Sick ISA brown

peep · **Joined:** Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:50 pm **Posts:** 17

My 4 ISA Browns which I got as point of lay June 2009 are going through their first molt and have been molting close to 2 months. They have continued to lay eggs although of late that has dropped off somewhat. In this time they have all produced some bad eggs and struggled at times to expel unformed eggs. Once egg expelled chooks are happy and normal. They seem outwardly healthy as get to free range often. They are fed complete layer mix along with shell grit and greens. 3 out of 4 have always laid rather large eggs. I wormed them once last year.
This morning I thought Floppy was just having one of those bad egg days and after she expelled some egg white looking substance I thought she would be fine.
When I got home at 5 today she was in the nesting box - something I have not seen any of them do. They are generally waiting at the gate ready to be freed from their pen. I coaxed her out, she had some grain then water and poohed very liquid cream like substance with some pellet shaped green stuff also. I noticed around the pen three lots of the milky mess and again later she poohed some more of this gunk. Her comb has always flopped to one side but now it looks more like a verandah as it has flopped much more. It is still red. She has not bothered to get on the perch and is still in the nesting box where I am wondering if I will find her deceased there tomorrow. I know it is difficult to try and diagnose without seeing her but thought no harm in asking.

Peep

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Peep,

It may be that the unshelled egg has broken in the reproductive tract and is coming out in sections. There may even be more than one unshelled egg involved.

Alternatively, she may have an infection in her reproductive tract.

Moulting takes a lot of energy and increases protein and trace mineral demands. Egg laying also is nutritionally demanding. Combining the 2 really taxes a bird. Added to this are the genetics of Isa Browns- bred for intensive egg laying over a shorter lifetime- so there is a fair scope for something to go wrong.

The diet sounds ok so long as they are filling up on the layer mix and not mostly grass, and are eating the shellgrit.

She may need veterinary attention if she's not looking well tomorrow. Giving her electrolytes may help in the immediate short term.

peep · **Joined:** Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:50 pm **Posts:** 17

Thanks Parvo. I am not sure how much shell grit they eat. I have it in a separate container and sometimes add it to their grain mix. You read in places that chooks will eat what they need but I am unsure how correct that is. Mine would eat nothing but treats if you let them. I have wondered if they eat too much grass so I thought about reducing their free range time but others on a forum have said their routine should be ok. Floppy has always eaten more grain than the others and is the only one to have worked out how to operate the treadle feeder. The others come when she has it open so they will need training if Floppy does not recover. I am more relieved that I never had kids - chooks create enough angst!
Peep

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