Unthrifty hen, now with egg laying probs

[JacquelineTheHen]

Hi all. My favorite 2 year old Amber-White hen has probs and I can't figure it out. The other 6 hens don't seem to be having this problem though one 2 year old gold sexlink lays eggs in separate parts and has for most of her life and may have some thinning feathers on her underside too. (I think she's got a genetic prob with her oviduct, but she keeps on ticking. Just leaves a mess). I'll list the problems I've noticed as well as the things I've done in hopes of getting Jacqueline healthy.
Probs include: looking disheveled for quite some time, months; Feather loss on adbomen and some thinning of feathers in other spots, including up on neck; ragged feathers; decline in egg quality over months: from healthy eggs to thin shells, to breaking, to one soft shell and now just a soft wet shell under the roost this morning (no yolk). So far, Jacqueline remains the same, upbeat, free ranging hen with the others. Behavior seems normal and has a red comb. Poop has been normal but with some undigested grass parts. She roosts with the others in a coop that is cleaned up daily and sits up a the far end with an older, higher on the pecking order, brown leghorn. Normal jostling but they all settle in just fine.
I've looked for mites and lice and have not seen any on the birds or in the coop, but I know roost mites like to hide. Surely I'd have seen ONE by now. I've treated the coop and Jacqueline with Elector PSP in case I was missing something yesterday. I treat with praziquantel for diagnosed tapeworm every six months, and even sent in a fecal sample a few weeks ago (after the final treatment) to make sure the tapes were gone. Came back clear aside from one oocyst of cocci.
She doesn't seem to be picked on too much and has no injuries. The flock gets out to free range at about 10 am. I'm guessing the eat less of the Layena feed because they free range, but the other hens are not having the same probs as Jackie. They have access to fresh water and I recently began adding vitamin/electrolytes b/c of her weight loss/digestion probs. The local vets are kind but have yet to tell me things I don't already know. Unfortunately, I can't spend hundreds on visits, tests, etc.

My hope is that it's roost mites that I've not identified, and that mostly pick on her...but I know that's probably not realistic. She is a hybrid that I purchased from a feed store, so probably not the best genes, but she's got the best personality. Any thoughts on what the heck I could be missing?
Thanks all.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

2 year old Amber-White hen has probs and I can't figure it out. The other 6 hens don't seem to be having this problem though one 2 year old gold sexlink lays eggs in separate parts and has for most of her life and may have some thinning feathers on her underside too. (I think she's got a genetic prob with her oviduct, but she keeps on ticking. Just leaves a mess). I'll list the problems I've noticed as well as the things I've done in hopes of getting Jacqueline healthy.

looking disheveled for quite some time, months; Feather loss on adbomen and some thinning of feathers in other spots, including up on neck; ragged feathers; decline in egg quality over months: from healthy eggs to thin shells, to breaking, to one soft shell and now just a soft wet shell under the roost this morning (no yolk).

I recently began adding vitamin/electrolytes b/c of her weight loss/digestion probs.

My hope is that it's roost mites that I've not identified

Can you post some photos of her, the eggs and her poop?
Who is disheveled, the Leghorn or the Sexlink?
Do you provide oyster shell free choice?
You digestion problems - what does that mean - crop not empty in the morning...?
Do you have a rooster?
Feel her abdomen, does she have any bloat/swelling or feeling of fluid? Have you ever had illness in the flock, especially respiratory symptoms?
Where are you located in the world - state/country?

From your description, it sounds like she is having reproductive problems, but it's hard to know the cause. Watch to see if she is eating well, check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks. You have treated with the Elector so if she has mites/lice that should take care of those for a while.
Do you notice any discharge from the vent at all?

 

[dawg53]

You can always go out to the coop at night with a flashlight and check for mites moving around on roosts, bedding and Jacqueline.

 

[JacquelineTheHen]

You can always go out to the coop at night with a flashlight and check for mites moving around on roosts, bedding and Jacqueline.

Hi dawg53. I have treated the coop, twice in few days, with Elector PSP. I'm pretty thorough and aimed the stream of spray into each and every crack and joint I could see. I also used poultry dust on the roosts just in case. I still plan to go wipe the roost at night just to see if there's something, but I'm doubtful. I poked around the cracks and crannies hoping to dig out at least ONE red mite so I'd have an explanation, but there are no bugs to be seen. Arrgh!

 

[JacquelineTheHen]

Can you post some photos of her, the eggs and her poop?
Who is disheveled, the Leghorn or the Sexlink?
Do you provide oyster shell free choice?
You digestion problems - what does that mean - crop not empty in the morning...?
Do you have a rooster?
Feel her abdomen, does she have any bloat/swelling or feeling of fluid? Have you ever had illness in the flock, especially respiratory symptoms?
Where are you located in the world - state/country?

From your description, it sounds like she is having reproductive problems, but it's hard to know the cause. Watch to see if she is eating well, check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks. You have treated with the Elector so if she has mites/lice that should take care of those for a while.
Do you notice any discharge from the vent at all?

Hi there. I'm on the Olympic Peninsula of WA state. We are in the forest, so no direct winter sun and things stay pretty damp all winter. I have mulch in their fenced yard so that they are not standing in mud/muck. It works, but the ground stays wet all winter. Not ideal, I know. I will try to get pics tomorrow. No rooster. No bloat or heat on abdomen. By "digestion probs" I meant she's thin so she musn't be getting the nutrients needed and I see undigested grass in her poop. I've never had respiratory probs with the flock that I know of. I don't think I've had illness, though we've had to cull a few over the last two years (age related; ascites; sick/not taking water or food). I also treated for tapeworm recently, and Jackie's fecal sample came back tape-less and I'm not seeing the wiggly segments in their poop now. Not seeing discharge from her vent. This eve, when they all went to roost, she "laid" egg yolk. Not sure if there was a crumpled "skin" (shell) there too. She seemed a little stand-offish late this afternoon after free ranging all day and I'm sure now that's why. Her poop is normal looking under her roost in the a.m. when I scrape. I'll double check her crop, but I think its acting normally. It was full this eve so I'll check in the a.m. And I scrambled an egg for her today for a protein boost and she practically licked the plate clean. She eats well and has an appetite. She does get bullied a bit if there's a line at the treadle feeder in the a.m., and she'll walk away. I do see her eating though. The flock is out most of the day free ranging and doesn't make it back often to the feeder, so I put some out in the yard for them to visit, which they do but not a ton. Yes, the oyster shell is free choice and the other hens (aside from the gold sexlink who lays her eggs in separate parts and has almost from the get-go) lay strong shelled, normal eggs. The 2 older leghorns have beautiful feathers and look great, as does a recently molted Black sexlink. The other amber-white, the gold sexlink and Jacqueline (amber-white) look like their feathers are brittle and raggedy and just plain bad. Again, I'll get a pic. After closer inspection yesterday, these three are all missing some belly feathers, and I can feel pin feathers attempting to make their way out. Thank you so much for your replies!

 

[JacquelineTheHen]

I just went out to wipe the bottom of the roost where Jackie sleeps and nothing. I did not see evidence of mites, but did find several black ants curled up dead in the corner and picked up a few to get a better look. I didn't linger too long so I'll check again in the morn. I've never even seen an ant in or on the coop til this. I read that they will go after fresh food bits and broken eggs in a coop (fitting as there is a broken egg tonight). But ants bite. I think I might be wishful(?) thinking that they could have been chomping away at my hens and this has caused the disheveled feathers (pic tomorrow), feather loss, stress? Doesn't make sense with the other hens' eggs being fine though they area also missing feathers where their bodies are in close contact with the roosts. Thoughts? Maybe Jackie just has the spot on the roost where ants hit the hardest? A pic isn't probably necessary, but:

 

[dawg53]

It's the residual effect of the Elector PSP that killed the ants. Spinosad kills a wide variety of insects including ants.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

This eve, when they all went to roost, she "laid" egg yolk. Not sure if there was a crumpled "skin" (shell) there too. She seemed a little stand-offish late this afternoon after free ranging all day and I'm sure now that's why.

Consistently laying an egg yolk when roosting, I would take a guess she is having a reproductive problem. Could be she has a shell gland defect and/or she is developing some internal laying, has an infection or similar. It can be very hard to know the exact cause when things start going wrong.

If she were mine, I would give her extra calcium for 1 week and direct dose her with poultry vitamins for 3-4 days to see if that makes a difference. Give her 1/2 tablet of Calctrate (with vitamin D3). Poultry vitamins, I like Poultry Cell, but you can use whatever you have - I would look for one that has B vitamins.

 

[JacquelineTheHen]

Consistently laying an egg yolk when roosting, I would take a guess she is having a reproductive problem. Could be she has a shell gland defect and/or she is developing some internal laying, has an infection or similar. It can be very hard to know the exact cause when things start going wrong.

If she were mine, I would give her extra calcium for 1 week and direct dose her with poultry vitamins for 3-4 days to see if that makes a difference. Give her 1/2 tablet of Calctrate (with vitamin D3). Poultry vitamins, I like Poultry Cell, but you can use whatever you have - I would look for one that has B vitamins.

Ok, thanks Wyorp. Both waterers have vitamins and electrolytes (plus probiotics) in them and I'm changing out those every other day. I also have Nutridrench that I can attempt. Would you switch the flocks feed to grower for a stint since there are feather probs? 5 are laying normally though, despite some feather loss. Thanks again. It's great to have people to talk to about it!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok, thanks Wyorp. Both waterers have vitamins and electrolytes (plus probiotics) in them and I'm changing out those every other day. I also have Nutridrench that I can attempt. Would you switch the flocks feed to grower for a stint since there are feather probs? 5 are laying normally though, despite some feather loss. Thanks again. It's great to have people to talk to about it!

Do you have photos of the hens so we can see the feathers?
Did those that have ragged feathers go through a molt?
Usually damage can't be fixed until molting, but the hens may benefit from extra protein. Look at the protein content of the grower, actually some of those are lower than layer feed. I use a 20% all flock feed, but an 18% layer feed is probably fine.