My First Non-Hatchery Internal Layer...I'm so Tired of This

[speckledhen]

Year of the Rooster, I really appreciate your support. Thank you. I hate that I may be losing one of my good quality RIRs this early in her life. Just doesn't seem at all fair!

Katylester, all the feeds we feed our birds are basically soy based anyway, that and corn. Lately, some people are saying that the soy is the cause of our modern day issues with our birds and they are seeking out non-soy type feeds. I have no idea where I stand on that subject, just don't know enough, but I sure appreciate you thinking outside the box! Sometimes, that is what brings us the best solutions, isn't it?

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

I am so sorry this is happening to your girl. My heart aches for you.
Until I joined this forum, I had no idea the amount of illnesses a chicken could have.
I worked in a hospital, on the wound care team for years, so injuries I can deal with. I'm at a total loss on how to treat/prevent everything else.
You have been a big help to me, through your posts. I can only pray that I could return the favor. But I'm at a loss here.

What you have described is the same thing one of mine now/my brother's abandoned hen seems to be going through.

I noticed she was lethargic & had no intrest in food. I placed her in a seperate pen & have given her the best food I can think of. I thought she wasn't laying because of the heat / lethargy. She may be going through the same thing.

I know how it feels to be helpless, as you know. I pray for the best for you & yours, and I am so sorry.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

Do you know for certain if she ever laid eggs?

 

[threehorses]

I agree with the soy issue. But it's one of those things - what do you do? There's such a push for non-animal sources of protein, especially after the whole mad-cow scare and the new look at feeds.

I wonder though - would you be interested in some of the information from older books on nutrition and feed design back then? Maybe there's a way you could do something for your girls? They tended towards meat products, or condensed or dehydrated milk for the protein - not soys.

If you're interested, PM me or email me or anything and maybe I could send you some of that information - just at least for consideration.

In the mean time, I'm so sorry. This really is a very scary thing.

 

[dlhunicorn]

Quote:
Not all hens are equally good layers... see the link/article below (in particular the section on CHARACTERISTICS and IDENTIFICATION of poor layers) to help you determine this (I have excerpted a small portion):
http://msucares.com/poultry/management/culling.html
"Body Characteristics

A good layer will have a large, smooth, moist, almost white vent. The two small bones at the sides of the vent are called the pubic bones. They should be flexible and wide apart, with at least two finger widths between them. The abdomen should be deep, soft, and pliable without an accumulation of body fat. The depth of the abdomen is measured between the tip of the keel or breast bone and the pubic bones. Laying hens should have a depth of three or four finger widths.

The non-layer will usually have a smaller body with a shallow, firm abdomen. Pullets and non- laying hens have a depth of about two finger widths between the pubic bones and keel. The pubic bones are usually stiff and close together when the hen is not laying. The distance between the pubic bones is one finger width or less. The vent of a non-layer is usually small, puckered, and round.

Identification of Poor Layers

After the laying flock has reached peak egg production and production begins to decrease, you should occasionally check your flock for poor producing hens. These poor producers have highly pigmented (yellow) beaks and shanks."

Infectious Bronchitis in non-mature birds can irreparably damage the reproductive tract.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, I realize that, Diana, however, these are RIRs from good laying as well as breeder stock. These three girls have always been good layers up till I discovered this one was showing signs of illness. Yes, katy, I'm positive that she was laying previously, but I cant recall when exactly. I've seen all three on the nest at the same time many times. It's not that she just isn't laying, but she is skinny rather than big and robust like she used to be. These RIRs from this line are Amazon women, they are so big. And she acts like she feels bad as well. I have never had IB in the flock, so it cannot be that, though I know that is one reason they can begin to develop salpingitis. If she just was a poor layer, I'd be fine with that, but this girl is really ill. Remember, I've been through this same scenario several times already, though not with breeder stock till now.
Nathalie, though I'd be fine with changing their feeds, my birds are on the same high quality feed that thousands of birds are eating and not all of them are exhibiting this illness, including most of my own flock. They get feed that still contains animal protein, good quality feeds with no bugs or dust, plus on occasion, AviaCharge 2000, yogurt, organic ACV in their waterers, etc. They also free range on occasion so they get whatever is out in the yard and the woods-greens, bugs, etc. I can't see that this is a feed issue, really. rooster-red has also lost several of his hatchery girls to this same thing, in the same age range as most of the girls I lost. We feed different feeds I would imagine.

 

[dlhunicorn]

At this point then I would be sending every bird with this away for a proper necropsy then and then compare reports....

 

[threehorses]

Oh ok, I thought you were considering a food change; reading your original post I see you were responding to another poster. MY bad. Just thought I'd offer.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Cyn, really sorry this is happening! Last month we had a hen (my daughters favorite EE) that had really bad prolapse and another with a really bad leg injury that we had to put down.

Chickens are so good at hiding illness and sometimes I wish they could tell us how much pain / discomfort they are in so we could treat them sooner or, if need be, put them down and know it is definitely for the best.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Crap, Cyn...
I hope she'll be okay.