20 week old pullets suddenly dieing.

[Spring Fleet Chickens]

Good day everyone.
So I have been dealing with something that I'm not sure how to treat. I have 3 coops. One with my 2+ year old laying hens. One with my 20ish week old pullets, and one with chicks. My young girls (20 weeks) are not laying yet and I have been letting them free range just about every day with my older hens. All seemed well till I noticed one of my girls was skinny. So I upped their food (they are on finisher/grower) and added diatomaceous earth for worms. I have used this many times this year and each time it seemed to do the trick. But not this time. I have lost 5 of my girls. The most recent was this a.m. and it was my little Speckled Sussex. She was still warm... not skinny at all. Nice and round and I had just looked at her last night and she looked great. Perched with the rest of them. Eyes were clear. All the poop looked good. But yet I found her on the floor of the coop this a.m.
I'm tired of loosening these girls. I thought I went above an beyond for them.
Every day they get fresh water. 1x a week they get apple cider vinigar added to their water. I deworm with DE several times a year, normally when one shows signs. Everyone gets treated. They free range every day I can let them out (weather depending) they always have food and a dry cool place. And I give watermelon and scramble eggs just about every week as a treat with herbs that help with their immune system. When it's really hot I add electrolights to everyone's water. And sometimes probiotics as well.

I'm tired of losing my girls. And it seems to only be my spring pullets. Not my older girls or my babys... yet..

Any an all advice is welcome. I finally decided to try an treat them with sweet bleach. Only, not as strong as I've seen people use. I diluted it by 1/2. And I'm going to wait an see for the next few days. I have 2 others I have a bad feeling about. One has been dropping weight but acting normal.. and the other doesnt seem like her normal self.
No sneezing, wheezing, runny or puffy faces, no bugs that I can see.

Help. I have no idea if there is a vet in my area that treats chickens. And I dont know where I can send the body to be looked at. I'm in central VA.

 

[igorsMistress]

DE is ineffective when wet. I would get them tested for worms.

Is it possible they've eaten something poisonous?

The only way you'll know for sure what is happening is if you send a dead bird for necropsy.

 

[slordaz]

They can still have worm over load , most vets if you take a sample in will do what is called a fecal float test for a minimal charge. the one that died this morning I would be double wrapping and refrigerating and calling to find out where to send for a necropsey they will be able to tell you exactly what your dealing with.
Also check them all for lice and mites, as them blood suckers can cause anemia and death too.

DE will not stop internal parasites

 

[Spring Fleet Chickens]

They can still have worm over load , most vets if you take a sample in will do what is called a fecal float test for a minimal charge. the one that died this morning I would be double wrapping and refrigerating and calling to find out where to send for a necropsey they will be able to tell you exactly what your dealing with.
Also check them all for lice and mites, as them blood suckers can cause anemia and death too.

DE will not stop internal parasites

I've been told that DE does kill worms. And while there have been case studies done and they were inconclusive, I've seen it work time an time again. But I believe this is something else. Hence the DE now not working. I've either got some odd viral strand going through my flock or I'm just missing the culprit. I checked over the hen I lost this a.m. and she literally looks like she just fell asleep. No signs of struggle or stress before she passes. What ever this is nothing seems to be working.
How do I go about sending her body off to be tested? Is there a site with locations?
Thank you for replying!

 

[Spring Fleet Chickens]

DE is ineffective when wet. I would get them tested for worms.

Is it possible they've eaten something poisonous?

The only way you'll know for sure what is happening is if you send a dead bird for necropsy.

I have been wondering the same thing about poison.. we live in the country and have a little bit of everything around us. Due to them being so young I've wondered if they just dont know what not to eat. Where as my older girls just know better. Again this is only happening to my young ones. And all my coops and runs are attached to each other. If this was viral I would think I'd see it in with my layers. But they are all fine. As of now.

 

[slordaz]

@Texas Kiki

She knows about all the stuff on sending in for necropsy

 

[Kiki]

What state are you in?

 

[Kiki]

I've been told that DE does kill worms. And while there have been case studies done and they were inconclusive, I've seen it work time an time again. But I believe this is something else. Hence the DE now not working. I've either got some odd viral strand going through my flock or I'm just missing the culprit. I checked over the hen I lost this a.m. and she literally looks like she just fell asleep. No signs of struggle or stress before she passes. What ever this is nothing seems to be working.
How do I go about sending her body off to be tested? Is there a site with locations?
Thank you for replying!

It's impossible for DE to "work" in a wet environment to kill anything.

It's worthless.

You newest/youngest flock...can you go watch them now and get a few clear photos of fresh poop?

 

[Kiki]

I have never heard of giving chickens bleach...please don't do that again.

I'd also stop ALL the extras and only give them plain fresh water and a balanced complete poultry feed. No ACV, no extra anything.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

How do I go about sending her body off to be tested? Is there a site with locations?

If you are in the US...
How to Send a Bird for a Necropsy

State poultry labs

I've been told that DE does kill worms. And while there have been case studies done and they were inconclusive, I've seen it work time an time again.

Actually there have been conclusive results that DE does NOT work as an effective internal dewormer. Whoever told you that may have been well meaning but was misinformed... as it is even stated on the package that it does NOT work when wet... which the insides of birds IS wet. Also, the ONLY species you will ever see in droppings is large round worms and tape worms. All others stay IN the intestines and only their microscopic eggs will pass... never to be seen by the human eye. A simple before and after fecal float will tell you your species load and if you even need to treat or not.. making sure you DO treat the species you have, if needed...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth

"Medical-grade diatomite has been studied for its efficacy as a deworming agent in cattle; in both studies cited the groups being treated with diatomaceous earth did not fare any better than control groups.[14][15]"

DE does help decrease diarrhea due to it's absorbance properties, not the same as dehydrating an internal parasite. My only point to you is that DE is giving you a FALSE sense of security.

Sorry you face this!

What does it mean that you upped their feed? The protein % or the amount they get? How long have you had these 20 week olds? What breed are they and where did they come from? Can you post pics of them and your set up?

Hope you get answers...