What happens to layers when they stop laying~WARNING: GRAPHIC PICS

[Beekissed]

I always discourage newbies to chickens from getting the production layer birds. Unless someone is experienced in poultry and practice regular culling of spent layers, they are a poor, poor choice, particularly if someone is wanting to have pet chickens.

I know the high production is attractive, but it's also what gives these gals a short life span and most often the death is preceded by suffering. The same folks who wouldn't get a meat bird due to their short life span and possible health issues will gladly buy the production birds or "rescue" them from batteries, without a single thought of what they will do when those birds burn out on laying.

Three times I've gotten small flocks of production reds from folks when they were going to get fresh infusions of POL birds of the same type and in all three flocks there were hens that should have been culled long ago when they stopped laying...externally. Because they continue to lay...internally.

A hen will continue to ovulate, though her healthy laying days are over, so while letting a good old hen scratch and peck gracefully into the sunset sounds lovely, it's hardly ever a reality of life for an old hen. Even those that are not production breeds will usually die of reasons related to her reproductive system not long after she stops laying in regular cycles.

Today I got a group of production reds on the cheap, to use for meat purposes, but among the group was a hen that needed killed immediately(the farmer was the one who transported her to my cages or I would never have taken her at all...didn't get to see this one until we got her home) and two more who will need killed within the week if I want to prevent further suffering for them. All three have massive ascites~huge abdomens~indicating either fluid around egg tumors or massive egg tumors.

Another two have vaginal prolapse that may not cause them problems if they cease to lay due to the move...neither of them are currently laying very often, judging by the vent, but if I were to hold onto them they would eventually lay more, causing them pain and suffering due to the prolapse.

I did a necropsy on the hen I killed today~she had a purple comb, massive ascites and was listless...in other words, she was dying anyway, just taking her good ol' time to do it. The farmer I bought her from was totally clueless about chickens...nice man, but clueless, so he thought she was broody...nope, she was sitting on the nests as a refuge, as the other hens would have pecked her mercilessly if she had huddled out in the coop.

She had the most massive egg tumor I'd ever seen in a hen and how she lived this long to form all that material is just a huge question. It just kept rolling out of her, the most putrid smelling mush that was pocketed all over her abdomen but most of it came from the largest sac of tissue and in the middle of that mush was the egg tumor itself. This bird had egg peritonitis in the worst way.

I'm not saying people shouldn't get high production birds if they are in the egg business, as long as they provide a good death for these chickens as they start to burn out or warn those they give or sell them to what to expect and what they should do to prevent suffering for the animal.

Most often these birds die after a lingering suffering due to these masses and infection, but people never open them up to find out why...usually they try to medicate, soak them in warm water to help relieve them of being "egg bound", or just bring them inside until they die.

These people I got these birds from said one had died recently but they didn't know why...wish I could show them these pictures.

Questions?

 

[FarmerJamie]

I am out of the chicken business right now, but at least this thread provided some reassurance my rotation plan I had "back then" was on track.

I am enjoying this discussion.

 

[sumi]

I'm so sorry @Hinotori It sucks when it's our favourite, or friendliest birds that go I had hawks take 2 of mine, some years ago. One tried to take some of a broody hen's chicks one day. I heard a commotion and ran outside, just in time to see the hawk take off empty handed and the hen shaking out her feathers and calling her chicks back to her. We didn't see that hawk again lol

 

[Mini Horses]

THAT is a real mess!!! Thanks for the lesson.

So Beekissed, what did you do with this bird? Is it dog food or compost?

Personally I have no problem with hybrid crosses (although I have many full blooded breeds). Haven't bought from a hatchery in years. It's often hard to find breeders of some breeds. But while I look for birds that are good layers, I want good setters, too. Plus the heavier dual types are preferred.

I don't use lights in winter to increase production. It's counter productive for MY use & expectations. While it's best to cull, it's a sad time for many. For me, it's a mess that I "deal with" and always dread it. Once I'm doing it, the functions are just what you have to do...... and you get it done.

 

[Mini Horses]

I firmly believe that open range foraging helps. They get more exercise, eat a variety and select more of what THEY need. Mine also get fresh fruits & veggies, bread, oyster shells available, fresh water in several places & some supplemental feed in PM. They also clean up from any horse & goat feeds that are left or dropped. My birds scour a couple acres daily...they have favorite places for bugs & worms. Had a lot of little grasshoppers this year.
Then they head to their favorite shady dust bath locations. What a life!

ETA: I have NEVER opened a chicken & found stuff like that. The last one, wow, that might make me never open another.....Dang!! That is unreal!

 

[baymule]

Now that is bad, even buzzards don't want it. Kinda reminds me of a batch of biscuits I made once, not the dog or the birds would eat them!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Thanks @Beekissed !
She seems very healthy, and is not aggressive toward any of the other birds, so we'll probably keep her then. We're not super concerned with how many eggs any one chicken lays, especially this first year. We're just trying to keep them healthy and happy, and to get a good foundational flock started.
So much of what we've read is generic stuff. When researching, it can be hard to find a little "meat on the bones" sometimes. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience (both + and -) with us.

 

[sumi]

That hen was a rescue and the night I realised she's going to make it, I thought of what to name her and saw it was a full moon, so I named her Luna. After the hawk incident, that became Lunatic!

 

[Beekissed]

Yuck! I have never found anything like that when I butchered old hens. But then, to me an old hen is one on her 2nd molt.

These hens were around 2-2 1/2 yrs old, according to the previous owners. I've never had anything like these reproductive cancers in any of my old hens, though I've seen one old leghorn with a huge egg tumor and a few of my 6-7 yr old hens with smaller egg tumors.

It's not the age for these birds, but the genetics. Production layer birds are not bred for longevity or hardiness, but purely for production. They aren't even a true breed, much like the Cornish Cross birds. They pretty much are born with a "use by" date on them and 99% of them won't make it to a 3rd birthday without serious health issues and most won't make it there at all.

A chicken of that age should have some pretty healthy organs still, but none of these had a healthy appearing liver, most had enlarged kidneys, and most had reproductive cancer...in some it had spread throughout the abdomen, with small tumors on the surfaces of most of the intestines, the gizzard and oviduct.

No wonder they were all so cranky, cannibalizing one another when penned and still attacking one another when allowed to range. None of them were easy to handle and most tried to peck me when they were picked up. The only birds to do such a thing in my own flocks were broody hens and even then, many of them wouldn't peck me.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

The little girls chased the RSL's all over the yard, hugged them, carried them around, put them in "jail"

You left out "strangled them".... (as per above picture!)