Chicken bald back

[Chickabee]

My white Star is well over a year old now. She's never really laid very well. Lots of shell less and soft shelled eggs. Interspersed with large normal eggs. I've tried everything shes fed fancy feed, wormed regularly and has free access to grit. Today she has passes 2 poops with blood filled membrane in them. She looks fine, but I think that's a White Star thing, due to their huge red head gear. Thing is what to do now. I can isolate her, but surely it will have already have been spread around. Any advice would be much appreciated

[Chickabee]

I've just looked at some poo pictures and it looks like it could be sloughing of the intestinal lining. It wasn't runny red blood. That would explain why she's not acting ill

[The Dogmother]

They often do that and it's nothing to worry about. If she is otherwise well, then you can ignore it.

 

If your husbandry is good and their run is kept dry, then it would be rare to get Cocci in an older hen.

[Beantree]

Agree with Dogmother. They only develop Cocci when older if their welfare is poor. Shed intestinal lining is most likely. Just keep on top of your worming programme as hair worms can induce a shed.

[Chickabee]

Thanks both of you they've just been wormed. Most of the run is dry all of the time. I think I just panicked because at first I thought it was blood. I think the egg thing is a result of over or maybe in-breeding.

[The Dogmother]

Are you worming them with Flubenvet?

[Chickabee]

Yes always

[Chickabee]

She died. She seemed ok after then sloughing. Eating and drinking normally, especially sunflower hearts. Then went down hill quickly her comb had a purple tinge. I was going to do the awful deed, but she died before I got to her.

 

The is the 2nd White Star that I've had from the same place. A commercial producer. They have both died at just over a year old. They've always got lots in stock. I'm not going to go back there anymore. Going to stick to buying from hobbyists and local farmers.

[sjp]

purple comb is supposed to indicate heart attack/heart problems

but 2 from the same supplier could be a breeding problem and it make you think twice about buying from them again

but with hybrids they 'aint bred for a long life anyway

buying from hobbyists and local farmers is no more a guarantee of a long life I've lost some of my own cross breeds at not much older one barely 6 months old. I find very good layers 'burn out' a lot quicker than average layers, were poor layers go on for a lot longer

[Chickabee]

It's all a bit of a lottery isn't it. I've got one hybrid who's at least 5

[sjp]

I've got 2 about 6-7 year olds a gold legbar and a Barnbar both poor layers and I lost my best broody a couple of weeks back she was about 5 years old and a fairly good layer of dark brown eggs nearly finished moulting and gave no indication that there was anything wrong until the morning she died, the cockerel served her and as she got up she wobbled a little bit couple of hours later she'd died she was a bit thin but I just put that down to the moult as they do loose condition at the end of the moult as most don't eat a lot until they finish

[Luvachicken]

I'm sorry she didn't make it xx

[PixieDust]

Sorry to hear your sad news.