Wyandotte opinions

[fatcatx]

I am hoping to get some seasoned Wyandotte owners opinion on their laying ability. We have a GL wyandotte that laid for 2seasons, geared up very late this spring, laid 2 eggs and then stopped completely. I had planned on getting more laced varieties since they are so pretty to look at but having second thoughts. Is it common for them to completely stop so young? (2half).
Breed reviews say they are decent layers but maybe they were referring to the whites and buffs.

I was hoping to get an egg or two per week until she was at least 3.

 

[lazy gardener]

A quick search of Murray McMurray, rated Wyandottes as "better" for production.Henderson's chicken breeds chart rates them as average.

I have had SLW in the past, and rated them as so-so. Not the best, but liked them enough to get some more. I like their behavior, Find that they fit into the flock well. This spring, I ordered SLW and CW. I am especially impressed with looks and size of CW. When crossed with my roos, they will produce sex linked chicks with walnut combs.

 

[rebrascora]

It is pretty unusual for a hen to stop laying altogether in her second year and I would be suspicious that she might be internal laying, which is sadly a common problem in hens. I do not have Wyandottes myself, but I'm sure other owners will tell you that that this is unusual too. I would check her abdomen for any unusual swelling. Has her comb been red like your other hens or pale. If it is or has been nice and red, that tells you that she is ovulating. Unfortunately with internal laying, the hen releases eggs in the form of egg yolks from the ovary but they fail to travel into the oviduct and instead fall into the abdominal cavity, from which there is no escape. Over time, the mass of egg yolks builds up and forms a bulge between her legs and below her vent. It puts pressure on the internal organs like the heart and lungs and gut, often causing a constriction which means that poop becomes less well formed and butt feathers start to get soiled. Sometimes the fluid leaches out of the egg yolks and settles to the bottom of the bulge (ascites or water belly) and can be drained off with a needle, but short of major and quite risky surgery, the solidified yolks remain and eventually cause organ failure or an infection sets in (egg yolk peritonitis).
I hope your girl just ran out of eggs exceptionally early because internal laying will eventually become fatal, unless expensive hormonal implants are used to prevent ovulation.

Please report back if you get the chance to give her a thorough examination and compare to another hen of similar size. Internal layers often end up walking with a wide stance and sometimes quite upright like a penguin. They also feel unusually heavy when you pick them up.

Regards

Barbara

 

[fatcatx]

It is pretty unusual for a hen to stop laying altogether in her second year and I would be suspicious that she might be internal laying, which is sadly a common problem in hens. I do not have Wyandottes myself, but I'm sure other owners will tell you that that this is unusual too. I would check her abdomen for any unusual swelling. Has her comb been red like your other hens or pale. If it is or has been nice and red, that tells you that she is ovulating. Unfortunately with internal laying, the hen releases eggs in the form of egg yolks from the ovary but they fail to travel into the oviduct and instead fall into the abdominal cavity, from which there is no escape. Over time, the mass of egg yolks builds up and forms a bulge between her legs and below her vent. It puts pressure on the internal organs like the heart and lungs and gut, often causing a constriction which means that poop becomes less well formed and butt feathers start to get soiled. Sometimes the fluid leaches out of the egg yolks and settles to the bottom of the bulge (ascites or water belly) and can be drained off with a needle, but short of major and quite risky surgery, the solidified yolks remain and eventually cause organ failure or an infection sets in (egg yolk peritonitis).
I hope your girl just ran out of eggs exceptionally early because internal laying will eventually become fatal, unless expensive hormonal implants are used to prevent ovulation.

Please report back if you get the chance to give her a thorough examination and compare to another hen of similar size. Internal layers often end up walking with a wide stance and sometimes quite upright like a penguin. They also feel unusually heavy when you pick them up.

Regards

Barbara

!!!!!!!!
Would you believe that after reading a dozen chicken books and spending more time on BYC then I'd like to admit that this is the first time I've heard of internal laying? :-/

I went out and examined her. I could not feel an excessive weight or swelling in her belly. Keel bone easily found. She has had runny poops for a while but I had attributed that to a feed change. Her comb is similar to the other girls (not bright red but not small and shriveled like you see in winter.)
How long would it be until it was obvious she is laying internally? Her last egg was around mid-May so it has been almost 3 months.

 

[fatcatx]

A quick search of Murray McMurray, rated Wyandottes as "better" for production.Henderson's chicken breeds chart rates them as average.

I have had SLW in the past, and rated them as so-so. Not the best, but liked them enough to get some more. I like their behavior, Find that they fit into the flock well. This spring, I ordered SLW and CW. I am especially impressed with looks and size of CW. When crossed with my roos, they will produce sex linked chicks with walnut combs.

This is our first W but I like their personality too. Are you crossing with a RIR?

 

[chickenlickin8]

Some breeds that are considered average to good layers will have interruptions in laying from time to time more than excellent layers. Plus the older they get the less predictable they are. I have a Blue Ameraucana that is a year old this month and she stopped laying about 6 weeks ago. I notice she has been molting which does effect laying. We are also in FL and it's very hot now as well. Other than that she is healthy. Once she molts and it gets a little cooler she will start laying again.

The rest of my flock is laying daily but they are a few months younger. I had SLW that laid great for 2 yrs. Average 3 to 4 eggs a week and then 2 to 3 eggs a week. I rotate my flock every 2 yrs. I need the high egg production that young flocks offer.

Many things may cause an interruption in laying.....extreme heat of summer, extreme cold, illness, disease, molting, change in the flock dynamics, age of hen....etc. Any of these apply to your girl? Good luck.

 

[rebrascora]

Not sure why you haven't come across internal laying before now. I have probably posted on 7 or 8 threads in the past month about it and have lost two hens to it myself. It would be obvious by now if that was the problem.
When you say her keel bone is easily found, are you suggesting that she is underweight???.....skin and bone or just a little lean?
If she is not in "good condition" that can certainly cause her not to lay. Being underweight could be caused by worms, crop problems or possibly a tumour to name 3 off the top of my head.
You could have a faecal sample checked by the vets or a lab for worm eggs.
Cage her to monitor how much she is eating and how her crop is functioning. Should be full at night and empty in the morning before she has access to food. A partial impaction with fibrous material would slow down the rate food can pass through her system and therefore not ingest enough nutrients to keep her alive and produce eggs. You would probably feel a small squidgy mass in her crop if this is the case. Compare to another hen to get an idea of what is normal.
Obviously tumours and cancer speak for themselves. Hard to diagnose prior to death but would show up in a necropsy.

 

[rebrascora]

I agree that birds do stop laying for periods of time but if you have only had a handful of eggs from her since the start of the year and she is only 2, I would say that is not normal.

 

[fatcatx]

Her weight and crop feel fine. We've dealt with crop issues before with other birds and hers is working. So I guess I will move on to the possibility of a bad worm load. Normally worms are not a problem in our area.

Is there any problem with worming during a molt? Two of mine have started early.

 

[lazy gardener]

This is our first W but I like their personality too. Are you crossing with a RIR?

No. My primary roo is Jack the EE. He's my avatar. I have a Buck Eye cockerel who will be taking over next spring, if he is well mannered enough to leave in the flock. Buck Eyes also have that pea comb which is important to my breeding program. Jack is ageing out. While he's a good roo, he's getting sloppy in his breeding, and really doesn't care if he hits the bulls eye or not. My hens often come away from a breeding episode feeling totally let down!