. So she may have had cancer.