Dying Flock

[nouveauchick]

I have lost 2 hens this month. I only have one left. She appears to be fine. She was the biggest one and seems quite strong. There is no appearance of mites of any kind. Is there something I should do to protect my last girl? This is my first time with chickens and I am unfamiliar with medications.

I also don't know how well my last bird is going to do on her own. Won't she be lonely? I would like to get her some company. I looked at Meyers and they ship pullets ( I do not have the equipment for chicks). Has anyone had any experience with them? Also, because there is only one bird will the pecking order adjustments still take place? Do I have to gradually introduce the birds?

Thank You!

 

[CottonGinWaste]

What happened to the others?

 

[RhodeRunner]

What happened to your hens? If you fear it is an illness, then wait at least a month of full health, before introducing a new hen. Also, deworm your flock if you haven't.

After, a month of full health you can look for a flock mate for your girl. I would suggest looking around locally (BYC and Craigslist.)

 

[nouveauchick]

I don't know what happened to them. :-( One died about a 3 weeks ago, and we lost one yesterday. They seemed fine until they died. Our last hen also seems fine, although maybe a bit bored without her friends. The weather hasn't been too terribly cold and I have a ceramic warming plate underneath their nesting box to help warm the coop. I don't see any sign of mites. I guess maybe they could have worms, although the hen we have is pretty active. Can I buy dewormer at the feed supply store? Should I try an antibiotic?

Also, I live in NJ and although I haven't checked Craigslist, I had a hard time finding hens during the warmer months. I anticipate that winter may be even more difficult. Would it not be better for me to order birds that have a guarantee of health? Or are those guarantees kind of loose?

I can wait a month and see how this last girl fairs until I get her some playmates. Will I have to slowly introduce the new birds since their is only one hen in the coop or can I forgo that process? In the meantime is there something I can do to help keep her occupied so she doesn't get bored and lonely?

Sorry for all the questions. I guess I naively thought I would have my birds for a number of years. I didn't really think about them dying :-(

 

[aoxa]

How old were your hens?

How were they laying? Good? Bad? Okay?

 

[casportpony]

If you still have the body, get a necropsy done. Most states have a free on inexpensive fee.

 

[casportpony]

I would treat the last one for mite, lice and worms with poultry dust and Safeguard for Goats/Cattle. You can get both at TSC.

 

[laura877]

Look at their vent area and see if its all pink and inflamed. Thats a sign of lice. I was loosing hens too until I figured that one out.

 

[Lobzi]

What do you feed them? Did the ones that died act sick at all prior to dying? For instance, did they stand around head pulled in and tail downward?

 

[nouveauchick]

Thank you for all your help and recommendations. I didn't really notice any weird behavior, but I am watching this one very closely. They were 14 months old (roughly). They haven't really been laying eggs but I assumed that it was because of the winter and the shorter amounts of daylight (I was told they need 14 hours of daylight to lay eggs). I am going to go to the feed store tomorrow and see what kinds of medicinal products they carry.

Thank you again for all your advice! I really hope I can save my last girl!