squatting hen

[bucky52]

My hen was a redstar sex link.I have two more.this breed are prone to this.

 

[speckledhen]

Any hatchery production breed is prone to this, in truth. I have never had the sexlinks, but almost every one of my original hatchery hens died from internal laying and/or egg yolk peritonitis. I had Wyandottes, Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orps and Barred Rocks as my first hens. Even later Wyandottes from that same hatchery died the same way--will never, ever again get a hatchery Wyandotte. So many others tell the same story about theirs. The most hardy hatchery breeds I've had were the Brahmas, at least so far. I have one still with me at 6 years old and the other died last year at 5 1/2 of cancer, but that is a good long life for any hatchery hen, in my experience.

 

[speckledhen]

I just wanted to say that Speckledhen knows what she talks about on these threads. The simple fact is that modern selectively bred layers, ie, most hatchery stock, is indeed overly susceptible to this. The hatchery bird that lays so dog gone early, and lays so very heavily is just going to face ovarian issues. The heritage bird of years ago, upon which these modern birds are based, seldom laid more than 240 eggs per year.

The typical hatchery stock can now lay almost 300 eggs per year. They've been pushed and pushed, genetically. The hatcheries inadvertently ARE selectively breeding, by using the eggs of top layers. Do this over 40 years? Ta Da!!! We've birds laying crazy numbers of eggs. But at what cost to the reproductive system?

Losing hens to this is wearisome and gets to you after awhile. I've personally begun the slow process to birds with better genetics.

It surely does, Fred. I've had much, much better luck with my breeder quality birds.