Internal Laying and Life expectancy

[clamccauley]

Over the past 3 years, I have raised 18 hens averaging about 6-7 at a time. I have not had a hen to survive past 2 1/2 years and some only make it to 2. Is this a typical occurrence?

They have all died from either internal laying (from what I can tell) and hold on for anywhere from 2-3 weeks or they get VERY lethargic and sickly with runny poo all over their feathers and dying within day of showing signs of being sick.

They free range almost every day and have fresh food and water daily. I do not try to prolong their laying with lights or anything else in the winter to allow them to rest naturally. I can't figure out how to prevent internal laying or whatever is causing them to get sick.

I just lost a two year old Rhode island red yesterday. She was fine one day, lethargic with poo all over her vent the next and died that day. I had wyondotte and another Rhode Island do the same last year at the same age. No other chickens became sick anywhere around that time so I didn't think it was something from the coop or feed. A Black Austrolorp and Gold Laced Wyondotte and another RIR stopped laying eggs on different occurrences and their bellies grew considerably.

I have a two year old Welsummer and Buff Orpington and 4 3 month old chicks that all seem to be thriving well.....and I'd like to be able to keep it that way. We love our hens and hate to lost them so soon! Any ideas on what I might be missing or did I just have a round of bad luck?

 

[Kiki]

Sorry you aren't having good luck with your birds.
1. What do you feed them?
2. Have you ever had their poop tested by a vet for worm loads?

 

[clamccauley]

1. I feed them a layer feed with oyster shells when they are all of laying age, but for the short period that the younger hens are with them, they all get grower feed.

2. I have never had poop tested.

Could worms cause sudden death? If one had worms, is it likely that more would? Does that have anything to do with internal laying?

Thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

Internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis are the most common causes of hen death, but I doubt that is the only reason you are losing hens. There can be a lot of different causes of death in chickens, from crop impaction, gizzard blockage, coccidiosis, Mareks disease, egg binding, fatty liver disease, and other things. Getting droppings checked for worms and cocci in a sick bird may help, but if you lose one, take or send in the refrigerated body to your state vet or poultry lab for a necropsy to look for a cause. Some do their own necropsies at home to look at the abdominal organs, taking pictures, and having others look at them. You can learn a lot about illnesses that way. Very sorry that you are dealing with all of these deaths. I have multiple breeds of chickens from 3 to 6 1/2 years old, and while I lose an occasional chicken, they tend to be pretty healthy.

 

[Kiki]

Worms can kill.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We feed ground up egg shells as a supplement. are the egg shells thin when they lay?

 

[Eggcessive]

Most people use crushed oyster shell or egg shells in a container on the side for the layers while they are off layer food, as in the times of having growing chicks around.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

We have crushed oyster shells and fed those as well, but not everyone has access to oyster shells and the idea of paying for something someone else is paying to get rid of kind of bothers me. And yes the girls have a separate containers for feed and calcium supplement

 

[MrsAuberry00]

I was curious about how long hens lay and life expectancy as well. I found this thread through a search and while it didn't completely answer my questions, it did give me an extra heads up to watch my 2 1/2 year old girls extra well.

 

[Isaac 0]

Know one can give you a exact life span.Breed/Condition/Environment/Diet all comes into play.For Egg Layers i would say anywhere form 2-5 years just a guess.