Lead! What Chicken Keepers Need to Know

Lead! What Chicken Keepers Need to Know

What stays in the soil indefinitely and never breaks down?

Lead.

Lead is an element in the carbon group (Pb) and it is already in its “smallest” form. High school chemistry class taught us that this element can’t break down anymore — lead residue persists forever in the soil. The particles do not decompose…but remain a toxic substance even after eroding into aerosolized dust.  Once a component of paints and pesticides, lead also appears as a natural substance.  Even if you have never used any lead products, it may still be present on your property in the soil, in old barn paint and in paint chips. Lead was used in pesticides, gas, bullets and shot, as a sealant for tin cans, in batteries and as a water line solder. Even if you have removed all of the lead paint from structures, it will already have entered your soil.

Lead can be taken up through the roots of plants.  When the chickens graze lead- tainted grasses, and when they roll in the dust to bathe – they are ingesting these residual lead particles. Chickens eat dirt to help digest their food. Hens actively seek out chips of calcium when they are laying. Anything flat, small and white with the characteristics of an eggshell or chip of seashell fits the bill! Unfortunately, that is exactly what lead white paint looks like.  Chickens readily consume flakes of paint that have fallen off of old buildings or that have emerged from the soil. In fact, the soil around old structures may contain toxic levels of lead. 

Heavy metal history

Humans have been smelting lead for thousands of years; its workable properties are legendary. Lead beads have been dated as far back as 7,000 BCE. The Romans used lead pipes to transport water through their famous water engineering works. But even some of Rome’s citizens began to suspect this was not a great idea. Lead poisoning was known in Ancient Rome and some historians propose that lead poisoning may have had an impact on that society. By the end of the 19^th century, the dangerous aspects of manufacturing with lead were coming to light.  Lead poisoning (exacerbated by scurvy) was behind the 1845, Sir John Franklin Arctic expedition’s failure, as the crews’ food was sealed in lead soldered tins and foils. Lead analysis of the exhumed remains revealed heightened levels of the metal.

Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that accumulates in plant and animal systems. We all know of the tragic cases of waterfowl that have ingested lead shot and fishing weights. The same cumulative affects will occur in the chickens and in us. Lead is transferred to baby chicks through the egg, and eggs used for the table will also contain the toxic substance. Lead is easily shared!

Old glass also holds traces of lead and chickens will snack on shards of broken windowpanes or glassware. Antique properties are littered with middens. Yup, this is the famous junk unearthed by archaeologists. Trash collection is a modern convenience, and while Victorian cities had dustbin workers, country folk simply dug pits on their homesteads and buried their trash. For those of us living on old properties, we regularly dig up these treasure troves. Some of those antique waste-bin finds have been leaching lead into the soil. And some of these “gems” are aged taste treats for the ducks, geese or the chickens that spend their days digging up things!

What you can do:

1. 1. Have your soil tested at your local agricultural university, extension office or environmental conservation service.
2. 2. Do not allow the birds (waterfowl, turkeys or chickens) access to old paint that may be on iron gates, wooden fences or buildings. They may peck at these objects and ingest the lead. Chickens and turkeys will strip and eat flaking lead paint!

Symptoms of lead poisoning

Low levels of lead toxicity won’t show any signs.  Serious lead poisoning in birds appears similar to other diseases (like Mareks).  It is usually chronic and based on repeated exposure – it also builds up in the birds’ system. Lead poisoning produces neurological symptoms including: loss of appetite, lethargy and self-isolation, bright green droppings/unusual manure consistency with diarrhea, unsteady on feet with inability to roost, weakness, increased thirst, star-gazing and cognitive issues, seizures/blindness, anemia and regurgitation. Lead poisoning is deadly!  

If you suspect illness in your flock consult your veterinarian promptly. Lead poisoning is treatable, but birds exhibiting symptoms are in real danger. This is an avian medical emergency.

Lead levels in parts per million – soil testing

If soil test results from your property reveal heavy metal toxicity, you will need to take action. Unfortunately, removing and protecting livestock from lands containing lead contamination is a real mess!    

1. Safe/natural levels: 100 ppm and under

2. Increased levels: over 100 to 300ppm

3. Toxic levels: over 300 ppm

Check your property and fencing for possible lead paint and remove any questionable objects. Getting soils tested is a key step to safe farming practices. 

Sea buckthorn research

Laboratory studies have revealed the protective and therapeutic benefits of the sea buckthorn (leaves, fruit and seeds) for preventing and treating toxicities from mycotoxins. Therapeutic benefits are based in the plant’s antioxidant activity against free radical damage since it contains “exceptionally high contents of nutrients and phytochemicals such as lipids, water-and fat-soluble vitamins, and flavonoids.” 

Sea buckthorn has liver safeguarding properties, but it also has shown positive neuroprotective benefits as well. 

This is a quote from a 2005 breakthrough study in Protective Effects of Hippophae rhamnoides L. Juice on Lead-Induced Neurotoxicity in Mice: 

“To elucidate the cognition-enhancing and neuroprotective mechanisms of HRL, we investigated the effects of HRL on oxidative stress and the changes in cholinergic and monoamine neurotransmitters induced by lead. Free radicals play an important role in lead neurotoxicity, since lead exerts its neurotoxicity through oxidative stress… Increased oxidative stress reflected as a higher MDA level in lead-treated mice was prevented by HRL. The antioxidant activity of HRL juice has been shown in in vitro, cell culture, and animal studies.” 

The researchers’ intriguing conclusion showed that the sea buckthorn revealed traceable benefits. “Because oxidative damage is also involved in Pb [lead] toxicity, we examined parameters of oxidative stress in the brain from mice chronically exposed to the metal. In this study, we used behavioral and neurochemical experiments to determine the protective effects of HRL against the neurotoxicity induced by lead.” 

Sea buckthorn continues to unfurl its beneficial health properties! But, if you suspect lead poisoning in your birds consult a vet immediately.  This is a life-threatening condition and prompt veterinary care is needed. Generally, many birds will be affected, or will soon be affected, if there is a source of lead on the property.  Your veterinarian and agricultural office will assist you in dealing with this frustrating and stressful problem.

Exciting Eggs! How is an Chicken Egg Made?

(Contest for FREE SeaBuck 7 Backyard Chicken product giveaway below.)

Exciting Eggs! How is an Egg Made?

“In the garden there was nothing which was not quite like themselves - nothing which did not understand the wonderfulness of what was happening to them - the immense, tender, terrible, heart-breaking beauty and solemnity of Eggs. If there had been one person in that garden who had not known through all his or her innermost being that if an Egg were taken away or hurt the whole world would whirl round and crash through space and come to an end... there could have been no happiness even in that golden springtime air.”  - Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden (1910)

Healthy, happy and mature chickens lay eggs. This is how birds reproduce! It isn’t any different for mammals – except that mammals brood their young inside their bodies.  As gallinaceous birds, chickens continue to lay eggs in order to replace eggs taken from the nest. Many other species of birds will do this…but chickens have a natural ability to produce many eggs in their lifetime (all females animals are born with all the eggs they will need during their lives).  

Humans favored chickens that tended to lay more eggs. This trait was desired and hens that were good layers were allowed to make more good layers.  Some breeds  known for egg laying lost the trait to set – like leghorns and other birds from the Mediterranean.  Chickens were not bred to lay too many eggs at the risk of their own health and longevity.  

Heritage breeds handle reproduction well – so try to choose those birds that were raised to be stout and sassy.  These breeds (like Rhode Island Reds, Andalusians, Fayoumi, Hamburgs, Barred Rocks, Dominiques and many more) have been bred to withstand subsistence conditions on farms for centuries – well, thousands of years. Some breeds that strutted next to the Romans, and before, are still clucking (Dorkings, Leghorns, Brahma, and Silkies were mentioned in Artistotle’s writings). 

Heritage chickens were bred to NOT have health problems.  Expect your birds to rest during the winter months and seasonal molts. Resting is very important to maintain their strength and vivaciousness. Of course providing clean housing, super feed and supplements are important to maintain bird health. Always be proactive! Sea buckthorn helps to uphold and maintain reproductive health! Don’t forget the chickens’ Seabuck 7, their oyster shell and provide dark, clean and safe nesting sites.

Why eggs are very special

“It may be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the eggs.”  - Margaret Thatcher

The production of the egg takes roughly 26 hours from ovulation to presentation in the nest. The rooster’s presence has nothing to do with the formation of the egg beyond the fertilization section itself (you will have an egg that is fertilized for hatching if you run roosters). Roosters do provide significant social and structural benefits to a flock. Keeping some roosters will help to reduce stress and their presence assists in keeping the birds safe. Roosters are vigilant and designed to cater to the flock – their watchful eyes make any predator’s job much harder. Roosters also help with nest building and they aren’t ashamed to sing that boisterous “egg song” either!

How an egg “happens”:

The yolk drops to the oviduct after ovulation. The oviduct is composed of five sections, the most important of these being the —

• • Infundibulum- a 3 to 4 inch long funnel that holds the yolk for fertilization. The yolk sits in the infundibulum for less than half an hour.
• • Magnum – the yolk stays here for 3 hours. This is the time where the “egg white” (or albumin) is attached.
• • Isthmus – The narrow stretch of the oviduct where the papery inner wrapping and shell membranes are formed.
• • Shell Gland (uterus)– And finally the shell! Manufactured mostly of calcium carbonate, the shell is added around the egg. This process takes up to 20 hours! And this is where the shell’s color forms on the egg. Wow, it’s hard not to be reminded of a mini Willy Wonka factory puttering away inside each hen.

You’ll never look at those magnificent eggs the same way again. They are truly a feat of nature.

Did you know? Alfred Hitchcock was terrified of eggs! “I’m frightened of eggs, worse than frightened, they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes … have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid? Blood is jolly, red. But egg yolk is yellow, revolting.”

Eggstra Facts

Female chickens arrive at sexual maturity anywhere from 4-8 months of age. Hens are not gumball dispensers and they are not making eggs for you. A hen lays when she has reached breeding age. This is breed specific and trying to rush a hen’s growth can lead to serious health issues including weakened birds and even death. Her body must be physically ready to carry and give “birth” to an egg.

Hens will produce fewer eggs as they age. Keeping your birds in tiptop shape helps to prevent any health issues as they grow older and wiser.  Older hens hold the flock’s knowledge, and their calm presence helps to keep stress levels down. These matronly ladies serve a crucial role in maintaining the social order, providing skills and teaching younger birds. Don’t underestimate the value of old hens!

Case Studies:

Case Study (Bianca’s story): Andalusian pullet, Bianca, was unable to lay a shelled egg. She also did not feel well when producing an egg, and prescribed nutritional supplements had no effect.  Even though Bianca had all of the nutrients and calcium she needed to make an egg, these elements were not uniting properly to actually MAKE the shell.  Even higher doses of calcium and certain vitamins didn’t budge the process.

Homeopathic treatments (by Laurie Lofton, DVM), were able to show Bianca’s body how to combine the ingredients to make the egg. After a few months of using the remedy (calcarea carbonica) on a daily treatment plan, Bianca produced shelled eggs all by herself!

Case Study (Emily): Emily was genetically predisposed to internal laying. Internal laying is a life-threatening condition.  Emily ended up undergoing a hysterectomy and making the Tufts University Magazine.  She is now 7 years old and the queen of the coop.

GIVEAWAY:

Seabuck 7 is dedicated to flourishing flocks! Send us pictures of your blooming birds and their egg-citing eggs! Post them to our FaceBook pageSeaBuck 7 FaceBook page. We'll select a random winner for 2 FREE 1 quart bottles of SeaBuck 7 Backyard Chicken on June 30th.