2 Dead chickens... please help!!!!!

[dab89]

While I was on vacation, one of my Deleware chickens' died! I didn't notice any unusual behavior before then, but I have heard that chickens are good at hiding their illness. My mother was "babysitting" when this happened. She noticed my other Deleware chicken acting lethargic, not eating or drinking, and losing feathers. She rushed to our local feed store and bought antibiotics and dewormer. She put the antibiotics in the water and the chicken seemed better, eating, drinking, and bossing around chickens' lower in the pecking order. I thought whatever was wrong with them was solved by the antibiotics. I was wrong. About a week and a half later after my first chicken died, I found my Wayandotte dead. The only thing I noticed strange about it was that it was slightly separated from the rest of the flock, but since it is at the bottom of the pecking order this isn't that unusual. She was fine yesterday, she was eating, drinking and laying eggs. Did I take them off the antibiotics too soon (they were only on for 4 days)? Should I have given them dewormer as well? Please help, my chickens are my pets, I don't want anything to happen to the rest of them.

 

[Whittni]

It sounds like a progressive disease and its something you couldn't have helped. It might be "Leukosis" or if there was blood in their stools, maybe "coccidiosis".

 

[Judy]

The best thing to do is have a necropsy done if you lose another. You need to check this out first as these facilities have different requirements for the condition of the body. Usually your state vet or a local ag college will do one for little expense or even for free.