3 or more hens ate metal!

[Rachel TW]

It typically presents as a wasting disease without other symptoms. I did find this academic paper where a couple chickens also presented with incoordination -

http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol....nsively Managed Poultry in Zaria, Nigeria.pdf

 

[Rachel TW]

I am not sure about the normal weight, but because not much time has passed since you think they may have eaten the metal, I would weigh them now and then if they look or feel like they are losing weight later, weigh them again.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Thanks I’ll do that.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Thanks for the link. It’s very informative.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

I have two questions:
1. Should we eat their eggs if they might have hardware disease?
2. How long will it take to poop out the price of metal.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hi, guys. I know recently that my hen died from eating a small piece of metal. Now, I think my naked neck and 2 barred rocks ate the same metal peices. This metal is small degree left behind from nails that have been cut in half. So it might go into their gizzard and cut it and they die. I do not want to repeat what happened yesterday. So, I need help. If there’s anything you think might help survive, please feel free to comment. Thank you.

I guess that anything can happen but it surely must be some sharp metal for it to perforate a chickens' gizzard. I have butchered chickens and found half wore away roofing nails and broken glass in my chickens' gizzards. This is besides silver coins, and costume jewelry.

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

I guess my hen who died swallowed a sharp nail. All the others, are alive. So, they may have been dull pieces.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I know recently that my hen died from eating a small piece of metal. Now, I think my naked neck and 2 barred rocks ate the same metal peices.

They are very small peices. So, is there any chance of taking it out or having them eat grit or some type of food to make sure the metal doesn’t hurt them?

Guys, today I went to the coop and all my hens were alive. I hope they all don’t get hardware disease. Other than weight loss and pooping a lot, what are other symptoms of hardware disease?

I'm sorry to hear you lost a hen.
Did you perform a necropsy and find the piece of metal stuck in the gizzard or did you send the body to your state lab for testings? How do you know she died form eating metal?

Hardware disease is real, so I'm not dismissing the notion that your birds could be losing weight because of that, but it would be worth further investigation to help you figure out if they ingested metal or if there is another condition/disease/factor that is causing weight loss and pooping a lot.

Let's address the weight loss - how much weight has been lost. Have you been weighing them, what is the total loss? Or are you going by a body condition score - what is that?
Let's look at feed - what are you feeding, including treats? What's the protein % of the feed and how much treats are the girls getting each day - would the treats dilute the nutritional content of the poultry feed enough to cause weight loss?

Pooping a lot? How much is too much pooping? Photos would be helpful. Chickens do poop a lot, that's all they do is eat and poop. Are you talking about the size, texture, color?

Have you had a fecal float to check for parasites? Worms if there is an overload can cause some problems as well.

Check each hen's crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks to see that it has emptied overnight.
Look forward to more information and photos

 

[Rhodeislandsilkie]

Hi, I’ll try to answer your questions as best I can:
1. I haven’t preformed a necropsy. But, I have done the process of elimination. I do not know what else could have killed her. So, I decided it was the only logical explanation
2. I haven’t weighed them yet. But, I’m about to weight them and record it.
3. I feed them hen starter about twice a day when they run out in their feeder. I also give them a little bit of oats and an apple each day.
4. They seem to be pooping at a normal rate. Sometimes I find that their poop is green. But that was before the whole ordeal. That’s when they eat crickets.
4. I don’t think there are any worms. Most of their eggs are clean. But, today one layed an egg with a little bit of blood on it. Not too much to be panicking about though.
I hope these answers help you help me. Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I feed them hen starter about twice a day when they run out in their feeder. I also give them a little bit of oats and an apple each day.

How old are they?
You mention "hen starter" - is that layer feed?

I would also provide oyster shell for calcium in a separate dish, they will take what they need.
If they have poultry grit (crushed granite) provided, that would be good too.

Poop can be all various colors depending on diet. So if most of it looks normal, then that is good.