Question for those who experienced hens with Internal laying, lash eggs and cancer

[idreamofpookie]

For those of you who have high production hen breeds who have succumbed to conditions related to reproduction disorders prematurely (2+ yesrs) did you obtain these birds as pullets or chicks?

Just wondering if there is any difference in the rates of contracting these disorders and diseases between purchasing pullets/readytolay and day old chicks.

This is based on the idea that pullets have been subjected to extended artificial lighting and crowding at the hatchery which stimulates the birds to lay sooner. The biosecurity isn't very good either in that they are sitting on the same litter for months and basically indoors doing nothing but eat. These are all factors that are suggested can contribute to reproductive health problems later on.

I'm curious if any BYC members who are raising their (esp. SL/high production) hens from day olds are still finding similar levels of reproduction issues at the same rates of 2+ years on?

Thoughts, experiences and comments?
Anyone want to chime in their experiences?

 

[Matieus27]

We buy ours at POA.
Barns are cleaned out approx once a week and they free range outside and in the barns during the day. They are not caged. No problem with cancer/lash eggs. I am talking thousands of birds. Once in a great while, one will die from a blow-out.

POA?

 

[Matieus27]

Point of lay

Wouldn’t it be POL?

 

[Matieus27]

That’s what I meant hahaha ugh phones

Oh ok I was confused so that’s why I asked

 

[Kathy Golla]

I have a production red from a feed store (hatchery) that I raised as a chick that started repro tract problems at 1.5 years old and I don’t think she will make it to two.
I have a GLW from the same situation that’s not two yet with a uterine tumor.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

For those of you who have high production hen breeds who have succumbed to conditions related to reproduction disorders prematurely (2+ yesrs) did you obtain these birds as pullets or chicks?

Just wondering if there is any difference in the rates of contracting these disorders and diseases between purchasing pullets/readytolay and day old chicks.

This is based on the idea that pullets have been subjected to extended artificial lighting and crowding at the hatchery which stimulates the birds to lay sooner. The biosecurity isn't very good either in that they are sitting on the same litter for months and basically indoors doing nothing but eat. These are all factors that are suggested can contribute to reproductive health problems later on.

I'm curious if any BYC members who are raising their (esp. SL/high production) hens from day olds are still finding similar levels of reproduction issues at the same rates of 2+ years on?

Thoughts, experiences and comments?
Anyone want to chime in their experiences?

You may be interested in the video at the beginning of the thread linked below.
There is no one size fits all when you are talking about reproductive problems in laying hens - it's nothing new either, you just read more about it due to the internet. If you do some searching/reading in old poultry books you will find references to Ascites, Salpingitis, Peritonitis, internal laying, etc.
For me, I doubt that chick vs POL makes a difference - there are too many variables as to the cause of reproductive problems. Genetics plays a role for sure, but you have to factor in disease, breed, parasites, food, housing, etc.
Just my 2¢
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ions-my-youtube-video-graphic-photos.1201052/

 

[coach723]

The vast majority of mine have been hatchery RIR/Production reds, with a few others mixed in. I bought my first sex links 2 years ago, so I am at the point where I will be finding out if they are going to have a high percentage of it also. All of mine have either been purchased as chicks or were hatched here. I agree with @Wyorp Rock that there are too many variables, including genetics, which in the case of purchased birds from a hatchery are really always going to be unknown. I keep a pretty clean set up and my birds are well cared for, so if it's something I can do something about to prevent, I've not been able to identify that at all.

 

[idreamofpookie]

Does the breed matter at all, for instance do high production sex links get these illnesses on average more than a hatchery bared rock?

Or is it fairly even across breeds and mostly due to poor genetic variety of hatchery birds?

 

[micstrachan]

I had a hatchery New Hampshire Red that we humbly as a day-old chick start internal laying and progress to Egg Yolk Peritonitis at just one year old.

 

[micstrachan]

Does the breed matter at all, for instance do high production sex links get these illnesses on average more than a hatchery bared rock?

Or is it fairly even across breeds and mostly due to poor genetic variety of hatchery birds?

^^^ THIS. I want to know this, too.