13 week old chickens dying left & right... cant walk *THEY ARENT BROILERS*

[chevgrl]

I have some Vit-tal i used to put in their water up until they we're 2mos. Ill start it up again. Would that work i think it has an antibiotic into

 

[centrarchid]

I have some Vit-tal i used to put in their water up until they we're 2mos. Ill start it up again. Would that work i think it has an antibiotic into

Again, if corrects your feed is bad for some reason or another.

 

[chevgrl]

Im kinda hopingyour incorrect cause i still have 1 and a half tons left of this feed..... and every chicken on my property eats this feed! Dang gum!!! I know the feed store isnt going to take this back! I got it 3 weeks ago

But im thinking you are probably right

 

[centrarchid]

Im kinda hopingyour incorrect cause i still have 1 and a half tons left of this feed..... and every chicken on my property eats this feed! Dang gum!!! I know the feed store isnt going to take this back! I got it 3 weeks ago
But im thinking you are probably right

If vitamin issue, then truely free-ranging might compensate but another option is supplementing diet with something that makes up difference. You may find need for continueing use of water supplement. If feed made in bulk locally, that increases odds something went wrong with mixing of formulation or how it was stored prior to 3 weeks ago.

Do not rule out other possibilities yet. If birds receiving treated water continue to drop then something else maybe at play. The way feathers are being held is not indicative of cocciodosis but you could be tangling with a bad case of worms. Worms does not cause limping, rather lethargy.

How does nose and breathing appear?

 

[chevgrl]

It's still just a 3 birds limping...nobody elses has developed the symptoms. Which is great but if it is the vitamins would the 3dirds be better in a day? It has been that their legs give out and then they are dead by night fall. These birds maybe improving slightly but they one is still just laying around only gets up if i shoo him forward the other 2 are up walking around but still have a VERY noticeable limp

 

[chevgrl]

No signs of coccidiosis... breathing and nasal passages are clear... they are all panting pretty heavily due to heat. Worms maybe a problem cause ive tagged a few to keep on eye on weight gain and all of them have pretty well stopped gaining.... again could be because of feed i noticed this morning that there are clumps of feed coming out which could be and probably is caused by water / moisture coming into contact with the feed at some point.... im pretty sure its as you say... luckily i have another 1ton container of feed... so im goin to see if switching over to that portion doesnt help... also i let them all out this morning hopefully this 40acres can handle all these Chickens .... weird thing is that im not seeing any symptoms from my other stock which is eating the same feed.

 

[centrarchid]

No signs of coccidiosis... breathing and nasal passages are clear... they are all panting pretty heavily due to heat. Worms maybe a problem cause ive tagged a few to keep on eye on weight gain and all of them have pretty well stopped gaining.... again could be because of feed i noticed this morning that there are clumps of feed coming out which could be and probably is caused by water / moisture coming into contact with the feed at some point.... im pretty sure its as you say... luckily i have another 1ton container of feed... so im goin to see if switching over to that portion doesnt help... also i let them all out this morning hopefully this 40acres can handle all these Chickens .... weird thing is that im not seeing any symptoms from my other stock which is eating the same feed.

Last statement concerns me. That could indicate a pathogen is involved. Mareks is first coming to mind that effects limbs but death not usually so rapid.

If both flocks recieving same diet but only one is showing compromised birds, it is possible that a vitamin missing in formulated feed is being supplied by available forage for unaffected flock.

Physically, how do birds feel in hand? Can you feel lots of meat or bone?

If feed is not problem, then taking some sick birds to your state vet might be in order. With some states services are or nearly are free.

 

[chevgrl]

For the one flock they free range almost completely but they do also have the feed readily available. But the other flock my 6week olds dont free range and are not showing the symptoms. But i just took the off their developer about 4days ago. How long does it take to start showing symptoms? These guys are from 2 different batches from hatcheries. The younger group is only a week younget and seems to be having the most problems but the older ones do/can get over the fence. The younger ones have alot less meat.... could the older and magority be starving out the younger?

 

[chevgrl]

I should say the are all out now and i came home from church and they were loving my porch thought it was the prefect pooping pad ugh.

 

[centrarchid]

For the one flock they free range almost completely but they do also have the feed readily available. But the other flock my 6week olds dont free range and are not showing the symptoms. But i just took the off their developer about 4days ago. How long does it take to start showing symptoms? These guys are from 2 different batches from hatcheries. The younger group is only a week younget and seems to be having the most problems but the older ones do/can get over the fence. The younger ones have alot less meat.... could the older and magority be starving out the younger?

When I have had known vitamin deficiency problems, if the vitamins are of the water soluble type (forms of vitamin B) it takes a few days for signs to develope. Loss of appettite is first sign which causes immediate reduction in growth. Sometimes birds simply become lethargic but other signs like loss of abilty to walk can appear start all at once. In some instances with death, the affected could appear normal one moment and go into death throes the next which sometimes can be induced by simply scaring animal. How this plays out is a function of what vitamin(s) are involved and how severe the deficiency is.


Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) take longer to show up becuase such vitamins can be stored.


Older birds could be starving younger but the limping issue followed by rapid death is not consistent with such a scenario. The business of foraging outside run could be very important in protecting older birds from this.