dying hens not roosters

[bald Rooster]

Hello I have a small flock of Bob whites.About a year old now.
They live in my juvenile coop. It is open to a large inclosed run.I had 6 roosters and 7 hens.
They have laid many eggs and are still laying. I have about 75 chicks in my brooder.
About two weeks ago one hen started acting very weak and allowed me to pick her up. I could not see anything wrong with her. Vent was fine and nothing seemed tender on her. I put her in a laying box, and the next day I found her dead. since then I have lost two more hens same symptoms .

As I said Its a large run and coop. I also have 49 8 week old chickens and 15 turkey. I watch them from time to time and have not seen any aggression out of any of them.
To many males?
I am going to remove all the males as I don't want to hatch anymore this year.

I did feed them alfalfa hay several times. I felt there crop and It seemed empty. so I do not think it was impacted.
Water has become a issue in there coop as the chickens and turkeys are drinking a lot.never ran out but always dirty. (with old hay,pine wood chips,dirt) I stay after it daily.

I had a mite problem and I used some of the powder from feed store, (not de) not an excessive amount just a normal dusting of the dirt in the run.
I have only got a little over two years keeping fowl and one with Quail . I know what fowl pox is, and my flock does not have it. We may have some worms I have not treated for them. I look at poop and do not see any and the rest of my flock of about 100 birds seem healthy.
Any ideas from experienced fowl people?

 

[3riverschick]

@Ridgerunner
@azygous
@KikisGirls
Best,
Karen

 

[azygous]

This is very upsetting, I understand, not knowing what's causing the deaths of these Bob White hens. Beginning with the first hen's death two weeks ago, what have you done differently? By that I mean feed, water, the brand name and active ingredients in the dusting mite powder, other improvements or changes, any new visitors that might have chickens?

 

[bald Rooster]

We have had two peacocks visiting. Is the only thing and the alfalfa hay i was feeding them. I am sure it wasn't the hay. I really believe the 5 males were just much to aggressive . At least I hope so. The remaining 4 hens I have are very upset that their is a fence between them and the males now.

 

[azygous]

When did the peacocks come visit? Before or after the first hen got sick?
Where were the peacocks housed? Are they still with you? Where were they from? Under what conditions did they come to you?

Where did the alfalfa come from? Was it a commercial product or home grown? Was it fresh or dried or fermented?

 

[Kiki]

I'm sorry for your losses.
I am not too familiar with quail yet.
I would ask if you noticed any signs of coccidiosis and do you offer grit when feeding hay?

 

[rita2paul]

if it's only hens dying i would say to many cock birds with the girls, they can mate them to death.

 

[cmom]

This is very upsetting, I understand, not knowing what's causing the deaths of these Bob White hens. Beginning with the first hen's death two weeks ago, what have you done differently? By that I mean feed, water, the brand name and active ingredients in the dusting mite powder, other improvements or changes, any new visitors that might have chickens?

I had a mite infestation this year. I have never had mites before. They are almost microscopic but I could see the little specks. I have been spraying the coops and nest boxes weekly with permethrin spray. I make sure I spray everything in the coops even the walls. We have had a lot of rain, above normal, and it's been hot here. I suspect that the wild birds may have brought them from my research.

 

[azygous]

Cryptosporidium can contaminate alfalfa if the stuff is fertilized by animal manure. It can remain active on the alfalfa for long periods and it's entirely possible it was on the alfalfa you fed to the quail.

If you have a state agricultural lab, you could have the alfalfa tested for it.

Cryptosporidiosis can be passed by animal feces so it's possible you brought it into the quail enclosure on your shoes from the peacocks. The parasites can affect most animal species, including humans. For quail it's lethal. You can have the quail poop tested to see if it's present.

 

[bald Rooster]

When did the peacocks come visit? Before or after the first hen got sick?
Where were the peacocks housed? Are they still with you? Where were they from? Under what conditions did they come to you?

Where did the alfalfa come from? Was it a commercial product or home grown? Was it fresh or dried or fermented?

Peacocks did come around at about the same time.
The Peacocks belong to a neighbor to my south Im not sure were. the birds are free ranging.
The hay I feed my birds is regular green alfalfa from the feed store. I buy it for my horses.
No I do not feed grit . I do have 21% game bird feed in the pen as much as they want.
I just take a leaf of hay and spread it in the 15 X 30 foot run they have for some vegetables .I give it to all my fowl and horses.