5 dead-no signs of trauma-3 hens 2 roosters-please any ideas?

[JulieZ]

Disneygirl ... this is my original posting about why I thought it was human. I began to doubt my findings which took me into some serious research. My end conclusions after reading everything is still the same ... I think my birds were dealt a bad hand by human predators. VERY hard to go out.

My girls ... when they started showing signs of rapid sickness, they all hunched down like they had an impacted crop. I took the advice of someone & gave them all some vegetable oil. I rubbed it on their beaks until they "licked it off". One I placed her beak into the oil & she took a little sip. I also placed 4 small handfuls of epsom salt into their 5 gallon water container. Read through both threads ... lots of good advice from the pro's here about how to deal with crop if you suspect it.

Not sure if I'm talking too much but this is too close to home so I want to help you in every possible way I know. Our agonies are the same.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=367126

 

[disneygirl]

CoopCrazy,

We just cut fresh hay last week, so they did have access to fresh hay as we waited for it to dry enough to bale. It is bailed and gone now. Maybe that was it.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Quote:
It could be I have heard of alot of folks' birds getting impacted crops do to hay/straw/grass.. If they eat to much then they cant grind it all up and if they cant grind then they cant swallowit.. Have you checked their crops to see if they extra large or hard???? If not I would do so .. If you can get them moving again they should make it

 

[disneygirl]

Thank you, I will check all for large crops and get to work. I feel just terrible. Thank you all for the great help! What a wonderful bunch of people you all are.