Help My Poor Hens

[GreeneFarm]

 

[GreeneFarm]

 

[Spookwriter]

PM sent.

Looking quickly, possible asbestos products and no
air transfer as a beginning.

But I'm an old blind guy. Can't trust me.

Spook

 

[rottlady]

the exposed pressure treated in the run also bothers me

 

[GreeneFarm]

The Windows get opened when it's warmer . It's closed off in order to stay warm for the winter time . Although they can get inside and out no matter what through the door all year long

 

[GreeneFarm]

Also , as for asbestos , then how come the older two RIRs are still alive and well and all of the others have died ?

 

[moni821]

Have you had the paint on the outside of the house tested for lead?

 

[GreeneFarm]

That paint has all been scraped off and redone . It was stained about 5 or so years ago .

 

[Spookwriter]

Okay. Still trying to put this all together in my mind.
Anyone that wants to, join in. Looks for things I may
have missed.

Still feels like multiple issues to me that has caused
an ongoing flock loss. Looks like three different issues?

Green Farm question : Trying to read your post, does this
story begin somewhere in early, mid-spring of 2015? Reading
your post several times, I'm trying to fix a time line. When
did this first begin, please?

This feels like a long post coming, so I both apologize to
the board as a whole, and yet offer this to the new members
as an example of the help available here.

Here is what I see, from the original post and pictures.

This story appears to have begun somewhere in the early to
mid spring of 2015. I don't see enough time for it all to have
happened this spring.

Person had six house-raised Rhode Island Reds, doing well.
He then moved them to the outside coop, in this case a old
house.

He then loses his first roo in two weeks time to a cause unknown.

At this point, I believe the house to of been with no heat lamps
and widows sealed closed. Resulting in no air transfer.

He then adds heat lamps.

No more loss due to illness.

Next bird loss is from two remaining roos fighting. OP butchers
the loser.

Those two losses are not related. One unexplained, one fight death.

After this, the remaining hens begin showing sickness. From the
post, I can not tell a time line. Lose two birds here. Are the windows
still sealed?

Now he cleaned, bleached the coop. Me, I would bet he opened
the windows to do this.

Two remaining birds are fine.

At this point, I bet its summer where they are.

So...lets get 12 more birds. (Summer, warm weather?)

Next line in post, the new birds are dropping like flies.
Okay, got that. Back to losing birds.

Why?

Sort of unclear to me here. OP says "back to dropping like
flies" which, yes, could be taken as meaning sickness.

But the very next line, OP says the original RRR were laying
a beating on the new birds. Looking between the lines, op
appears to of lost multiple of the new birds to fight.

Back to six birds. Laying daily.

Then OP goes the coop yesterday, finds another of the the
new birds had been attacked. Doesn't say by what. I ASSUME
the attack was from a bigger bird.

Next day, same thing. Attack in coop.

OP says now 15 birds lost.

But of that number, I can only count three RRR lost to unknown
cause. (Illness) 1 roo was butchered, leaving 2 RRR. Then add
12 ISA, for 14 birds. But according to the OP a number of these
(8?) were lost in fighting a new pecking order. Left 6 birds. Now 3
of those have been attacked in the coop.

Green Farm : Am I close in the order and numbers?

 

[Spookwriter]

Illness, fighting and attacks...three different causes.

Being fair, you did lose a number of birds to unknown illness.
So lets look at the coop pictures.

Your basic stock purchase looks sound. Birds did well in your
home. Feed, feeders, water container...all looks good.

Airflow exchange is, to me, very important. In wanting my
coop draft free is not the same as air tight. Vented always
unless we're heading for below zero for a few days. Your chicken
can take the cold, but can't take the draft. I want high vents.

For example, is there an heavy odor in your coop? Shouldn't be.
Air transfer.

I mentioned the possibility of asbestos. Concrete, prior to 1983,
could contain asbestos. Some did, some didn't. But you are also
in an old house...many things in the era contained asbestos. Counter
tops, insulation, pipe wrap, flooring...just an endless list. (I don't like
a concrete floor in coop, but it's your coop)

Water source comes to mind. You're in a free standing older home.
Does it still have functioning plumbing? Can you test that water? Or
do you hand carry water from another source?

Still could be some lead paint in there. Window seals inside and such.

Hay bales or straw? Either one. But did you buy it or bale it yourself?
It could contain interior mold. But your story seems to take a while. I
would think different hay from time to time.

And what I thought to be an old chalkboard is really a piece of black
insulation board, isn't it? Where your chickens run door is? Not a good
choice material for a coop. I see it in a few places in the pictures. That,
I would get rid of.

If rottlady is correct, with exposed treated lumber in run, again...not the
best choice.

Just me, but I would think any one of those issues has the possibility
of causing an illness in a flock. Air flow being my main thing.

You asked why, if asbestos, did it not kill all of the flock. No good
answer other than everyone that smokes doesn't necessarily die of
lung cancer. Some get it, some don't. No real answer for you.

Two roosters fighting it out, well, that's what roosters do. Hard to
count that loss in the picture you want.

And the in-coop attacks...If you think you have an overly bad hen
attacking the others to a point of death, that's your call. Pin the RRR
separate for a while.

I hope any of these suggestions help you find your issues. Maybe
other members may offer better ideals than I have.

Spook