Help!!

[shadegrow]

We seem to be having a soft egg epidemic & illness. We lost our favourite last week in only a couple of days from seeming full of life. She wasn't showing classic signs of being eggbound (straining etc) until a few hours before she died. We steamed her but nothing came out. Called our vet (a chicken keeper) who said wring her neck but if we wanted to try the antibiotics we give our dogs (we usually have a stock of amoxy. in) Which we did every hour as instructed. She died next day. I hadn't the stomach to open her up but she was oozing from the cloaca. Now another is sitting around not puffed up or looking unhappy but just sitting. We had 5 eggs (from 5 birds) but 2 were softies & one was broken. When they first came out of the battery they wolfed grit , now they ignore it. We put it in their food & they seem to manage to sift it out. They get at least 3 hours a day free ranging & they are into everything plus they have a big run to go at the rest of the time. We thought they were picking up enough grit pecking around.

[Bramble-Poultry]

sounds like your vet is a chicken keeper not a chicken lover!

the oozing from the cloaca sounds like egg peritonitis where the egg doesnt leave the vent. when it breaks up there, it introduces a bacterial infection which can claim the life of the bird very very quickly.

I would suggest if the other is going the same way it sounds like you need to have antibiotics down it pronto and strong ones too otherwise you will lose this one too.

I assume that these birds are ex-batts? please remember that these birds live their lives in the barn on medicated water laden with antibiotics so they dont develop these issues, but as soon as they go "cold turkey" it all breaks out.

Egg peritonitis isnt infectious as far as i know (never had it here before) but i believe that it can be genetic, a result of lots of inbreeding.

Regarding grit, they will take on what they think they need, and only when they think they need it. The grit they use to grind up food, the oyster shell for calcium, but if you are feeding a good quality layer pellet they willl have enough calcium in this. to be certain, you can bake old egg shells and grind them into small pieces (filter coffee size) and feed that back to the birds. But you must bake them first otherwise you risk introducing salmonella from unsterilsed shells.

fingers crossed and keep us informed

[Suechooks]

Ditto what Bramble has said.
Really sorry to hear about your problems with your hens.
I have ex-batts and have lost 7 of my original 12. 3 have died or been PTS by my vet in the last 10 days so can sympathise with your situation. I've found they usually stop laying after a spate of softies and may or may not resume.
Battery hens are bred for intensive production over a short period - maximum output with minimum input - and the time we give them after the release has to be a bonus. If they were likely to carry on producing and have no health problems they would still be in the cages.
I do hope your girl gets better.

[shadegrow]

Thank's for the advice & sympathy. It's much appreciated this is a great forum!! Any Idea what anti-biotic they use in the water? BTW is your place the one on the A5 east bound to Tamworth? we nearly called in on Sat. We race the dogs down there every so often. Suechooks! Really sorry to hear about your losses. Amazing how much it hurt's to lose even one.

[Bramble-Poultry]

We are based on the outskirts of Gnosall so not us in Tamworth

[Suechooks]

Thank's for the advice & sympathy. It's much appreciated this is a great forum!! Any Idea what anti-biotic they use in the water?
...Suechooks! Really sorry to hear about your losses. Amazing how much it hurt's to lose even one.

Baytril is the antibiotic my vet gives for general infections. I actually give it by syringe twice a day - wrap the bird in a towel and open beak and just pop 1/2ml down. That way I'm sure she's had the dose. If they're poorly they may not bother drinking enough to get a full dose.

Tylan is the other antibiotic but that's for respiratory illnesses and goes in the water.
Yes it does hurt when they die but I try to remember that they would have been slaughtered 18 months ago and never have felt the sun or had a dust bath or grubbed around in the soil for worms. I give them the best time I can for as long as they are with me. Then I can let them go when the time is right without feeling I should or could have done more.