Poorly chicken

[Alis girls]

I had to despatch a hen some months back who had peritonitis. She was a year old. Another hen also got at same time seems to be going same way. In past I have taken them to the vet only to be told there is no hope. I am giving some live yogurt . Her bum is clean and no prolapse. She's been wormed, has good quality food, clean water and added vitamins. I am disillusioned . I have one other 6 yr old who doesn't lay and sees all her mates come and go. I am fed up with this problem. Lost so many girls with it. Help

[Olly]

Sorry Ali - I don't think you are doing anything wrong, it think this is just the way it is with hybrid hens in particular. There is little the vet can do, and you're doing all you can but they are not long lived birds unfortunately.

[mullethunter]

What Olly said really. I've never read anything that suggests peritonitis is something that can be either caused or avoided by husbandry.

 

I'm sorry you're having a rubbish time of it

[Alis girls]

Thanks Olly - but why the same problem with every hen? Is there any reason. Maggie my old girl who is a bog standard got from local farm keeps plodding on. If they still did hens I 'd go back there as shes gone on and on. Has anyone else lost young girlies?

[Alis girls]

Thanks MH our relies crossed. I love keeping chickens but my heart sinks when I see the signs. OH was adding up the amount of hens lost - 1 and a half a year I was not impressed and reminded him that I treat them all the same so why is Maggie still going strong? I would love to branch into fancy types with different coloured eggs - but whats the point if they keep getting ill? Sorry just fed up - given her some more yoghurt - shes not impressed.

[Dolly]

Sorry to hear about your girl. I've lost girls young and old, both hybrid and pure breed to peritonitis, there really doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. I was particularly upset when I lost Grace, my beautiful Barnevelder to peritonitis at only 2 years old, I bought a pure breed thinking they would be longer lived but I guess I was just unlucky. I still miss her, she was a gentle beauty.

[Alis girls]

Thanks for the reassurance. Poor Maggie will be alone again probably. I won't restock till after our holiday as ES is looking after them and I don't want him having extra stress. Hey ho onwards and upwards.

[gavclojak]

It's so bleak isn't it! I only have ex commercial girls so sadly for them it is part and parcel.

The ladies I choose to have are both a blessing and a curse.... It's never easy is it but it's nothing more than pure bad luck.

[Lewis]

Sorry to hear it, as Olly says, sadly that is often the way hybrid hens go.

They are bred to lay lots of eggs in a short amount of time (a few years) and then they expire, often due to laying problems. Peritonitis is caused when yolks are laid in the abdomen faster than they can be absorbed so there is a build up of fluid causing pressure.

 

Pure breeds will lay the same amount of eggs over a longer period so if you are looking for different coloured eggs, they may be a good idea; I'd go for Cream Legbar, Welsummer and Sussex for a nice mix of eggs.

 

One thing I'd say is avoid yoghurt as chickens can't digest it and can cause squits or crop problems.

[sjp]

one question were they all the same breed of hybrid as that might be the main reason as it could be down to poor genetics in the breed stock which for a commercial bird with a working life of about 76 weeks wouldn't be a problem but for a garden hen then it is

[Alis girls]

No they were different - had fancy names given by supplier - but looked like Rhodes Island red type and the other some sort of Sussex. When they give them fancy names as an amateur you arent sure what you are getting. Am i right in thinking are very hardy?

[Alis girls]

Actually SJP looking at your question again I havent a clue. I went on the description being hardy etc, sadly they werent. I have always gone for hybrids might look elsewhere. it could be a problem in supplier poss?? Who knows?

[sjp]

Actually SJP looking at your question again I havent a clue. I went on the description being hardy etc, sadly they werent. I have always gone for hybrids might look elsewhere. it could be a problem in supplier poss?? Who knows?

not so much the end supplier but the primary breeder which sadly is more or less impossible to find out the standard brown hybrid has to many different names for a start and at least 6 or from they same multi national corporation and if the internet is to be believed are now breed from the same breeding stock after all the parent flocks were merged

the light Sussex hybrid dose get described as utility in to many places when it's debatable that it is a utility bird. I personally think describing a 'Warren' type hybrid as hardy is pushing it a bit

[Alis girls]

Thanks - I dont know what to do. Sadly the supplier of Maggie my 6 yr old is no longer supplying. Years ago were all I can remember as a girl. I do like having the eggs but I want happy hens who are healthy too. I have said I might do ex batts when retired - I just dont have time to give sick birds - its not fair on them. I would expect health issues with ex batts. I am going to try somewhere else not that I think its supplier - their set up has excellent write ups. I know people have used them on here.

[sjp]

Thanks - I dont know what to do. Sadly the supplier of Maggie my 6 yr old is no longer supplying. Years ago were all I can remember as a girl. I do like having the eggs but I want happy hens who are healthy too. I have said I might do ex batts when retired - I just dont have time to give sick birds - its not fair on them. I would expect health issues with ex batts. I am going to try somewhere else not that I think its supplier - their set up has excellent write ups. I know people have used them on here.

if you go to a different supplier there's every chance that the hybrids can from the same parent/breeding stock have you given any thought to trying a couple of the other hybrids like the speckledy , the bluebelle or the silver Sussex based hybrids

[Alis girls]

Yes will look into that SJP. Thanks

[Alis girls]

Prudie was booked for chicken vet on Monday but died last night. Kept her hydrated and comfy but sadly she was too poorly. RIP. Now back to 6 year old hen home alone. Poor Maggie she outlives every single hen. Out of interest how many of you with garden hens cull non laying ladies. Several hen owners think I am bonkers keeping her.

[sjp]

girls stay as long as they want as do the stud cockerels the rest get harvested at about 26 weeks I've got 2 girls that are 5 - 6 years old still lay a few eggs in the summer this year the gold legbar as out do herself and is still laying a couple of eggs a week

I know some one who gets pols in the spring and only keeps them over winter if their still laying otherwise they go to the auctions

[Lewis]

I personally think describing a 'Warren' type hybrid as hardy is pushing it a bit

See I would say hybrids are much hardier than pure breeds! Cheap, productive, lay lots of eggs all year round, good immune system so generally don't get ill ...until they expire due to egg problems.

 

I find White Stars don't last as long as other hybrids we've had, they lay so many large white eggs that they often have problems. Ex Batts are just older hybrids so will encounter same problems, quicker.

 

 

Old girls stay here for retirement and become garden ornaments. I don't have a problem culling cockerels, meat and ill birds but our laying flock are pets more than anything.

[ISCA]

I find White Stars don't last as long as other hybrids we've had, they lay so many large white eggs that they often have problems.

Agree. Out two White Stars were lovely, really friendly, if somewhat manic. They laid almost every day but died at 12 and 18 months through sheer exhaustion I think.