Ranting Chicken's Reproductive Ill health.

[SkyAJK]

I just need to rant to release my distress as I know where this road going to end for my Basil hen.

My 1.5 years old Isa Brown Basil this morning dropped another egg held by just membrane, yesterday morning she did the same. She is now looking a bit off, not her usual vibrant self.

She is on and off with this issue, and I have been treating her with calcium tablet whenever her egg shell looks light in colour, so far so good, but not so good these last few days. I have done what I know how, the usual 4% calcium in feed, and free choice calcium on the side, crushed eggshell on the side and calcium tablet. Everyone in the flock is fine, except for her and this is her predisposition for being a commercial breed laying hen - Isa Brown.

I know where this lead to as I have seen it so many times before, it is still pain me to see her going through this. It is inevitable what the outcome will be..

I also have a mix breed hen Minty, part Isa Brown is going to the nestbox and not laying egg. With Minty, she might be ok and go on her life without laying egg or ill health. She might be internal laying...only time will tell.

I have a Barred Rock hen Apple sat in the nestbox, did egg song and no egg for a long time, then suddenly she stopped all these egg laying behaviour. She eats, drinks, bully other, life goes on for her happilly without the trouble of egg laying. So I am hoping Minty will be the same as Apple.

 

[cavemanrich]

Consider switching breeds, and avoid Isa Brown in your next purchase of chicks.
All I can say

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I am so sorry you are having all these troubles with your dear hens. It sounds like you are doing everything right for them and taking good care of them. I can't think of anything you should do different for them.

 

[SkyAJK]

Thank you everyone for letting me rant and your kind words give me comfort and strength.

Another calcium tablet for Basil and vitamin drinks, I can only hope she is ok again.

I got Basil from a rescue place, and I have 2 Isa Brown in my flock and they are really sweet, but...the reproductive nightmare breed into them for eggs. I am not getting any Isa Brown, so many heartache and seeing them suffer.

 

[cavemanrich]

I got Basil from a rescue place

 

[Mrs. K]

You know, I love ISA brown chickens, they are such good layers. But I don't expect them to live forever.

I think that the rescue chicken is probably getting old, that also makes for problems. As you are tenderhearted, I bet you took on that heartache. Sometimes I think that chickens are really not for people with sensibilities. Very often, they are just not long lived.

Mrs K

 

[cavemanrich]

Sometimes I think that chickens are really not for people with sensibilities.

I agree with everything you said EXCEPT above sentence.
No pets live forever. But we LUV them when they are with us.

 

[SkyAJK]

I shared @cavemanrich view. While they are with us, running to us, sitting on our laps, eating from our hands, following us, looking up at us while making sound, ....the time we spend with them, knowing things about they, what they want from us when they make certain sound, gestures, knowing each individual chicken ...those connections and daily interaction build affection, love both ways. So it hurts and it pains when they are in ill health to produce our breakfast.

We all know that they don't live forever. Seeing the massive egg they produce, we collect and what they go through to produce that scramble egg is painful.

This morning I found my other hen making some chesty sound. This morning is chill, so very cold. I instantly separated her, might be just too late anyway. I adopted a rooster from a poultry market that was in the section of people surrender their many roosters. He had respiratory illness and ..I have been treating him, isolating him to date, he no longer show any symptoms, but I think my hen there is infected...Just my fault, I was warned of the risk of going to poultry market.

I really am inflicting pain on myself and my flock.

 

[SkyAJK]

Basil laid a normal egg yesterday and this morning..she has been having 1 calcium tablet each day since the no shell egg was laid.

Her egg is lighter in colour and some calcium pimples at the pointy end. She has enough calcium to have such deposit, but still the shell is thin. This is going on and off ...

This morning I also found my mix Isa Brown hen Minty's poop had what looked like 2 small clump of flesh. I think she might be having cancer or some sort of tumour. These kind of thing can only be confirmed with testing at the Vet which will cost heaven and earth to get.

Minty was producing rattling chesty sound yesterday, I gave her 25mg of Doxycycline Hyclah x2 a day. I don't hear this rattling sound this morning so far. I am not sure if she got infected with respiratory ill health or it was just a one off rattling sound, but I can not take the risk. She is isolate in another part of the garden by herself.

The tiny rooster no longer show any signs respiratory issue, but I still have to keep him separated for another week.

It seem so much work....so much work, my day is around checking poops, observe behaviour. I am too old for this.

At this moment, I would prefer all my hens are broody so that their body can rest and no reproductive issue. I am happy to buy eggs or not buy any at all.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Basil laid a normal egg yesterday and this morning..she has been having 1 calcium tablet each day since the no shell egg was laid.

Her egg is lighter in colour and some calcium pimples at the pointy end. She has enough calcium to have such deposit, but still the shell is thin. This is going on and off ...

This morning I also found my mix Isa Brown hen Minty's poop had what looked like 2 small clump of flesh. I think she might be having cancer or some sort of tumour. These kind of thing can only be confirmed with testing at the Vet which will cost heaven and earth to get.

Minty was producing rattling chesty sound yesterday, I gave her 25mg of Doxycycline Hyclah x2 a day. I don't hear this rattling sound this morning so far. I am not sure if she got infected with respiratory ill health or it was just a one off rattling sound, but I can not take the risk. She is isolate in another part of the garden by herself.

The tiny rooster no longer show any signs respiratory issue, but I still have to keep him separated for another week.

It seem so much work....so much work, my day is around checking poops, observe behaviour. I am too old for this.

At this moment, I would prefer all my hens are broody so that their body can rest and no reproductive issue. I am happy to buy eggs or not buy any at all.