chickens dying for unknown reason

Black Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Jersey Giants, Barred Rocks....all great breeds. Friendly, docile and great on the laying.

When you want to mix new birds into an existing flock, it is best to keep the new birds in a cage or fenced off area but within the flock at all times. Everybody sees, nobody touches. Leave them this way for several weeks. This allows for quarantine against sickness and lets the flocks get to know each other without too much aggression. In a few weeks, you can mix them. Always add more feeding and watering stations for the newbies since the original flock is going to guard these areas and can starve out the newbies. And always intervene if it turns bloody. Sometimes you may need to cage a hen occasionally that will not accept the newbies.

Good luck and keep us posted on the necropsy!

Welcome to BYC! We're glad to have you.

I'm sorry about your losses! TwoCrow's has recommended some great breeds. I'd personally make sure to get some Wyandottes. Australorps and Orpingtons are also nice gentle breeds that you should enjoy!

Glad you joined us!

I'm sorry about your losses!

THANK YOU Two Crows:
And everyone...

Just got the necropsy. What a sick chicken and I did not know it. She was basically full of peritonitis and infection and egg yolk peritonitis. No real worms or parasite load. I think I really got a bad load of sick chickens from the "friend" who I bought them from. My Wyandotte (Cruella DeVille) is still doing very well and laying one egg a day. Not seeming to be lonely or unhappy. She sits on my lap now, letting me pet and fluff and check her over and eating her treats. Sounds silly, but I just LOVE this bird.

Soooooo - I have a large fenced yard in front of the house. I have a 4 x 3 moveable coop with nesting boxes which is now Cruella's sole inner sanctum. How do I introduce a couple more hens? Do I have to buy another coop so they have a nest as well and just park it next to hers? Expensive...That first coop was $600. She would be the only one let out? For weeks?? I have no way of building my own. Or just buy a cheapo one at Atwoods/Tractor supply ($200). With colder weather coming around the corner, I would like her to have some company to nest with....

Tell me more? I so appreciate all the combined wisdom of this group. What a great bunch of people you all are! Buck Buck, Cluck, Cluck.

Cruella and I wait with baited breaths and beaks....lol
Mimi

I meant 4 x 8 coop, not 4 x 3

Thank You!

the one hen I have left is a "white lace Wyandotte"???? I just LOVE her. So now that I know what killed chickaletta is not contagious, I am going to see how to find a couple more adult hens to put with her. BUT I have to figure out how to separate them without having to buy another moveable coop like Cruella DeVille has all to her self now. That was expensive. Any ideas?

chickaletta said:

Thank You!

the one hen I have left is a "white lace Wyandotte"???? I just LOVE her. So now that I know what killed chickaletta is not contagious, I am going to see how to find a couple more adult hens to put with her. BUT I have to figure out how to separate them without having to buy another moveable coop like Cruella DeVille has all to her self now. That was expensive. Any ideas?

Click to expand...

You mean Silver Laced Wyandotte also called SLW.