Poorly chicken

[Emily30102]

I’ve been keeping chickens for around 8 years now. I started off with well summers and light Sussex’s then tried some buffs and marrens ( please excuse my spelling I’m deslexic! 😊) and never had one problem! After finding the BHWT we decided it would be nice to adopt some ex battery hens and we’ve never looked back! However I’ve noticed many more problems and they only seem to live a couple of years where as our other girls lived up to 7 years. They only seem to lay until about a year and then stop (this doesn’t bother me, I have chickens as pets I don’t expect them to earn their keep 😊) and they often develop respiratory or digestive problems which we haven’t had before, we’ve never changed the feed etc. I’m wondering if their stressful start in life leads to problems later in life? I will never stop adopting ex battery hens but im just wondering if the problems are caused by their bad start in life and hopefully not be being an awful owner! Any comments would be greatly appreciated 😁xx

[mullethunter]

I understand that their issues are caused by two major factors. 1. Their breed has been developed for maximum egg yield over a short time at the expense of pretty much everything else. 2. Their ‘stressful’ start in life. 

A short life expectancy with health issues after a few years is sadly perfectly normal for these birds and unlikely to be anything to do with your husbandry.

[Emily30102]

Thank you, I was starting to panic it was me 😊x

[The Dogmother]

Mullethunter has it right - they are usually a bit more needy health-wise, although today's ex-batts are in much better condition than they used to be when we volunteered on some of the early rescues. So long as you understand that and don't expect too much from them, that's fine.

[Emily30102]

We just have them as pets so I want them to be happy as possible 😁 i was so suprised at how much personality they have! They love playing 😊xx

[Grandmashazzie]

It may sound rather awful but I will definitely be getting more ex batts for the very reason they are good layers and then pass on. I have 9 chickens at the moment a bluebelle who hasn’t laid since she was two, now about 4. A black Marans who also has laid only a handful of eggs this year,also aged 4, a Silkie and Mille fleur bantams who don’t lay and my 5 one year old brown hens who haven’t laid at all in the hot weather. I don’t mind some free loaders but this is ridiculous. They have been wormed with flubenvet, and had ivermectin drops. My window cleaner ‘advises’ leaving WIR open and letting Mr Fox have them. I would never do that but feel a bit frustrated to have so many chickens and have to buy eggs.

[Emily30102]

We have 7 and non lay anymore, my dad gets a little frustrated when he has to buy eggs for breakfast but our neighbors have plenty of young hens and are pretty good at supplying us with them as well so it’s not to bad  xx

[Grandmashazzie]

Lucky you , I wish I had neighbours like that.

[The Dogmother]

We have some new hens in the flock and they are only just starting to lay - the heat has put them off eating and they are using their reserves to keep cool, so less eggs.They will come back into lay now it is cooler, just feed the on their regular pellets and not much else. A bit of Mineral Boost Powder in their feed will encourage them to eat with its aniseed scent.