4th dead hen in 4 months

[the egg lady]

Reality has finally struck me that I have a problem other than old age hens. My youngest hens are 10 and the oldest probably close to 14. This morning I went out to find another dead hen which I was half expecting to find. Four months ago, give or take, I had a sluggish 10 - 12 year old hen whose comb was getting purple. Within a couple more days she was mostly just sitting but somewhat alert, and her comb was purple. Next day she was dead. Next month the same thing happened with another hen. I figured these hens were so old that this was normal or perhaps the heat was bothering her. Last month it happened again only I noticed that there was a large very dark, maybe blood?, discharge underneath. The same sequel of events has happened this week even the very large discharge underneath and now another old friend has passed. Four hens in four months with the same symptoms cannot be a coincidence. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[dmccann]

cocci?