Production Hens biting the dust one by one

[Sagebrush]

Hello all,

Not knowing any better 3 1/2 years ago my first hens included 4 Cinnamon Queens. One died last year from what appeared to be a vent prolapse. The remaining 3 survived and thrived up until a few months ago and one by one they have succumbed to what appears to be egg yolk peritonitis. The last one is now ill with tell tell signs of Sumo walking, lying down a lot and not eating much and obvious swelling in her abdomen. Her comb is laid over as well but it is still rosy dark pink. I also lost a Buff Orpington with the same symptoms and she died sitting in the layer box. The last Cinnamon I lost was a few weeks ago and she became blind toward the end. I worried it may be Mereks but her eyes never got cloudy and remained bright, clear and the pupils always reacted to light as expected. She also never showed sings or paralysis or shaking head, any of that. She was also at the top of the pecking order and was picked on viciously by several of the younger hens before I could get to her and separate her. I suspect this contributed to her blindness and she also always seemed to have slight problems with depth perception her whole life. This last hen that is now sick sees just fine and still pecks at food.
I also have 2 Barred Rocks form the same batch, don't know if from the same hatchery, that are doing fine as well as other younger hens of different breeds who are also doing well. Neither one of the BR lay much, never have and the Cinnamon hens all slowed way down this year even when they were completely healthy.
I am getting some new hens soon, not Cinnamon, and will quarantine them for a bit before i introduce them to the rest. I would like input in case I'm missing something. We don't have an aviary vet close by.

Regards,

 

[N F C]

So sorry to hear of your losses.

I see you've posted in the "New Member Introductions" forum so I'm going to move your thread over to the ER forum so the experts there can tell you if they suspect anything more than what you feel your birds passed from.

Best wishes to you.

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if what you are experiencing is the norm for sex link high production birds. If you have any concerns that Mareks might also be a factor, you might want to get vaccinated birds. Good luck with your new chicks.

 

[Sagebrush]

So sorry to hear of your losses.

I see you've posted in the "New Member Introductions" forum so I'm going to move your thread over to the ER forum so the experts there can tell you if they suspect anything more than what you feel your birds passed from.

Best wishes to you.

Whoops! Thank you. I didn't realize that.

 

[Sagebrush]

It sounds as if what you are experiencing is the norm for sex link high production birds. If you have any concerns that Mareks might also be a factor, you might want to get vaccinated birds. Good luck with your new chicks.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, the young hens I'm getting were from a hatchery and are just starting to lay. They were vaccinated as chicks.

 

[Folly's place]

Production birds do tend to die younger than many others, but actually, many hens have reproductive issues and die at three or four years of age, of any breed.
My oldest hens have died at age ten; two small Jersey Giants (midget giants, we joked!) and a Belgian d'Uccle. I lost a five year old Belgian d'Uccle this summer too; she was oldest of my current flock.
I have no actual experience, but I understand that some of the 'game' breed birds can live much longer. A Cubalya breeder told me that his birds tended to live many years! They lay many fewer eggs per year, and aren't commonly sold or owned except by serious fanciers.
Hens produce the most eggs their first year, and hatcheries, and many/ most breeders [plan to replace most of their breeding stock every year, because it makes the most sense economically. This means that nearly nobody selects for longevity in breeder birds, only good egg production the first year, and/or how they look.
There are so many breeds! Look at Henderson's breed chart, and feathersite, and get inspired!
Mary

 

[Sagebrush]

Production birds do tend to die younger than many others, but actually, many hens have reproductive issues and die at three or four years of age, of any breed.
My oldest hens have died at age ten; two small Jersey Giants (midget giants, we joked!) and a Belgian d'Uccle. I lost a five year old Belgian d'Uccle this summer too; she was oldest of my current flock.
I have no actual experience, but I understand that some of the 'game' breed birds can live much longer. A Cubalya breeder told me that his birds tended to live many years! They lay many fewer eggs per year, and aren't commonly sold or owned except by serious fanciers.
Hens produce the most eggs their first year, and hatcheries, and many/ most breeders [plan to replace most of their breeding stock every year, because it makes the most sense economically. This means that nearly nobody selects for longevity in breeder birds, only good egg production the first year, and/or how they look.
There are so many breeds! Look at Henderson's breed chart, and feathersite, and get inspired!
Mary

Thank you for your reply. I had chickens as a kid and they seemed to live forever! I currently do add a few every year because I expect a reduction in production for the older ones. My husband got two more Cinnamon last year, he got chewed out for that one, but the rest are a variety of Welsummers, RR, BR, Brahamas, Leghorns and one Silver Wyandotte, all doing very well. I love the variety and personalities .

 

[rebrascora]

The only thing I would consider is diet. Not saying this is the case as these high production birds are prone to reproductive issues once they get past 2 years old, but a dietary imbalance can cause prolapse, reproductive issues and sudden death of a larger breed like a buff orp in the nest box, could be caused by Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome.
What do you feed your hens?
Many people do not consider that obesity can be a problem in chickens and what with those feathers making them look plump anyway and the only time we see a chicken without them, they are plump and juicy and ready for the oven, so most of us would not necessarily recognise a "fat" chicken, but they certainly can get fat and I have butchered birds that were poor layers and done necropsies on ones that died and found staggering amounts of abdominal fat. Those birds were being fed almost equal amounts of mixed corn (scratch) and layer pellets. I have one or two photos of the necropsies of them if you are interested..... the hens belonged to my neighbour. It helps you realise how fat can cause problems when you see how it builds up inside them.

 

[Folly's place]

That's so true! Feeding a balanced diet pays off!
Mary

 

[Sagebrush]

Definitely agree high quality diet is important. My girls are fed a quality layer feed, Nutrena or PenPals, which is a locally made brand of good quality. I tried them on the cheaper brands and they did not do well. They also have oyster shell available as they choose. They do get a scoop of scratch each day as a treat but I have 18 hens so it's not much between them. They also free range and have the run of 21 acres, albeit they stay on about 2. Unfortunately , they've been confined to their run, which is very large, the last few weeks because a few smarties were flying over the fence and decimating my vegetables. I grow all organic and they still get greens and veggies because I throw them in their run. I also give them plain yogurt a few times per week and the occasional ACV added to their water to boost their immune system.
As far as the buff, she died a few months back while they were all allowed to freely range.
She didn't like to be handled but last year I did because a roo liked her a bit too much. Her back was bare and she had to wear a saddle. I was surprised that she didn't weigh more when I picked her up because she looked larger than some of the others. The roo met his untimely demise and she was doing well, not fat or heavy.