I hope whoever invented Orbeez steps on a Lego!

[sourland]

No changes in feed, water or other husbandry practices ? Is there any possibility that there is inter flock aggression now that they are penned up ? Chickens hate change, and that conceivably could be part of the trigger that has caused drop in egg production assisted by short day length.

 

[gabscilla]

No changes in feed, water or other husbandry practices ? Is there any possibility that there is inter flock aggression now that they are penned up ? Chickens hate change, and that conceivably could be part of the trigger that has caused drop in egg production assisted by short day length.

We've been watching for signs of pecking on each other and have seen nothing. It seems like nearly all of the two and three year old chickens are molting right now. That's around 20 birds. But nobody is showing signs of getting pecked on.

 

[Chicken Whisperers]

Haha! I just read through the first half of this conversation and it had me laughing (not about your concern for your hens ). I've never known anything about Orbeez so I can't be much of a help, but the title of your post had me laughing, @gabscilla ! I totally agree

 

[Chickassan]

They're pretty easy to pop so they should have not gotten too far through the chicken intact. At least they don't act like GHB anymore or you'd have a trippin chicken.

 

[gabscilla]

They're pretty easy to pop so they should have not gotten too far through the chicken intact. At least they don't act like GHB anymore or you'd have a trippin chicken.

OH MY! LSD! I never knew they did! Or GHB I don't even know what that is.

 

[ChickNanny13]

There were 10,000 in her trash bag. Probably at least half of them were dumped out when I caught her.

That's alot Chickens are FAST at grabbing things off the ground when dropped. Good that it's raining, maybe easier to find them things, hope the kids do a better sweep of the area

 

[Chickassan]

GHB is the date rape drug, and before they were non toxic orbeez they were druggy bindeez or aqua dots. So yep, it happened.

OH MY! LSD! I never knew they did! Or GHB I don't even know what that is.

 

[MissChick@dee]

There were 10,000 in her trash bag. Probably at least half of them were dumped out when I caught her.

 

[Hardknockshomestead]

I would have kids crawling around picking any remaining orbeez up.

I have been researching how to shrink them.......
Yeah the sun will do it. Then they are tiny delicious looking bits.

I can only imagine what they would do in a chicken crop if swallowed in that state.

Great point! If your chickens had been eating the dehydrated orbeez, the things might have been rehydrating inside their crops and intestines, possibly soaking up all available nutrients with the liquids as they swelled.
Ugh. We can't be sure that the manufacturers are being truthful about orbeez' safety, either.
Maybe the chickens' reproductive systems could have been affected. Maybe more time, good nutrition, plenty of sunshine will help your hens produce eggs.

And by the way, I have a 9 year old. I hate orbeez, too!

 

[ClucksAndCombs]

First of all, welcome to BYC!

I remember when Orbeez with "in" and I was roughly 10 or 11. We were old enough to be smart enough to NOT eat them, but friends and classmates still ate them and turned up fine. Aka didn't die.
Just from logic, I'd think olive oil or a laxative (upon further research on the wonderful source of google- molasses) for them might work.
Still, you got some wonderful people who know illnesses way more than me here to help you with this weird situation.