3 chickens dead in 3 months

[Izzy3bizzy]

Hi everyone.
Just looking for some answers or tips. We recently had 3 chickens pass away within 3 months. The first one should've been around 3 years old but I'm not 100% sure as the girl could've lied to us. She was acting older and not leaving the coop as much. The second showed no signs that she was going to pass away we just found her on the ground barely breathing then when I picked her up to carry her to the house she passed away while being carried. The third was today and again not 100% sure how old she was but was told she'd be about 3 also.
I've checked them for lice, and mites and other bugs and see nothing... As well there's no blood or signs or pecking to indicate something else killed them. Just seems odd that we've had 3 recently. We've only had chickens for 1 year so pretty new to it all. Is there anything else I can check to make sure no other girls pass away?
Thanks!

 

[Debbie292d]

So sorry about the loss of your chickens.

This does seem rather strange that they just die with no symptoms of anything.

My first things I wonder are, what are they being fed, and where are they kept at night, meaning, could it be nutritional or environmental? Do they free range or have a run?

Have you ever noticed anything odd with their poop?

 

[Izzy3bizzy]

So sorry about the loss of your chickens.

This does seem rather strange that they just die with no symptoms of anything.

My first things I wonder are, what are they being fed, and where are they kept at night, meaning, could it be nutritional or environmental? Do they free range or have a run?

Have you ever noticed anything odd with their poop?

They are fed rolling acres from peavey Mart both the layer one and then their scratch as a treat, and black oil sunflower seeds as a treat. They go into the coop at night, our coop is big enough for 16 and we had 15 when we lost the first one. They have a very big run for how many we have, and maybe once every two weeks we let them free range for a few hours then stick them back in the run. They also get our veggie scraps but no onions or potatoes or avocado.
Nothing unusual with their poop either. It's weird. All I can account for is the two ones I don't really know their age is old age honestly not sure when we got an egg from either of them last. And the middle one she had some weird looking bump around her butt which made me think egg bound?

 

[Debbie292d]

They are fed rolling acres from peavey Mart both the layer one and then their scratch as a treat, and black oil sunflower seeds as a treat. They go into the coop at night, our coop is big enough for 16 and we had 15 when we lost the first one. They have a very big run for how many we have, and maybe once every two weeks we let them free range for a few hours then stick them back in the run. They also get our veggie scraps but no onions or potatoes or avocado.
Nothing unusual with their poop either. It's weird. All I can account for is the two ones I don't really know their age is old age honestly not sure when we got an egg from either of them last. And the middle one she had some weird looking bump around her butt which made me think egg bound?

Oh dear, yes, you might be right. I would get them some oyster shell and put it in a separate dish from the feed. They may be low on calcium.

If you get another like that, you can give them a whole human calcium pill and that will give them contractions to help pass it.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Is your coop a prefab? And have you added any new birds recently?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for the loss of your hens. What breeds were they? Some breeds that lay daily can burn out after 3 years, and may suffer reproductive problems or cancer. Crop problems can also lead to illness. Do you check their skin for lice or mites? Have you ever wormed them? Getting birds from someone where you do know the exact age or history is a hard way to start out with chickens. I would stick mostly to the layer feed for 90% of their diet. It is complete and balanced, and the scratch, seeds, and table scraps can be like feeding candy. Fatty liver disease can be common when feeding a lot of extras. Do you put out some crushed oyster shell for extra calcium for the ones laying, and some poultry grit to help digest food and grass other than layer feed. Do you know what a prolapsed vent is? The one that had the “weird looking bump on her vent” might have been prolapsed. They sometimes can be eggbound with a prolapse, but most of the time, it is just a prolapse from calcium deficiency or straining to lay an egg. What state are you in? Most state vets can perform a necropsy and testing on chickens that die. If you lose another that can tell you what was wrong. Here is a list of state vets and how to keep the body before a necropsy:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[Izzy3bizzy]

Oh dear, yes, you might be right. I would get them some oyster shell and put it in a separate dish from the feed. They may be low on calcium.

If you get another like that, you can give them a whole human calcium pill and that will give them contractions to help pass it.

Oh I forgot we do give them oyster shells separate from their feed also give them their egg shells smashed up back to them!
Thank you though! I'm going to pay more attention to how they're acting hopefully before this happens again

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes oyster shell and grit are both provided in separate containers from feed. They will take what they need. Mine always take more of the crushed egg shells, but I also put out the oyster shell too.

 

[Izzy3bizzy]

Is your coop a prefab? And have you added any new birds recently?

Nope. We renovated an old shed last May. And I added chicks been in April but that's it

 

[Izzy3bizzy]

Sorry for the loss of your hens. What breeds were they? Some breeds that lay daily can burn out after 3 years, and may suffer reproductive problems or cancer. Crop problems can also lead to illness. Do you check their skin for lice or mites? Have you ever wormed them? Getting birds from someone where you do know the exact age or history is a hard way to start out with chickens. I would stick mostly to the layer feed for 90% of their diet. It is complete and balanced, and the scratch, seeds, and table scraps can be like feeding candy. Fatty liver disease can be common when feeding a lot of extras. Do you put out some crushed oyster shell for extra calcium for the ones laying, and some poultry grit to help digest food and grass other than layer feed. Do you know what a prolapsed vent is? The one that had the “weird looking bump on her vent” might have been prolapsed. They sometimes can be eggbound with a prolapse, but most of the time, it is just a prolapse from calcium deficiency or straining to lay an egg. What state are you in? Most state vets can perform a necropsy and testing on chickens that die. If you lose another that can tell you what was wrong. Here is a list of state vets and how to keep the body before a necropsy:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

I appreciate all of this!! Very helpful!
We had one Brahma cross, a langshan, and a Cochin. They get layer daily and then usually every other day a scoop of treats. We do oyster shells but not the grit, (that's the first I've heard about giving them grit ). No idea what prolapsed vent looks like, I'll go look at Google!
And I'm in Alberta Canada so vets are expensive and rare that they look at chickens