Silver Laced Wyandotte Pullet or Cockerel?

[klyn]

@speckledhenI hope she does ok too. What are the symptoms you noticed with your SLW and about how old were they when they began having problems? It would be nice to know what to look for as this is my first go with chickens. Thanks for your help.

 

[speckledhen]

The first one was a sudden death at just past one year old. She was laying in the shade on a chilly day. I picked her up and checked her over and didn't see anything odd. The next day, we found her dead in a dust hole. When we opened her up, there was loose yolk all in her abdomen, so egg yolk peritonitis. She was our first loss. The later ones had other symptoms of internal laying.

If you do a search of my threads about Olivia or Ivy, though they are different breeds, or Violet, one of the last SLWs to die, you'll get much more detail. Takes quite a lot of writing to get into it, but they go onto the nests, sit for long periods, may strain, leave no egg. Eventually, they quit doing it. They may bloat up or they may not. They eventually begin to lose copious amounts of weight, in spite of continuing to eat, which isn't obvious unless you pick them up-feathers hide a lot. Then they become weaker and weaker, and unless you euthanize them, they just die. You may find cheesy masses of infection, solidified as their bodies tend to handle infection, mixed with cooked yolks, in the abdomens and/or oviduct, if you open them up. Had the same experience a year later with a GLW from same hatchery, only over a year old.

 

[klyn]

Thank you for the information. I'm so sorry that you have lost so many of your birds in such a sad way. Your previous posts made it clear that you have dealt with this a lot and have tried so hard to keep your girls as comfortable as possible as they were near the end. I really hope we won't have to deal with these issues with Lacey, but if we do you have provided a lot of valuable insight. Thank you.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you for the information. I'm so sorry that you have lost so many of your birds in such a sad way. Your previous posts made it clear that you have dealt with this a lot and have tried so hard to keep your girls as comfortable as possible as they were near the end. I really hope we won't have to deal with these issues with Lacey, but if we do you have provided a lot of valuable insight. Thank you.

I sure hope you never have to deal with this. The first one I lost, coindentally, was also named Lacy. Sweet hens. Lorelei was next, my single combed one, never bloated up, just became very thin and eventually died. Then, last original SLW was Violet, who lived about until she was 4 years old. She was such a dignified hen. Then the GLW. I can't have anymore Wyandottes after losing all those. I sold two SLW pullets and I hope they didn't meet the same fate, but I fear they did.

 

[BantamLover21]

She's a hen for sure! Definitely looked like a cockerel when she was young, though.

 

[klyn]

Thank you! Thank you! Everybody has been so helpful! I love having a place where I can find help to my questions and concerns. I love BYC!