My 18 month old bantam died while molting

[MommaDukes]

im terribly upset, I treat my chickens as pets ( I know they say not to but I just love animals and I'm a nurse so it's hard to loose any living being to me) she was the smallest of the crew and the first to molt. I brought her indoors in a confined room where water heater etc. is. And she looked pretty bad for a couple weeks, I went to our local co op where the farmers buy feed and such. A friend of mine that works there and raises chickens on a larger scale told me after I had done some research that most likely bantam was molting. Continue with my grower feed, add oyster shell for calcium and make sure she was getting plenty of greens. So I did all of that, I started giving her oatmeal with very fine lettuce chopped up in her food, along with the oyster shell , some water soaked raisins and cranberries. Some day a piece of banana. Plus she would go down and eat the bin food and drink water. I put her back with the rest of the hens once I was told she didn't need to be separated due to molting. She has been out in hen house, they are free range during day and locked up at night in hen house. This am I went out to feed her and she was dead. My heart is broke, she was doing so well, spent some time outside yesterday with the other girl in the sun. What could of happened? Today just in case I will cup lean out house. It doesn't appear the other hens did anything to her . I checked her very well for any pecking marks and ther is nothing, she was laying straight almost looked like she had a seizure the way she was so straight ? Heartbroken nurse who thought her feathered patient was in n her way to recovery. Her name was Nomad because since I got her at 1 week of age she was always a loner Would appreciate and insight into what may have happened as I have 3 more hens and 3 roosters ( roosters stay separate from my hens) that will go thru molting and would rather be prepared as I apparently failed Ms. Nomad

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is very sad when you lose one.
How old are your birds? Molting won't kill chickens. They can molt any time but normally their second autumn and each thereafter.
What state are you in. There is no way to tell what could have happened for sure without necropsy and lab work. What state are you in? Each state has at least one lab.
They'll send you a FedEx label to ship the carcass. Keep it refrigerated.

 

[MommaDukes]

I'm in Va, but I buried her yesterday in the pet cemetary. My 3 hens ( now) and 3 Roosters who are kept separate from hens. I picked her up about 3 weeks ago to look at her neck, where I now know was molting feathers. But she flew out of my hands unexpectedly and hitt the door of the hen house but she seemed fine. But I noticed her , what would be collar bone on a human looked different. At that point I brought her in to watch her and keep away from other hens in case she was injured but she are , drank and acted like a molting chicken. Then I put her back out in hen house last Friday after a lady at the local Co op who us a friend of mine and raises chickens , saw pictures of feathers around neck and rear end and told me she was molting to put her back out with other hens. She was doing so well moving all about , eating drinking. And I found her yesterday am when I went out to feed her oatmeal with a few raisins and cranberry sauce in it and finely chopped up lettuce and a little oyster shells in the mixture. But she was stretched out straight , like a human patient who had a seizure. I tried putting a tube down her mouth ( I have brought many birds back that my cat has brought home) but she was gone and nothing I tried would bring her back. One other thing that I haven't noticed on the other chickens is that Ms. Nomads beak was green the whole time this was going on, would this be a clue to the underlying. Deadly cause?,,Thank you for the info regarding lab, what is the charge for the service? In case my other hens come down with a illness

 

[MommaDukes]

I want to get some chicks I could fit 2-3 in my hen house, does anyone know where the best place to just get a small number of chicks?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sorry for the trauma.
Here's your lab information for next time.

VDACS Harrisonburg Regional Animal Health Laboratory
261 Mt. Clinton Pike
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22802-2551
Phone: 540-209-9130

Every state lab is different. Some are free, some are costly. You'll have to ask.
When I had a large number of breeds, I conducted my own necropsies. But other than a microscope, I had no ability to do in depth lab work. Since I started exclusively raising a rare breed, any time a bird dies, I need to know exactly and any other maladies that may have been present. So now when I lose a bird, I either hand carry the bird the 300 miles round trip to the lab, once even at midnight on a Saturday night. I've also shipped 2 birds that the lab provided a FedEx label for. It costs me about $100 each time but worth it to me to know how to proceed.

As a side comment, don't mix oyster shell or other calcium source with feedstuffs. You don't know what percentage of Ca you are forcing them to consume.

For 2 or 3 chicks, your local feed store is likely your best inexpensive source.
Craigslist is another option.
If you can find all your breeders in the area that raise the breeds you want - go that route.

 

[MommaDukes]

Thank you so much for your much appreciated knowledge!
Another question if I may, I only put out oyster shell for the hens to consume as they need or want, as well as roosters. Where you referring to mixing the oyster shell in with oatmeal for the sick bantam? I do have a lady in the area that breeds, so I will get with her. I like to get them as chicks so many can raise them from beginning. What type of chickens are you raising?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thank you so much for your much appreciated knowledge!
Another question if I may, I only put out oyster shell for the hens to consume as they need or want, as well as roosters. Where you referring to mixing the oyster shell in with oatmeal for the sick bantam? I do have a lady in the area that breeds, so I will get with her. I like to get them as chicks so many can raise them from beginning. What type of chickens are you raising?

Yes, I was referring to mixing the OS with the oatmeal. Optimal nutrition is in the chicken feed with the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Adding OS to anything can cause an imbalance of Ca to P.
I raise Black Penedesencas, the DP variety of the dark egg breed from Catalonia. I have the largest flock in North America.
https://www.galldelpenedes.cat/varietats

 

[MommaDukes]

Yes, I was referring to mixing the OS with the oatmeal. Optimal nutrition is in the chicken feed with the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Adding OS to anything can cause an imbalance of Ca to P.
I raise Black Penedesencas, the DP variety of the dark egg breed from Catalonia. I have the largest flock in North America.
https://www.galldelpenedes.cat/varietats[/QUOTE
Nice Birds your raising. Thank you for the heads up on mixing, they don't get mixed but with the bantam I sprinkled some of the dust over the oatmeal just a small pinch, not sure even that got much better f it. But I will make sure in future to keep that little tid bit in mind
Thank you
Again

 

[ChickenCrazyAnnie]

im terribly upset, I treat my chickens as pets ( I know they say not to but I just love animals and I'm a nurse so it's hard to loose any living being to me) she was the smallest of the crew and the first to molt. I brought her indoors in a confined room where water heater etc. is. And she looked pretty bad for a couple weeks, I went to our local co op where the farmers buy feed and such. A friend of mine that works there and raises chickens on a larger scale told me after I had done some research that most likely bantam was molting. Continue with my grower feed, add oyster shell for calcium and make sure she was getting plenty of greens. So I did all of that, I started giving her oatmeal with very fine lettuce chopped up in her food, along with the oyster shell , some water soaked raisins and cranberries. Some day a piece of banana. Plus she would go down and eat the bin food and drink water. I put her back with the rest of the hens once I was told she didn't need to be separated due to molting. She has been out in hen house, they are free range during day and locked up at night in hen house. This am I went out to feed her and she was dead. My heart is broke, she was doing so well, spent some time outside yesterday with the other girl in the sun. What could of happened? Today just in case I will cup lean out house. It doesn't appear the other hens did anything to her . I checked her very well for any pecking marks and ther is nothing, she was laying straight almost looked like she had a seizure the way she was so straight ? Heartbroken nurse who thought her feathered patient was in n her way to recovery. Her name was Nomad because since I got her at 1 week of age she was always a loner Would appreciate and insight into what may have happened as I have 3 more hens and 3 roosters ( roosters stay separate from my hens) that will go thru molting and would rather be prepared as I apparently failed Ms. Nomad

im terribly upset, I treat my chickens as pets ( I know they say not to but I just love animals and I'm a nurse so it's hard to loose any living being to me) she was the smallest of the crew and the first to molt. I brought her indoors in a confined room where water heater etc. is. And she looked pretty bad for a couple weeks, I went to our local co op where the farmers buy feed and such. A friend of mine that works there and raises chickens on a larger scale told me after I had done some research that most likely bantam was molting. Continue with my grower feed, add oyster shell for calcium and make sure she was getting plenty of greens. So I did all of that, I started giving her oatmeal with very fine lettuce chopped up in her food, along with the oyster shell , some water soaked raisins and cranberries. Some day a piece of banana. Plus she would go down and eat the bin food and drink water. I put her back with the rest of the hens once I was told she didn't need to be separated due to molting. She has been out in hen house, they are free range during day and locked up at night in hen house. This am I went out to feed her and she was dead. My heart is broke, she was doing so well, spent some time outside yesterday with the other girl in the sun. What could of happened? Today just in case I will cup lean out house. It doesn't appear the other hens did anything to her . I checked her very well for any pecking marks and ther is nothing, she was laying straight almost looked like she had a seizure the way she was so straight ? Heartbroken nurse who thought her feathered patient was in n her way to recovery. Her name was Nomad because since I got her at 1 week of age she was always a loner Would appreciate and insight into what may have happened as I have 3 more hens and 3 roosters ( roosters stay separate from my hens) that will go thru molting and would rather be prepared as I apparently failed Ms. Nomad

Hi MommaDukes,
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved hen. Please don't feel you failed, you didn't, nature took her from you, you shouldn't feel like it was your fault.
I have lost four hens to sudden death syndrome in the last for years, it always upsets me and I shed some tears but I believe that it was meant to be. I'm not overly religious, don't get me wrong, but they need hens in heaven as well. Best wishes.

 

[MommaDukes]

Thank you Chicken Crazy Ann, what r symptoms of SCD?