MJ's little flock

[Ribh]

Nor I mine, or @Ribh hers. Unless you have the rooster and can track the breeding lines, none of us truly know the genetic stock of our flocks. Obviously @Shadrach does, @Kris5902 does, but the rest of us are really at the mercy of others in the end.

This goes back to the issues Shad raised about poor genetic lines & a lack of new blood & while that is true we still have to work with what is available. Without a rooster & my own breeding program I am stuck with hoping for the best with any hens I choose, as are you & Bob. We are not to blame. We can only do the best we can within the limitations of our areas. Do not blame yourself. This is the end result of generations of greed & poor flock management & unfortunately it is rife. I'm pretty sure that is how I lost Lottie on top of Covid restrictions just when I really needed a vet. Your hens have wonderful lives compared to many & that is something to be proud of.

 

[Ribh]

Harold.
View attachment 2408897

He was gorgeous!

 

[BY Bob]

I was thinking a mixed breed hen would be stronger but not if she has a greater number of inherited issues.

We all must understand individuals as well. Great stock and good parents is a great start to genetic health but no guarantee. Individuals can have mutations that occur despite good breeding programs. It is a similar concept to the runt of a litter. If the parents are of solid genetic stock the odds of it happening are less but they are not zero.

 

[BY Bob]

This goes back to the issues Shad raised about poor genetic lines & a lack of new blood & while that is true we still have to work with what is available. Without a rooster & my own breeding program I am stuck with hoping for the best with any hens I choose, as are you & Bob. We are not to blame. We can only do the best we can within the limitations of our areas. Do not blame yourself. This is the end result of generations of greed & poor flock management & unfortunately it is rife. I'm pretty sure that is how I lost Lottie on top of Covid restrictions just when I really needed a vet. Your hens have wonderful lives compared to many & that is something to be proud of.

Well said. I know it doesn't ease any hurt but we can only do our best. You have clearly done that.

 

[Kris5902]

Nor I mine, or @Ribh hers. Unless you have the rooster and can track the breeding lines, none of us truly know the genetic stock of our flocks. Obviously @Shadrach does, @Kris5902 does, but the rest of us are really at the mercy of others in the end.

I only wish I had the background info @Shadrach has for his flock. I started with hatching eggs from supposedly good lines from a fairly well known local breeder, but I am certainly seeing things I don’t like cropping up, genetics wise... and then there’s the breeding in of those high production hybrids as well. I knew I was in for a long term project when I started breeding my own girls though.

 

[MaryJanet]

2 in 5 seems hig

Well said. I know it doesn't ease any hurt but we can only do our best. You have clearly done that.

My thoughts run more toward concern for the well-being of any hen who comes to live here. If an environmental factor plays even a small part in these problems, I want to address it and perhaps injuries are something to consider. 2 out of 5 seems high to me, but if those 2 reproductive problems are traceable to genetics, then I've simply been unlucky twice and lucky three times.

 

[Kris5902]

2 in 5 seems hig

My thoughts run more toward concern for the well-being of any hen who comes to live here. If an environmental factor plays even a small part in these problems, I want to address it and perhaps injuries are something to consider. 2 out of 5 seems high to me, but if those 2 reproductive problems are traceable to genetics, then I've simply been unlucky twice and lucky three times.

Not counting the owl attacks, almost all of my losses have been directly related to a genetically predisposed reproductive issue. I have had the occasional loss due to a crop issue (2) one respiratory infection (in a very old rescue) and a few odd, “one off” I don’t have a clue why or how this happened (2 Roosters, 2 meat bird chick) deaths. 11 reproductive losses that I can think of off the top of my head, all in production red type birds, mostly 2-3 years of age. Over 60% and that’s including the roosters and chicks. There have also been a high number of meat bird losses due to heart attack/cardiovascular issues under 2 years of age.

I understand your frustration. If it’s environmental, then it’s something we can change With our husbandry to prevent it. Sadly I have found that this is often just not the case though.

 

[micstrachan]

I think I've triedit most ways but steamed is my favourite



She's a very endearing little one too.



I spoke to the receptionist (not the nurse) and she told me Peggy's had a couple of xrays and a barium treatment (I don't know what that means) and her bowels are fine but her reproductive system is not great. I'm surprised by this as she's genetically robust and has never shown any symptoms of that kind. So I'm going in to have a conversation with Mark tomorrow evening. She could have a hysterectomy but that comes with a risk of future egg yolk peritonitis.

Interesting about the barium treatment. It is normally used to coat the intestines before X-ray, I believe for good contrast. HOWEVER, my Roxy had a barium treatment without x-ray, just for its coating (and soothing?) properties. They sent me home with some, and I continued to treat her for a few days (along with prescribed antibiotics) and her intestines eventually seemed to stop bleeding. I realize Peggy has a different issue, but the barium may provide some relief if her intestines are inflamed.

EDIT: Oops! Roxy did have an x-ray. I forgot! They wanted to rule out hardware disease. The additional barium was a bit of an experiment and it seemed to help.

 

[micstrachan]

In the meantime, "let's explore this bit today!"
"Yayyy!! "

View attachment 2408333

Yay!

 

[micstrachan]

I think it's from trying to breed in higher egg production. Typically production egg layers only are kept for two years and are processed before they run into these types of issues. But this is just my guess.

Yes. This.