Internal Layers and Other Egg Issues....Will this never end?? LONG

[MissPrissy]

I am so very sorry.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Crap.

 

[ruth]

Cyn I'm so sorry. It's just the hardest thing to do. Did all of these girls come from the same place? You're probably right about it being genetic.

I've been reading about your issues with molt and those of others and have not experienced it myself. But, OMG, I just came in from coop and there was this black chicken in there that I did not recognize. I kept looking at her and trying to figure out which one she was. Then it hit me, Dear Lord, that's my big Black Sex Link hen. She is molting and looks like she was plucked. I picked her up and she was skin and bones. I had been keeping a close eye on one of my brown EEs that's been molting and while she looks terrible she doesn't seem to be fading away as well. This BSL seems to have transformed over night into something I didn't recognize.

Each morning I chase all the roos out of the coop and close the door so the older hens who don't like the roos can come down from the roost and have the coop to themselves to eat and drink so I know this BSL has had peace and quiet and been able to eat and drink. I just don't know how she went downhill so fast without me noticing. The BSLs were my first 4 chickens and they have laid a large brown egg every day without fail since they started laying last Oct.

Now I'm not sure if this will shed any light on the situation or not but what I've noticed thus far is that the older hens, including the EE and the BSL, that have started staying in the coop every day for the last few weeks, and not out freeraning like they used to, are the ones that are molting and fading away. The other BSL that makes a run for it every morning and hangs out in my back yard till I put her back on the roost at dusk, is still large and fully feathered. No sign of molt. But the EE, the 2 Buffs and 3 of the BSL that hang out in coop are all starting to look really bad.

The other thing I think might be relevent is that I have a huge brooder bin of 60 chicks in the coop and I'm having to leave two heat lights on all night. I know with the lights on some of the chickens seem to walk around and eat and stay up all night long. The older ones are on the roost but I'm not sure they are getting the sleep they need so maybe the molt and getting skinny has to do with having the lights on all night. I've never been a believer in using lights at night to keep them laying. I too believe they need their rest. I'm thinking I need to get that brooder pin out of the coop and let it return to dark so all will sleep.

Just trying to come up with a connect the dots.

Again so sorry.

Monique

 

[speckledhen]

You see now what I was talking about, unfortunately, with their bodies being so depleted during a hard molt, Monique. Some of my Barred Rocks are molting badly and so is my Speckled Sussex. One of the BRs looks positively plucked with no feathers at all on her bottom and she has lost a good bit of weight, as well.
Ivy, the Barred Rock in with Rosemary, is very thin, but she's eating and has some energy left. We gave her a chance to get out of the pen with Rosie, but she refused to leave. Even when my husband picked her up and put her outside the door of the pen, she ran right back to stand over Rosemary, who was her and Lexie's worst tormenter when we were integrating those two into the flock as youngsters. She is guarding Rosie, just like my SLW, Violet, would stand guard over Ruby when she was dying. It's heartwrenching to see them care for one another that way.

 

[iajewel]

I have never experianced internal laying. If you don't mind I would like to ask some questions so I can learn here.
since you have more than one doing it. Is this caused by genetics? If so, what breeds are more prone to it. If not, what is the probable cause? Is there any preventions or cures?

Thanks.

 

[sara]

Oh Cyn, I'm so sorry.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Well, that is the real question. These are from my original flock of ten girls, all the same age, from the same hatchery. It is three different breeds, however, RIR, SLW and BR. There is no prevention and there is no cure, according to some knowledgable people I have consulted. It is caused by a hormone problem, possibly caused by genetics. It can only be genetics or feed and unless they are putting something in all chicken feeds that is being hidden from us, I doubt it's the feed. Mine have had several brands of feed over their lifetimes.
I told my husband that I want to do a necropsy on Rosemary, just like we did on the others. She hasn't laid in about 8 months so no telling what is in her abdomen. Could be the worse yet.

 

[speckledhen]

Ivy wont leave Rosemary's side. She keeps pulling at her with her beak, but Rosie wont even open her eyes and her breathing is shallow. It's so cold here today; you can tell by how Ivy is hunched up, but I have a heat lamp on them and they do feel warm. Here is a picture.

 

[iajewel]

I remember years ago, I got some Highland whites that were given to me from left overs at a egg laying plant. Back then they would do that. (ya.. Im old)
Anyway some of the birds had eggs "stuck" in them. I knew something was wrong with them when the man brought them but didn't know what, becuse I had never seen that. anyway he told me that the birds had eggs lodged up in there and if I didn't get them out, they would die. Im assumeing this is the same thing? (asking)
If so, what I did was to litterally go in and get the egg. The man showed me how, and said I was best off to just eat the birds as they would be doing it again. what I found was after keeping them regular for about 2 weeks, every day I took the egs out, they went back to normal and never was there another issue. I did eat the ones that were really bad, never bred the birds, but it was a learning experiance and the only reason I ddn't eat some is that I wanted to learn.

does this sound like what you have? If so I can tell you how I was shown to get the eggs out.

 

[speckledhen]

No, actually what you are describing is eggbound. Laying internally, the egg yolks just back up in the oviduct. It looks like sausages in a casing, is the way I describe it. There are no complete eggs inside where you can get them out. That's the first thing we examine them for, but they never have that penguin-like stance of an eggbound hen.