Stressed out and want to give up

[OwO]

The amount of problems I've had this last 6 months with my chickens is so stressful. I had 4 elderly hens and 2 young hens, now 3 elderly hens and 2 young hens. One of them died to sour crop late last year, then another elderly one got a respiratory condition of some sort and is on constant medication for it, then another elderly one had an egg problem but recovered a few days later. Now about a month ago one of the young ones got egg yolk peritonitis or something similar, and the elderly one with the egg problem has it again.

The vets must think I am a terrible owner because I have been going pretty much every month. When I take this young bird in with EYP, she will be the 4th one they've seen in just over 6 months. I give them everything they need. They have constant layer feed, grit, oyster shell, etc. They aren't overfed treats at all and yet everything still goes wrong. I don't get why this keeps happening but it's just constant stress at this point.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm so sorry to hear this.

Chickens are not long-lived animals and are usually culled before age-related issues can crop up so if your hens have reached elderly status it's not uncommon for them to have problems.

What breeds are your younger ones? High-production layer breeds are known for developing problems after the first year or two since they're bred for maximum egg production until their first molt -- after which they are normally culled.

Could you show us photos of your setup just in case there's some kind of issue an experience person might spot?

The one thing I can think of is that you might switch from layer feed -- which is designed to meet the needs of commercially-kept layers under commercial conditions for the one year of their laying life at the lowest possible cost -- to a higher-protein all-flock type feed. Many people here at BYC find that works better for backyard hens who are kept longer than commercial birds.

Also, if the elderly hens are not laying heavily anymore layer feed has too much calcium to be good for them.

 

[OwO]

Hi thanks for the reply. My younger ones are light sussex or something similar, but both of them lay an egg a day pretty much, so I would say they are high production breeds. The same goes for my older hen who is having problems, she generally lays once a day and I believe is a black star/black sex link.

I'll be able to post a couple pictures a bit later. During the winter while they weren't laying I did switch to grower pellets which I have seen recommended on here, with supplemental oyster shell on the side. It was the first time I have done this, and they went straight back to layer pellets near the end of February. Definitely considering trying different food but I am worried about making such a big change and them not adapting well to it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hi thanks for the reply. My younger ones are light sussex or something similar, but both of them lay an egg a day pretty much, so I would say they are high production breeds. The same goes for my older hen who is having problems, she generally lays once a day and I believe is a black star/black sex link.

I'll be able to post a couple pictures a bit later. During the winter while they weren't laying I did switch to grower pellets which I have seen recommended on here, with supplemental oyster shell on the side. It was the first time I have done this, and they went straight back to layer pellets near the end of February. Definitely considering trying different food but I am worried about making such a big change and them not adapting well to it.

When changing feed you can ease them into it by mixing the two feeds together for a while.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

A healthy bird won't starve itself due to a change in feed - though it might turn its beak up for a day or two.

and a BSL is a commercial production layer - famed for reproductive problems in later years. They've not been selected for longevity, and they have been selected for a rate of lay (and onset of lay) that are, frankly, hard on a girl.

I know you say you don't offer too much treats, but most layers are already minimal nutrition mixes. What are you offering as treats, quantity, frequency?

(Not to blame the feed - but to eliminate it from causes of concern - you are rowing upstream against the weight of genetic selection with that older BSL, at least)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and the sussex, for what its worth, arew a heritage dual purpose breed which used to be used as table birds. If you are getting much more than an egg 3 days of 5 from them, that's unusual, and may sugggest your Sussex have been selected more with egg production than meat production in mind (which has happened with a LOT of the heritage DP birds). The good news is, they don't have the same genetic predispositions as the purpose built commercial egg layers like your BSL and RSL hybrids.

 

[OwO]

A healthy bird won't starve itself due to a change in feed - though it might turn its beak up for a day or two.

and a BSL is a commercial production layer - famed for reproductive problems in later years. They've not been selected for longevity, and they have been selected for a rate of lay (and onset of lay) that are, frankly, hard on a girl.

I know you say you don't offer too much treats, but most layers are already minimal nutrition mixes. What are you offering as treats, quantity, frequency?

(Not to blame the feed - but to eliminate it from causes of concern - you are rowing upstream against the weight of genetic selection with that older BSL, at least)

Thanks, yeah I was thinking similarly with my BSL. She still lays one big egg daily at around 7 years old, so I'm not surprised she's having issues

As for treats, they normally get an hour or two of free range a day, so I guess plenty of grass and bugs. I occasionally give them very small amounts of left over wet cat food and the occasional very small amount of broccoli etc because it's apparently good for their liver. I keep treats very very minimal. I used to feed them corn in the evenings but no longer do that.

 

[OwO]

and the sussex, for what its worth, arew a heritage dual purpose breed which used to be used as table birds. If you are getting much more than an egg 3 days of 5 from them, that's unusual, and may sugggest your Sussex have been selected more with egg production than meat production in mind (which has happened with a LOT of the heritage DP birds). The good news is, they don't have the same genetic predispositions as the purpose built commercial egg layers like your BSL and RSL hybrids.

Tbh I'm not entirely sure if they are Sussexes; they have the same markings and colouring but are a lot smaller than other Sussex I've owned, which tend to be broad and fluffy. Either way I'm gonna be taking the one with EYP to the vet and hopefully get her on a suprelorin implant

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thanks, yeah I was thinking similarly with my BSL. She still lays one big egg daily at around 7 years old, so I'm not surprised she's having issues

As for treats, they normally get an hour or two of free range a day, so I guess plenty of grass and bugs. I occasionally give them very small amounts of left over wet cat food and the occasional very small amount of broccoli etc because it's apparently good for their liver. I keep treats very very minimal. I used to feed them corn in the evenings but no longer do that.

then i think we can eliminate treats as a likely cause of concern.

Based on the currently available evidence, the rash of chicken issues is not facilitated by anything you are doing.

 

[Banana01]

Does their coop and range have good open areas for exercise? Sometimes I wonder if egg problems arent partially caused by lack of exercise. My hens get to fly around, chased by roosters, flap their wings, climb trees and fly down, sing a lot of hen songs, etc and never once seen egg or reproductive complications. And the respiratory illnesses I have eradicated from my flock by mainly deworming.

Sorry you feel stressed out, but all the problems you mentioned are not neceasarily related. Sour crop is usually treatable. Maybe stop going to the vet, and give your hens a good life. When they die, it is a good excuse to eat them. I do not kill hens and only eat them when they die, and I have not had one die for a very long time. But I often have felt the same way you do in the past, like giving up, but with a good mix of feed and hygiene, it gets easier. So thats why I say maybe more exercise, maybe more than 2 hours of range time a day.