Sebright laying lots of eggs and egg bound issue

[Fwoof]

Last night she was having trouble balancing on her perch. Poor thing was using her wings to keep herself upright. Do hens usually have poor balance during this time? Also how long does henopause last on average?

@Wyorp Rock
@Kglassmo

 

[Kglassmo]

@Wyorp Rock
@Kglassmo

Length of henopause varies by breed. But if she’s 6, hopefully this will be her last year laying. My 6 1/2 year old light Brahama stopped laying last year as did my 6 1/2 year old buff Cochin. My white Cochin sadly died last spring at age 5 1/2, from vent prolapse after I couldn’t remove her 3rd bound egg.

Are you giving her vitamins and mineral supplements like previously discussed? Losing balance from perch could be vitamin B-12 deficiency which causes neurological issues including loss of balance. Older hens need extra vitamins just like older people. Please make sure she’s hydrated and getting enough vitamin B-12, D, E and calcium. With B-12 and E being most important to stave off neurological disorders.

 

[Fwoof]

Length of henopause varies by breed. But if she’s 6, hopefully this will be her last year laying. My 6 1/2 year old light Brahama stopped laying last year as did my 6 1/2 year old buff Cochin. My white Cochin sadly died last spring at age 5 1/2, from vent prolapse after I couldn’t remove her 3rd bound egg.

Are you giving her vitamins and mineral supplements like previously discussed? Losing balance from perch could be vitamin B-12 deficiency which causes neurological issues including loss of balance. Older hens need extra vitamins just like older people. Please make sure she’s hydrated and getting enough vitamin B-12, D, E and calcium. With B-12 and E being most important to stave off neurological disorders.

I've been giving her yogurt, oyster shell, and black oil sunflower seeds daily. We also feed lots of mealworms. Still waiting for the supplements to arrive, I just ordered them off of amazon since the ones I saw at the store had too many other ingredients in them.

 

[Kglassmo]

I've been giving her yogurt, oyster shell, and black oil sunflower seeds daily. We also feed lots of mealworms. Still waiting for the supplements to arrive, I just ordered them off of amazon since the ones I saw at the store had too many other ingredients in them.

It sounds like you are doing everything you can to care for her. Hopefully your supplements arrive soon to provide necessary vitamins her body is having a harder time absorbing as she’s aging.
My oldest hen Gaby (a previous buff Cochin), went through henopause at age 6, and lived another healthy 5 years beyond that, passed away peacefully in her sleep with her head tucked under her wing on her perch aged 11+. I wish longevity and peace for your beautiful Sebright.

 

[Fwoof]

It sounds like you are doing everything you can to care for her. Hopefully your supplements arrive soon to provide necessary vitamins her body is having a harder time absorbing as she’s aging.
My oldest hen Gaby (a previous buff Cochin), went through henopause at age 6, and lived another healthy 5 years beyond that, passed away peacefully in her sleep with her head tucked under her wing on her perch aged 11+. I wish longevity and peace for your beautiful Sebright.

That's beautiful. I will do everything I possibly can for little Stormy as she goes through this time. How much Calcium Citrate should I give her a day once it arrives?
What gives me the most hope for her is that she's got spirit. Even though she's going through some tough stiff, she has a will to live. Whenever I open the front door, she's always the loudest and first to greet me. She hasn't lost her spunk at all.
I will continue doing everything I'm doing for her.

 

[Fwoof]

I checked on her last night and both her and her daughter silver (who sleeps next to her at night) both had really hard crops. Not enlarged, but rock solid. I'm worried if their crops might be impacted.

 

[Fwoof]

I checked on her last night and both her and her daughter silver (who sleeps next to her at night) both had really hard crops. Not enlarged, but rock solid. I'm worried if their crops might be impacted.

Their crops are back to normal!
They probably just ate a bunch before going to bed.
...and I'm probably just on high alert right now and looking for every possible thing that could be wrong with them!

 

[Fwoof]

The Calcium Citrate came today! It's pure powder, no other added ingredients. How much should I give her?
(Also note that she is a bantam, so should I give her less than whatever is the average chicken dosage?)
@Wyorp Rock
@Kglassmo

 

[Kglassmo]

The Calcium Citrate came today! It's pure powder, no other added ingredients. How much should I give her?
(Also note that she is a bantam, so should I give her less than whatever is the average chicken dosage?)
@Wyorp Rock
@Kglassmo

What will you do to add B12 and vitamin E to her diet? I’m concerned that’s really what she needs more of since she’s older, losing balance and likely about to go through molt. I use crushed oyster shells and plain yogurt as calcium supplements for my flock. I’m not as familiar with dosage of calcium citrate. Maybe someone else can chime in on that. I have been told that smaller birds have a faster metabolism so they sometimes get same amount as larger bird. But it depends on the supplement. My tiny button quail and larger domestic starling receive same amounts of their avian vitamin powder.

 

[Fwoof]

What will you do to add B12 and vitamin E to her diet? I’m concerned that’s really what she needs more of since she’s older, losing balance and likely about to go through molt.

I've been giving her black oil sunflower seeds (vitamin E) and mixing 1/3 or 1/4 of the powder from a small B12 capsule with oats.

I use crushed oyster shells and plain yogurt as calcium supplements for my flock. I’m not as familiar with dosage of calcium citrate. Maybe someone else can chime in on that. I have been told that smaller birds have a faster metabolism so they sometimes get same amount as larger bird. But it depends on the supplement. My tiny button quail and larger domestic starling receive same amounts of their avian vitamin powder.

@speckledhen
@azygous
How much Calcium Citrate should I give my bantam hen daily?