- Feb 24, 2014
- 220
- 27
- 98
Alright. I'm completely at a loss with my chickens. Last Tuesday night I came home to find one of my Dominique chickens dead. I truly had NO signs of trauma and I could see nothing in poop and stuff to give me a real cause of death. In my area we do not have a vet that specializes in chicken care and so that left me puzzled. I should mention these birds came to me March 9th as chicks, so they are over 3 months old. Two days later I went to check on my coop as I had been doing VERY frequently in hopes to be sure no one else was showing signs of anything, heat exhaustion, ect. and I found my favorite polish hen was by herself and barely alive. I scooped her up and found her tail feathers matted and where she had been sleep was red poop. I immediately called my husband and had him buy corrid. At this point, I figured if my flock is dying off quickly her poop gave me the feeling I was looking at coccidiosis. However I have had my chicks vaccinated against this and Mareks, everything I found online and read pointed to it. Husband got home and I hand treated the little polish as well as began treating the whole flock, and I still lost my little Ophelia. Fast forward two days later....I lost ANOTHER Dominique. After them being on the antibiotic for that amount of time and I just went out to find my one and only Australorp had passed too. I'm at my wits end. I have cried all week and slaved over these chickens going out and nursing the weak and trying to figure out what the heck is taking my birds and Im just at a loss. My next thought is worms, but NONE of the poop makes me believe worms. I haven't treated them for this however, i mean the dang birds are ONLY 3 months old. If I were to treat them even, I have NO way of knowing what KIND of worms and the best way to treat them all. I'm looking for ANY kind of help or advice. I'm losing my birds left and right and my family and I are to be going out of town the following weekend and my neighbor is going to care for them and Im not sure she could handle having to deal with dead or dying birds. It makes me feel like a horrific chicken keeper. Please help me and my flock.
