Silkie Hen Vent Blow Out - Prevention - how to prevent long term - Diet? Advice needed?

[Novice Chicken Mum]

Hi Everyone -this is a great place for advice and I have learnt so much from BYC
I am hoping to get Prevention advice here from any of you experienced chicken people.

Question > Tips.... I am looking for advice on what can I add/or remove to the food and water, when feeding, to prevent young hens and pullets developing vent blowout? Long Term prevention?
Does any one have any ideas/procedures or prevention ideas? Thank you

In the last 10 years I have had 2 silkies - that have had severe vent blow outs. What I noticed about both of them was that they laid eggs very early and before any of the other hens!

One hen Rita, about 5 years ago - I had to put down (she was about 5 years old - and one of my first) and then just recently, a week ago - a young hen, only 2 years old died.
I knew it was coming for months because she just kept laying big eggs and losing weight, she was treated for worms and special attention was given, which helped for a time but then she just suddenly passed after laying her last egg and her vent was open.

She was Laying eggs for about 15 months regularly and too large for a bantam egg.

With both of these cases, I tried to treat them and would have success for a bit and then sadly they would lay an egg again (whilst in exclusion in the dark) resulting in blowout.
The hen that was 5 years old - we took to the vet and she was operated on - but the operation didnt help and again isolated and treated in the dark ..But she laid an egg!- we had to get the vet to put her down because the blow out was becoming severe.

In Australia the cost to have a hen put down is about $380 0r $250 in US dollars to start, but most of my visits are $400 minimum.

... So my question is - if a silkie is suddenly a big layer and laying too many eggs - what can I do to slow down the laying? Keep her healthy and prevent blowout?
What precautions can be taken - and can anything be done? My silkies are our pets and just like everyone on this thread doesn't matter what reason we get them for - its heartbreaking when this condition occurs and they die.

(In emergencies - I have removed layer pellet, lots of water and vitamins and isolated in dark etc., for when the case is severe and this has worked)

..But does anyone know what can be done for Prevention in the first place?? Diet for instance
Very interested in your ideas? I dont give my chickens hormones or other medication - is there a diet that can be used to slow down egg production without giving the hen malnutrition?
is there anything that can be added or removed from the diet (layer pellets) when raising pullets into Hens so that they are not prone to producing massive eggs? The second hen that just basically just keeled over and died at 2 years old - it was just heart breaking - and she laid 2 huge eggs before passing
Hoping to hear from you all and expert ideas, thank you so much.

FYI: In the past we give our hens salad scraps and also scratch mix every day- am I giving my hens too much scratch mix?
I add shell grit to the layer mix (which is top quality organic layer pellets)

P.S. .... I get so upset by the passing of one of my silkie hens - and this one is the youngest that has ever died on us at 2 years old, from vent blowout laying huge eggs -so very sad and I feel guilty that it happened to her. Sometimes I feel I want to throw in the towel and give up on keeping chickens, because losing them is too heartbreaking.

Question > Tips, I am looking for ideas for what I can add/or remove with the food and water to prevent pullets getting vent blowout? Long Term prevention?

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry you lost your birds.
Too much treats such as scratch can cause laying issues. They're mainly fat and carbs, chicken don't retain fat on the outside like we do, it build internally, around the the organs. Making life in general harder and usual shorter but it definitely makes laying harder.
Unfortunately, egg size and frequency is genetics, there's nothing you can do to change it.
Where did you get your birds?
Taking them off layer pellets is not going to do them favors long term, they need that calcium in it to help contractions. Layer feed doesn't cause laying but it supports it.

 

[Novice Chicken Mum]

Thank you, so too much scratch feed in the beginning may be a problem? How much should I add compared to normal layer feed (scratch is a treat right). I think the problem is the hens ignore the layer and go for the scratch.
What about adding apple cider vinegar to drinking water every now and then does that help to prevent thrush. How much should I add?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Scratch for chickens is like candy for kids. They can have some, but in moderation. I only use it to teach my chickens to come when called.

Layer feed is fairly low in protein, about 16%, and it containes added calcium, which any non-laying chicken does not need. It can actually be harmful over the long term for non-layers. I prefer to feed a higher percentage of all-flock feed with little to no calcium, and provide calcium for the layers in the form of oyster shell in a separate vessel. Those that need it will help themselves while those that don't will ignore it.

I am not sure if any of this will help prevent prolapsed vents in your silkies. Are they all out of the same genetic lines? Perhaps they are just prone to it. I don't have silkies but in 15 years of keeping chickens I have only seen one prolapse. I don't know if there is anything you are doing to cause it, or what you might do to prevent it. But when you see one happening, you could come on here and ask for help. Some have had success repairing them and saving their hens. I wish you all the best.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you, so too much scratch feed in the beginning may be a problem? How much should I add compared to normal layer feed (scratch is a treat right). I think the problem is the hens ignore the layer and go for the scratch.
What about adding apple cider vinegar to drinking water every now and then does that help to prevent thrush. How much should I add?

Acv won't help anything, especially in municipal water.
Are you mixing the scratch in the feed?
They need to get less than a spoonful per hen, once or twice a week.

 

[Novice Chicken Mum]

Scratch for chickens is like candy for kids. They can have some, but in moderation. I only use it to teach my chickens to come when called.

Layer feed is fairly low in protein, about 16%, and it containes added calcium, which any non-laying chicken does not need. It can actually be harmful over the long term for non-layers. I prefer to feed a higher percentage of all-flock feed with little to no calcium, and provide calcium for the layers in the form of oyster shell in a separate vessel. Those that need it will help themselves while those that don't will ignore it.

I am not sure if any of this will help prevent prolapsed vents in your silkies. Are they all out of the same genetic lines? Perhaps they are just prone to it. I don't have silkies but in 15 years of keeping chickens I have only seen one prolapse. I don't know if there is anything you are doing to cause it, or what you might do to prevent it. But when you see one happening, you could come on here and ask for help. Some have had success repairing them and saving their hens. I wish you all the best.

Thank you so much for your advice, that is really helpful, i've had about 20 silkies altogether over 15 years and 2 had severe blow out and death. but some of the others about 3 others have also be prone but responded to treatment. just large eggs from bantams so genetics must be part of it.

 

[Novice Chicken Mum]

Sorry you lost your birds.
Too much treats such as scratch can cause laying issues. They're mainly fat and carbs, chicken don't retain fat on the outside like we do, it build internally, around the the organs. Making life in general harder and usual shorter but it definitely makes laying harder.
Unfortunately, egg size and frequency is genetics, there's nothing you can do to change it.
Where did you get your birds?
Taking them off layer pellets is not going to do them favors long term, they need that calcium in it to help contractions. Layer feed doesn't cause laying but it supports it.

thank you, yes i think scratch is a culprit, silkies are fussy, and mine wont eat the organic feed pellets, they want scratch and corn - so i think this is the problem. 90% of their food is organic layer pellets but they just wont eat it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Is the scratch organic? If they free range, is your pasture organic? If not, then you may be wasting your money paying for organic feed. Try a bag of good, fresh all-flock and see what they think of that, and withhold the scratch for about a week. If they turn up their beaks at it, try getting it wet and making a mash of it, but you have to make a fresh batch every day so it doesn't sour. You can also try putting some plain yogurt in it. Most chickens find that to be a great treat.

 

[Novice Chicken Mum]

Acv won't help anything, especially in municipal water.
Are you mixing the scratch in the feed?
They need to get less than a spoonful per hen, once or twice a week.

Thank you, yes I was mixing a small amount of scratch into their pellets because they are so fussy in feeding, about 20:1 organic complete pellets: scratch. I wont mix in scratch anymore.

 

[Novice Chicken Mum]

Is the scratch organic? If they free range, is your pasture organic? If not, then you may be wasting your money paying for organic feed. Try a bag of good, fresh all-flock and see what they think of that, and withhold the scratch for about a week. If they turn up their beaks at it, try getting it wet and making a mash of it, but you have to make a fresh batch every day so it doesn't sour. You can also try putting some plain yogurt in it. Most chickens find that to be a great treat.

Yes, I recently saved a hen with yogurt and she loved it - so mashed up complete pellets (we buy the best we can get) with some yogurt might do the trick? and the scratch is lollies - special treat only. Any other foods recommended for keeping vent blow out under control (calcium and shell grit) multivitamins, any other kitchen scraps/foods that can help?