Being that spring is coming and people will be buying chicks, I wanted to post this warning. If you plan to keep your chickens for their entire natural lives, especially if they will be kept as pets, please, please avoid red sexlinks! They may be labelled as Red Stars, Production Reds, Golden Comets, Golden Buffs, Cinnamon Queens, ISA Browns, or Assorted Reds, just off the top of my head.
The reason I'm posting this now is because, as of last night, it has become apparent that my last red sexlink, sweet Skua, has begun into either ovarian cancer or internal laying. Both are very common ailments in red sexlinks due to the sheer number of eggs they produce, and they both result in eventual death after weeks of pain. This is completely devastating to watch a pet hen go through. Red sexlinks are funny, charming, lovable hens, but their longevity is typically minimal. Skua is the oldest one I have owned by far, nearly 7 years old. Six others I've owned passed away at around 3 years old, all as a result of these ailments. As much as I have adored them, I will never get another one. I'm now faced with the heartbreaking situation of deciding when Skua no longer is living a quality life, and when it would be more humane to let her go. I hate to have to make this choice, but I don't want pain and misery to be the last thing she knows.
For educational purposes, since the terms 'internal laying' and 'egg bound' are sometimes used interchangeably, internal laying is very different than egg binding, which is when the hen has an egg stuck inside her. Internal laying actually is when yolks are being deposited in the abdomen rather than traveling down the oviduct and being laid as fully formed eggs. This leads to swelling in the lower abdomen, especially below the vent, and can reach the point where hens are standing more upright, often described as a penguin-like stance. Egg yolk peritonitis is a result of the buildup of yolk and is incredibly uncomfortable, leading to wilting and darkening of the comb, fever, loss of appetite, and increased swelling and tenderness of the abdomen. A big indicator of internal laying is when a hen's breast bone feels prominent like she is losing weight, but she doesn't feel any lighter than she did before. A hen may be losing weight from her body, but the buildup in her abdomen is adding back that weight. Another big indicator, which I believe is a symptom of peritonitis after significant buildup in the abdomen, is yellow, almost eggy droppings. Skua has both of these symptoms, which is why I believe she's internally laying. Ovarian cancer resembles this in that a hen may have a prominent breast bone from losing weight and an enlarged abdomen; however, rather than a buildup of yolks and infection in her abdomen, she instead has tumor growth.
Obviously there is no guarantee that either will happen to any particular bird, and these ailments can happen to other breeds as well, just far less commonly. It's been my experience, however, that it happens incredibly often in red sexlinks, and that is why I choose to avoid them and warn others who raise chickens as pets to avoid them as well. It's hard not to fall in love with these birds, and that's what makes it all that much worse.
