TheBajan
Songster
I have young Black Copper Marans. I started with a total of 20 all hatched this summer. One is from Omega Hills, 5 are from Greenfire Farms and the remaining 14 came from a breeder on eBay. The group from eBay hatched 8/5/20. When they were 9 weeks old I lost one of the pullets. A few days later, I lost another pullet. Since then, I've lost four more pullets. I've wracked my brain trying to figure out what the issue is and I just don't know. It's only pullets and they are all very similar in build and coloring leading me to believe that they are all siblings. They are all on the smaller side but fully feathered. Under developed combs compared to other pullets the same age. The last two that died had swollen feet the day before they died. The ones before that gave no warning at all. I've kept a heat lamp in the coop even though they are fully feathered because a while back I had gone out and found one nearly dead and shivering cold. I brought her in, warmed her up and after a few days she was fine. So I just kept a heat lamp out for them just in case. Sadly, whatever is going on with them has taken her too. She was my sweet favorite. I have another one this morning with swollen feet and having trouble standing. Her comb is not underdeveloped like the others were. I've brought her inside. I'm just devastated. Every morning I open the coop I'm scared to look inside and it's like a gut punch to find another one. Does any of this sound familiar? Is there anything I can do to help them? It's just the pullets and only from my Marans. I have other breeds (cooped separately) who are doing fine.