Miss Millies Chicken Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I had Millie and Brunhilda implanted on 22nd March. They reacted to the implant differently. Both were quiet for a couple of days and only Brunhilda moulted. They stopped laying about a week after the implant. However this morning Millie is back to laying shell less eggs. So the implant lasted in her for only 6 weeks. I was hoping that it would have lasted a little longer. So I am trying to decide what to do next. Has anyone who's hen implant lasted only a few weeks have a second one done and did it last any longer or was it short lived again. The vet has suggested spaying but I am not sure about this. Any thoughts about this operation would be welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 did i read this on another forum too? if so that is the best place to get a lot of info on it. I have heard of somweone else only lasting 6 weeks, I wondered then if perhaps it was a bad batch? that might be worth looking into if you get a response from that person. averawe is 5 months though there is a year one now , which should last 9/10 months on a chook i reckon? I am wondering if the spring (we had a few weeks ago,) made them want to lay and their hormones take over??????? just thinking out loud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Millies Chicken Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 Yes I did post on the the ex batt forum. It appears that some hens who are implanted sometimes only last a few weeks. Brunhilda who was implanted at the same time as Millie is Ok and is showing no signs of wanting to lay. So I guess Millie is a little unlucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 There are only a few posts on here.. You might like to do a search for Suprelorin.. Pretty sure someone here has had it last only a few weeks. I still think it would be good if you all found out batch numbers. The there is one that is meant to last a year. On target species think to? W of year makes a difference.. I have been using delvosteron injections on my girls and they definitely all needed them sooner this spring than usual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I don't know your full story but it seems strange to me that 2 out of 5 chickens need implants? Can I ask what you're feeding them on (layer pellets/mash and brand), any extra treats/supplements? and have they been wormed with Flubenvet recently? I'd try and find the cause of the problem and solve it that way - I presume its soft shelled eggs and not peritonitis - rather than trying to treat with expensive implants to suppress hormones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 It does seem but not exclusively an ex batt problem.. For many of is eyp.. For me and some others it is due to malfunction of the egg laying system. Mine lay east/lashes and I have lost many in the past with these eventually getting stuck in the oviduct and going rotten/putrid inside the bird, causing sepsis and death one way or another... confirmed by post mortem ,,,,so not guessing.. The 2 largest rescues also use the implants . I It enables these girls to enjoy a happy egg free retirement often for several more years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Millies Chicken Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Millie is my omlet gingernut ranger and Brunhilda is an ex batt. Both are about 3 years old. They have flubenvet approx every 9 - 12 weeks. They have layer pellets adhoc currently the small holding ones but have used garvo and ex batt pellets in the past. They free range during the day and have mixed corn, corn on the cob and meal worms in the evening before going to bed. Supplements are calcivet 5 days a week, grit/oyster shell always available. Millie started laying and never really stopped 319 eggs in 2010 and 256 between Jan - Sep 2011. She then started to lay a few soft shell eggs but stopped laying altogether when she moulted in October. She came back into lay February again with soft shells which then became no shells with lashes. She started to have problems laying these lashes/eggs some were as large as small eggs. Brunhilda arrived 16th Feb 2011 and layed 252 eggs in 2011. But was increasingly was laying soft shell eggs which were getting stuck. The other hens are 1 ex batt, 1 hybrid and 1 wellsummer. There egg shell quality is good. Any advice/comments would be helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 You start to think you have done something wrong or that your flock has something weird.. Thank the lord for finding others with similar problems. Not that it helps touch at least we can compare notes treatments theories of outcomes etc and feel less alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 If it were me I would keep them on Smallholder layers pellets with no treats for a couple of weeks, and try to keep them in the run so you know they're eating pellets and no extras. They can still have grit as this is needed for digestion Worming is good and the Calcivet will help provide calcium so it may be that there is enough calcium in the diet but they aren't able to use it properly. Chickens need a calcium:phosphorous ratio of 2:1 so they may need more phosphorous in the diet to help absorb the available Ca. A good supplement to try and I've heard a lot of good reports with is *Egg Shell Improver* so I'd stop Calcivet and try Egg Shell Improver and see how she is in a few weeks. Worth a try rather than more implants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I would go for another implant or you might want to give delvosterome a try and know it only last 4-6 weeks. I have very sadly suffered the deaths of 3 because I failed to take action. I KNOW there are people whose chickens lay lashes and don't suffer any ill effects, however as you know they do often get stuck in the oviduct. They putrify in there and sepsis sets in resulting in death. I have seen this in the 3 post mortems.... There is no way a hen can survive with what looks like decomposing liver stuck where she cannot get it out, sometimes they get welded to the inside of then hen and surgical removal Cambridge to south coast, from what I can tell. 2 of the Main rescues have had excellant results from the implants. EYP has succesfully been treated by a few with some high doses of Noroclav or similar, however you still have to treat the cause. Many people have tried every available calcium supplement on the market and if the shell gland is cacked it wont make a jot of difference. It also will not prevent a foilical from missing the oviduct and dropping into the intestines causing EYP. The most important thing is to have the correct diagnosis from a good vet, and take it from there. Many would simply cull or have PTS. There is a 40 something page thread, with some excellant information on the other forum for anyone intersted in learning from others experience and various reasons for going down this route. Sadly this is humans fault... As with Pedigree dogs, Faults are bred in and many Hens have been bred to produce eggs and not for longevity, not as the pets they have become to many of us. Good luck Miss MC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I have a hen whose suprelorin implants have all lasted only 7-9 weeks. She is now on her fourth. Implants from the same batch in another hen are lasting twice as long. Her last implant was double-strength (lasts 1 year in dogs) so I'm hoping it will last at least 4 months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Millies Chicken Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Unfortunately Millie is not very well at the moment and has just gone off to the vets. After laying a shell less egg on Friday and two lashes Saturday night. One was the size of an egg and looked like it had scrambled eggs inside it. She was not eating so gave her Critical Care and Baytril. This morning she was very wobbly and unable to stand. As you can see from my previous post Millie was a bit of a laying machine 571 eggs over 21 months. So I tend to agree with Sandyhas3chucks. Knowing what I do now, I most likely wont go for Hybrids again and will stick with purebred and rescued batts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 If she is this bad and the implant has only lasted a few weeks I think you need to think about her quality of life and why you are treating her. She's had a good 3 years and I think with this kind of problem it will only keep happening again so are you extending her life or prolonging the inevitable? Not meaning to sound cruel, I appreciate they're pets but the strain on her body will be great and the treatment is quite drastic for it only to/could happen again in 6 weeks time. I understand what you are saying by not getting hybrids because of these problems but ExBatts are hybrids and even more prone to these things, if you are making the decision because of egg-related problems it maybe something to think about. Hope Millie is ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I'm with Lewis on this. Chickens make great pets but they are essentially farm animals, hybrids have been designed to lay their socks off with a lifespan of only three years or so on average though as we know many dont make it to that age I understand your wish to persevere but chickens arent designed for implants and it seems sad to put a bird through repeated veterinary treatment. Perhaps in future its worth considering pure breeds, they dont get as many complications with egg laying as they arent bred for an intensive life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I completely agree with Lewis and Redwing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Millies Chicken Posted May 8, 2012 Author Share Posted May 8, 2012 Thank you for your comments/advice. For some owners, hens have moved from the farmyard and into the back garden. They have become pets and as such treated the same as dogs, cats, hamsters, lizards etc. All animals whether pet or farm should have the best possible care according to the circumstances for which they are kept. That may mean culling or veterinary treatment as necessary. Death sooner or later is inevitable for all of us. But its the quality of life which is one of the most important factors in considering when treating animals. I was unable to find any research regarding the stress of implants on hens bodies, how long the implants would last or the long term effects. Instead, I have had to rely on anecdotal evidence and the advice of my vet. Millie and Brunhilda were a little quieter than usual for a couple of weeks after the implant but not any worse than when moulting. Both kept their places in the pecking order and Brunhilda is still top hen. The only downer is that Millie's only lasted 6 weeks. Brunhilda continues to be very well and healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted May 13, 2012 Share Posted May 13, 2012 How is Millie doing? I don't know of any research on the long-term effects either. However after 4 implants my hen still has a totally normal quality of life and is as full of beans as usual. The vet thinks she is in fine condition. She doesn't seem perturbed by the vet visits. I see no reason not to carry on as we are for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Millies Chicken Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 After a few days of antibiotics and not eating, Millie wasn't improving so I had the vet put her to sleep. She will be sorely missed as she introduced me to the art of chicken keeping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 so sorry.. you did your best .. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 So sorry - you gave her every chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Sorry to hear that RIP Millie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
