Eglu Go Up (with 2m run) - South Wales

[sandyhas3chucks]

why are mine almost all laying meat/lashes .. well actually NOT laying them is the real problem , they get stuck and need removing or it is terminal..

I seems to be one after the other...

All ex bats all different releases.

Actually one was a posh girl I rehomed..

No 2!!!

Hole in the neck hen some of you may remember was an over layer then went on to lay(well not) meat..

although it was NOT the reason for her death she had tumour in the intestine.

however I have since had 5 and have one struggling now and my expert at removing them vet is away

there must be a reason.

surely not just bad luck/coincidence???

Edited December 20, 2011 by Guest

[Plum]

That's rough

My theory is-

Could they have had IB among them at one time which messes up the laying tackle and can cause constrictions and shell less eggs etc., which means they are retained and reabsorbed then appear as meaty blobs I've heard lashes described as the lining of the track coming away but I reckon they are reabsorbed eggs.

 

One of mine has softies and lashes but other chooks help her lay them but a relief to me if a bit dodgy. Not had any for a few months due to winter etc.,

[Egluntyne]

I expect it is because they are now getting on a bit. This is why the farmers replace their stock regularly, and unfortunately the ginger hens mostly chosen for their laying ability, do seem to develop problems pretty early on in my experience. They are bred to churn out eggs and not have a long life.

 

Could the suprelorin implants be implicated do you think?

[sandyhas3chucks]

edited to tidy post and add

The vets all seem to think they are quote "eggs gone wrong". this is something they all do seem to agree on.Infectious Bronchitis is one idea floated as a reason?? My vet is looking to see if there is a test for this at my request. (would really like to know

Another Vet thinks as Egluntine suggests that they are just knackered old birds with worn out tackle.

For me the question is why do so many of mine seem to succumb, not read any one else having had so many.. though I did have 11 girls at one point in the summer...

 

None of mine have had Superloin . Seems once they start most likelihood is to keep on unless action taken. Speying is too costly £700 ...

sorry typos on a phone

 

My girls that have and are surviving all have had Delvosterone injections..

I have learnt to the others cost that it needs to be redone earlier rather than later, BEFORE the eggs start reforming..

If not for the (for me) the horrid side effects of the implant, perhaps due to the longer lasting effect this may be a better option. but for now will stick with the Delvosterone.

As you may have realised I have yet another who had a massive meat lump stick for 10days.

I was worried sick all weekend but seems she passed it in the night (and ate the evidence (in cat carrier on own)

she is not out of the woods yet as there is another to be felt (apparently) further up and a lot smaller.

To my reckoning going by her sister there is a further 10 possible eggs/lashes and a month to clear before I can really breath freely..

but they ate all differnt.

My vet would like me to tell you he gave a calcium injection and steroid. and she had metacam daily.

we have repeated the calcium, but not the steroid.

She is soooooooo much brighter than all last week..

fingers crossed

Edited December 19, 2011 by Guest

[Plum]

hic

[The Dogmother]

Not at all sure what you're on about here Sandy, but my money's on the knackered hen syndrome'; heavy layers aren't without their problems and rarely last (in health) beyond 2 years.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Just briefly..

over 50% of my girls start laying meat/lashes, all needing physical removal at the vets sometimes 3 times a week.

Sometimes requiring antibiotic treatment.

Resulting in death if nothing is done to prevent eggs dropping from the Ovaries.

of varying ages........................

[Redwing]

If you are wondering why its specifically yours then I'd be looking at the following:

 

a) are you keeping them alive beyond the point where others would have called it a day?

b) diet - are you feeding them anything different or a diet lacking in something?

c) over medication?

[sandyhas3chucks]

well as they are basically ex bats then all are beyond what some might call their life span.

I have 2 that have been released 3 years.

someone I know has one 4 and half years.

Although I am well aware that is not the norm.. some do not make it to their first henniversary..

the very first flesh layer died of an intestinal tumour, the vet reckoned he could have carried on removing the lumps... course now there are solutions the egg laying....

 

what foods might do this?

I am not feeding anything different to that others seem to feed. good quality allen and page mash (for any layers)

More recently Garvo mix..

the usual "normal treats"...

 

Medication... apart from Oregostim in the water and Calcium for any thin shelled layer...

I ONLY medicate under vets instruction, and happily both are against treatment for treatments sake, and the antibiotics would FOLLOW the meat laying.. and only for infection.. they haven't all needed it.

hmmmm?????

I have had several bouts of the dreaded brachyaspira ( tested..) and the inevitable deneguard treatment?????

but I know others have had this I wonder if they have had lash problems?????????????

hmmmm

 

 

Vet still on the learning curve and routinely PM's the girls.

[The Dogmother]

Sorry Sandy, I'm at a loss here too; I've never heard of hens in one flock having so many problems.

[Egluntyne]

Maybe it is the Delvosterone injections. After all these are not licensed for use in poultry in the UK, therefore testing on them will not have been done and it is all a bit of a leap in the dark.

[Plum]

Good to hear your current one has picked up for present but I do think it's probably what Redwing says that you go to lengths that others wouldn't do.

They survive longer and die of knackered laying tackle. With anyone else they may have called it a day with the brachy or similar though not having a name for the condition.

I mentioned IB but does laying tackle give up after other infections?

 

Both of my original gingernut hybrids have/had laying problems so that's 100% and Egluntyne has had a lot of problems with hers, perhaps it's just a trait of ginger hybrids bred to perform but just for a short time.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Yes i think you probably all right. Wil see if there is a test just for want of morr knowledge as wont change anything. Having kind vets that do not charge arm and leg that are also keen to ecplore the unknown also makes a differnce. Girl still looking good.Time will tell. X

[Egghead68]

Sandy - sorry you are having so many problems. Just to answer your question about the brachyspira, no it didn't lead to lashes in mine (just pale eggs). Re superlorin: after the initial heavy moult mine have not had noticeable side-effects. It might be worth a try.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Maybe it is the Delvosterone injections. After all these are not licensed for use in poultry in the UK, therefore testing on them will not have been done and it is all a bit of a leap in the dark.

ahhh

Am happy to be able to tell you that the Delvosterone has worked extremely well for mine...

The important thing has been, in 2 instances of 1, not getting it redone soon enough (at the FIRST SIGN if not before)

and in the 2nd one leaving it too long before doing the 1st one..

The Superlorin Implant is also in the same unlicensed bracket...

as you say a leap in the dark...

I would prefer to have NOT had so much experience of these darn meat lumps, But I certainly have 2 very definite successes..

one was extremly successful but I did not redoe nearly soon enough

 

Also

One I think I got soon enough and seems good. (but cannot report for sure yet...Although some might think 8 weeks is )

This last one is definately too soon.

 

It takes 3/4 days to kick in...

therefore at least 3/4 days worth of follicles/ deformed/malformed/egg/meat/lashes to drop through the oviduct and come out..

This it seems can take 4 weeks.... ( has been the case in 2.. one ginger non ex bat, and one ex bat)

Which incidently is how long it took for the antiboitic (Amoxylliin) to clear her system.

If I hadn't been poorly myself at the time I would have posted and shown a photo of shocking proportions, at the time..

 

It would also seem to me that the longer no action is taken then the higher the chance that the hen cannot push them out on their own and they get stuck and decompose in the oviduct poisoning the hen...

 

Prevention would be the best, but if this is, in lots, inevitable then I guess go for the cure.

Will keep you posted

[Egghead68]

Good luck - fingers crossed.

[Rosey Supposey]

Two of our now departed ex-batts went through phases of laying enormous lashes after being with us a year or so. They were so huge they strained to get them out. One came out like a huge fat chain of sausages across the Eglu nest.

 

When I dissected all of them (the lashes not the hens!), they did look like eggs gone wrong. No matter how big they were, or what shape, there was always what appeared to be an egg at the centre. Whenever a lash got stuck half in half out we'd remove it ourselves using KY jelly and a lot of slow careful handling.

 

One of the hens was eventually put to sleep due to her egg tackle being badly bunged up, the other stopped laying lashes after having the Suprelorin implant. So my vote goes jointly to both knackered hen and wonky egg syndromes!