The Pita Pinta Asturiana

[PetRock]

My farm friend got the lab report back from Davis for the other Pita Pinta hen that I found dead in the nest box. I haven't seen the report yet but this is what Jenny emailed to me this morning:

1-Yes Lg cystic,persistant Right oviduct....10cm fluid filled
2-Salpingitis/yolk peritonitis...inflation due to the yolk
Secondary bacterial infection of the coelom cavity----cavity had moderate amount of dark orange,opaque,dense foul-smelling fluid...Coelomic swab growth showed...Gallibacterium anatis

So, all 3 hens had cystic right oviducts that were 10 cm in diameter. I wonder if the remaining 4 hens from my original flock also have the problem. We will be processing 2 F1 hens with crooked keels next week as well as a couple F2 pullets with defects. We are going to check out the oviducts and see if the right one is evident in each one.

 

[caychris]

Im reading up on Gallibacterium anatis now which is being researched now as one of the causes of yolk peritonitis

Little bit scary as its relation to yolk peritonitis has only recently begun serious study,

 

[PetRock]

Im reading up on Gallibacterium anatis now which is being researched now as one of the causes of yolk peritonitis

Little bit scary as its relation to yolk peritonitis has only recently begun serious study,

The 2 that we culled and sent in didn't have any bacterium listed in the report. The 1 that we found dead was the 1 with the bacterium.

 

[ronott1]

My farm friend got the lab report back from Davis for the other Pita Pinta hen that I found dead in the nest box. I haven't seen the report yet but this is what Jenny emailed to me this morning:

1-Yes Lg cystic,persistant Right oviduct....10cm fluid filled
2-Salpingitis/yolk peritonitis...inflation due to the yolk
Secondary bacterial infection of the coelom cavity----cavity had moderate amount of dark orange,opaque,dense foul-smelling fluid...Coelomic swab growth showed...Gallibacterium anatis

So, all 3 hens had cystic right oviducts that were 10 cm in diameter. I wonder if the remaining 4 hens from my original flock also have the problem. We will be processing 2 F1 hens with crooked keels next week as well as a couple F2 pullets with defects. We are going to check out the oviducts and see if the right one is evident in each one.

Thanks for the update!

The older hens That I hatched still seem fine. I have not processed any of them. One did die but the owner did not send her to UCD.

 

[PetRock]

Thanks for the update!

The older hens That I hatched still seem fine. I have not processed any of them. One did die but the owner did not send her to UCD.

That's good to hear, Ron. One good report that I have is that, so far, none of the chicks hatched this year have white legs! I will be interested to see about the crooked keels when we process the extra boys next week. I have one young cockerel that is in the grow out/kill pen that I think that I am going to keep. He is the biggest one in there and is already bigger than Don Juan. He does not have as much white as Don Juan but I am going to go with size & conformation over coloring at this point.

 

[ronott1]

That's good to hear, Ron. One good report that I have is that, so far, none of the chicks hatched this year have white legs! I will be interested to see about the crooked keels when we process the extra boys next week. I have one young cockerel that is in the grow out/kill pen that I think that I am going to keep. He is the biggest one in there and is already bigger than Don Juan. He does not have as much white as Don Juan but I am going to go with size & conformation over coloring at this point.

I have not hatched that many this year but I have not had white legs yet either. I have been feeling the keels and they feel straight too.

I have 6 eggs incubating now. I finally have fertility up to nearly 100%. It is hard for me since I cannot have roosters in the yard.

 

[PetRock]

I have not hatched that many this year but I have not had white legs yet either. I have been feeling the keels and they feel straight too.

I have 6 eggs incubating now. I finally have fertility up to nearly 100%. It is hard for me since I cannot have roosters in the yard.

I now know why fertility and egg production was down in the pen with Don Juan and the original hens. I was hoping that it was just mites. Mites I can do something about but this cystic oviduct and peritonitis issue has me concerned about my breeding program. I've hatched lots of chicks from those hens and I assume that I won't know that there is a problem until they are older.

Some days, I would just like a break from all things chicken. This morning, the majority of my backyard flock decided to start squawking at 5:30. It woke me up since the main coop is outside my bedroom window. I went out right away and let them out without the usual wet mash and grains that I give them in the morning. They all milled around and looked at me like I had messed up. I am looking forward to the days becoming shorter!

 

[ronott1]

I now know why fertility and egg production was down in the pen with Don Juan and the original hens. I was hoping that it was just mites. Mites I can do something about but this cystic oviduct and peritonitis issue has me concerned about my breeding program. I've hatched lots of chicks from those hens and I assume that I won't know that there is a problem until they are older.

Some days, I would just like a break from all things chicken. This morning, the majority of my backyard flock decided to start squawking at 5:30. It woke me up since the main coop is outside my bedroom window. I went out right away and let them out without the usual wet mash and grains that I give them in the morning. They all milled around and looked at me like I had messed up. I am looking forward to the days becoming shorter!

I get up at 5am on week days. On week ends I sleep clear to 6am!

One thing that helps is downsizing--and setting up auto water and feed systems. Then you can go away for several days at least. Longer if you get a chicken sitter to collect the eggs.

 

[PetRock]

Well, the list of defects grew again. We processed our extra cockerels this past Saturday. I was so disappointed to find out that the largest cockerel had feathers on his legs. There were not a lot of them but they were very obvious. 2 or 3 other ones had a few. None of the birds hatched last year had them. We also found a few crooked keels but not as many as the last time we processed and some with strange backs. We did process one pullet who had a neck problem. We were happy to find out that she only had her left oviduct that would soon have been functioning. We processed some free ranging mix cockerels, 1 older Langshan hen, and a couple 1 yr old Langshan cocks. 33 birds were processed but 3 of them were Chris's culls. Our birds averaged 3.5 lb but 2 of those were the big Langshan.

 

[ronott1]

Well, the list of defects grew again. We processed our extra cockerels this past Saturday. I was so disappointed to find out that the largest cockerel had feathers on his legs. There were not a lot of them but they were very obvious. 2 or 3 other ones had a few. None of the birds hatched last year had them. We also found a few crooked keels but not as many as the last time we processed and some with strange backs. We did process one pullet who had a neck problem. We were happy to find out that she only had her left oviduct that would soon have been functioning. We processed some free ranging mix cockerels, 1 older Langshan hen, and a couple 1 yr old Langshan cocks. 33 birds were processed but 3 of them were Chris's culls. Our birds averaged 3.5 lb but 2 of those were the big Langshan.

Feathers on legs is not a defect--it is something that happens with a lot of breeds. It has been a secret of a lot of breeders of show quality RIR apparently, they are plucked out by the breeder prior to the show.

One of the base breeds must have been a feathered leg breed and the genes have shown up. I will keep an eye on mine to see if any have feathers. None so far!

Congratulations on getting so many nice chicken dinners!

I have 6 Pita Pintas in the hatcher today. I hope they all hatch!