My Ivy.. Latest Relapse...She's Gone

[WriterofWords]

Don't know what to say, I just hope it turns out well.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, all the ones who've died from this have been hatchery stock. I did lose one breeder Orp to a sour crop issue during a hard molt and I have one breeder quality RIR hen who seems to be suffering some sort of reproductive thing like, but as I mentioned before, Ginger and Violet haven't laid an egg in weeks. Ginger is acting just like the first ones who died from internal laying, sitting on the nest for long periods, coming out with no egg having been produced, etc. I do feel the hatchery stock is not as hardy as the ones who are either from breeder stock or that I've hatched here who are generations removed from the hatchery.

I do have three other hatchery birds(same hatchery), two Brahmas and one banty Cochin. The Cochin just took 11 weeks off from laying to raise chicks, so her body probably got quite a rest and that may just save her. The Brahmas are two and a half and so far, they seem to be doing well, thank goodness.

 

[TheChickenShrink]

I know too well how you feel. Of our original flock of 9 hens we got in June last year, we lost already 4 to the same condition (inlaying, often leading to yolk peritonitis). The first one to go was Beaker, my dear wife's favorite, in January. Then we had to cull Nikolia in May. We found Pamela dead in one of the nesting boxes last week. Finally, as we were trying to deal with the fact that we would very probably have to cull Zina because she was showing the same symptoms, fate struck yesterday and took care of the gruesome task for us (a heavy section of wooden fence fell on her and broke her neck: she died instantly). Now we are worried for 2 other hens, Amelie and Georgette, who are starting to show signs of the same condition. We were told that inlaying is a very common condition in commercial hybrid layers after 2 years of age, and our first hens are ex-battery Bovan Brown that are now between 2 and 3 years old (we do not know exactly).

I sincerely hope that your Ivy will get better again and be spared the same awful fate. It just hurts to much to witness our dear ladies suffer.

Pierre

 

[speckledhen]

Pierre, you know all too well how I feel right now, then. I'm sorry for your losses as well. Mine aren't the hybrid layers, but I can tell you that they were very high production ladies, an egg almost every day till the infection took them over. Not sure if I should even call it an infection, but maybe a malfunction.

 

[TheChickenShrink]

Quote:
I agree with the term "malfunction". My hypothesis is that those hatchery chicken, that were selected to become "superlayers", hybrid or pure breed, just succomb to their almost uninterrupted daily laying. It's like the machine is being pushed beyond its limit, so their reproductive system just fails after 2 to 3 years of this crazy rythm. Our dear ladies never stopped giving their egg each morning, without interruption, even in the middle of the freezing canadian winter!!! We felt so sorry for them! That's until they start laying soft eggs, having their belly swelled, having their butt feathers all glued with yolk, sitting in the nest box for hours without laying, etc. Of course, you know the whole sequence...

Because of this, we have decided from now on to get our chicks only from small breeders of the original heritage chicken breeds, instead of the modified superlayer versions of the big hatcheries (or eventually from our own fertilized eggs, of course!

).

By the way, my wife and I have read so many of your posts in the past few months and profited so much from your advice or your shared information, so I take this occasion to thank you Cynthia for your kindness and generosity. You have contributed to our addiction to the BYC forum!

 

[speckledhen]

What nice things to say! Thanks so much. I'm just another chicken lover, learning more every year that I have these awesome birds. I can tell you one theory that I have, though. I believe the ones who do go broody on occasion give their reproductive systems a well-deserved break and are less likely to suffer the same fate as my poor departed and ailing hens. None of the ones who have died or who are currently suffering from this have ever gone broody, not one time. Heck, they didn't even stop laying to molt, except maybe two weeks, tops. One of my oldest Buff Orpingtons is still laying almost every day at over three and a half years old--she's been broody twice. Even though broodies can be a pain, especially if you have several at one time, I think it's best that they live the life they were meant to live and raise chicks once or twice. Anyway, that's my harebrained theory, for whatever it's worth.
I'm so sorry about your hens. I know how awful it is. Ivy is still breathing very hard. All the fluid/yolk/infection/whatever in her belly is pressing on her organs and certainly her lungs. Not sure how long she'll last, but we gave her the second shot of penicillin today, in hopes that she'll rally somehow.

 

[lovemychicns]

Oh Cyn,

I am so sorry to hear about Ivy. I will keep you and Ivy in my prayers. I hope Ivy pull through.

Hugs
Karen

 

[Judy]

Well, here's one more person with the same harebrained theory about never going broody and limited or no molting. I strongly suspect these girls are paying the price for breeding for maximum production.

Hoping for the best for Ivy.

 

[speckledhen]

Progress report on Ivy:

She is still moving very slowly, not foraging with the flock. She lays down alot now, too. We did extra strong doses of penicillin, but we fear she isn't long for this world, poor sweet girl. Makes me at least happy that we have two of her daughters here now.

 

[PeeperKeeper]

Dear Cyn,