B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[capayvalleychick]

I agree, that you should have dead birds necropsied. It should be done asap after death for the best results. Here, the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab will do poultry for free. Ask at the local university or vet to find the equivalent in your state. It's especially important since you have had multiple birds die in a short time.

I'm sorry that you've had so many chickens die. It sounds like you are doing everything that you can for a healthy flock.
I didn't have that experience with my SH chickens. One of their Dorkings didn't hold up to the extreme heat that we have here in summer, but that was my only loss of birds from them.
I haven't had the sudden death issues of healthy Dorkings that some of you have described. Every year or so, I might have one chicken die, with no reason. At one point, I was feeding too much grain, which caused fatty liver in my flock. That's the only possibility-although improbable-that I can think of for your birds. Layena is mostly corn based, but plenty of people feed it without problem.

I wish that I could be more help.

Kim

 

[ki4got]

reading your post, before I saw any other responses my first thought was 'necropsy'. that alone will tell you loads about what's going on, if there IS something going on.
sorry you're having losses, wish I had an answer for you too... I'm also planning a sandhill order this spring, so if you find something out let us know.

knock on wood I haven't had any losses short of eggs not hatching, but my birds free range daily (and hide their eggs somewhere on my 26 acres

). so far the only ones that are kind enough to let me find their eggs are the dorking girls LOL. one decided to lay on a bare metal utility shelf under the deck, so I put a plastic shoebox there for her, and in the last 3 days, the other dorking hen has also laid there, and I found a bantam egg today too! maybe they started something.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

It doesn't sound like anything that would have to do with Sand Hill. It's probably environmental.

Definitely go with the state, or a university, lab. It will cost next to nothing. Contact your extension service.

Best of luck!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Beware of hens nesting all here and there, eventually it wild lead to broody fatalities. You might want to contain them until after 1 or 2 pm until they are established in their indoor nestboxes.

 

[flowerchild59]

Quote:
I had some hens get sick. See my thread on the bottom of my signature line.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
actually those that have gone broody have been found within 24 hours... they come running for afternoon graham crackers. LOL that's how i found the current momma, and her 15 eggs. 9 hatched, safely in her indoor house, and they all now live in the dog crate outside.

but yes, once the big coop/pen is done then they will be captives until after lunch, until i'm sure they're all laying reliably. but right now i'm coop-poor. LOL there's room to roost but not anything else, an the pen that goes with that coop is occupied by 6 week olds.

 

[ga_goat]

I heard what you said about affording autopies " I have not had any autopsies done; I can't afford the only local place I've found. " Here we have a university and a county agent and the ONLY RECOURSE we have is a local vet and that is $60. up front ,,shovel is much cheaper .

 

[X2Farm]

Quote:
If you live in GA, you should be able to bring them to a State lab and have them tested, FREE of charge. A full necropsy will be done as well as cultures for certain diseases (double check what they'll be testing for, and ask for certain ones if they don't mention em). I've brought numerous birds to ours, for testing and some for necropsies and haven't paid one penny.

 

[ga_goat]

Quote:
If you live in GA, you should be able to bring them to a State lab and have them tested, FREE of charge. A full necropsy will be done as well as cultures for certain diseases (double check what they'll be testing for, and ask for certain ones if they don't mention em). I've brought numerous birds to ours, for testing and some for necropsies and haven't paid one penny.

County agent's office didn't mention any other option other than "take it to a vet" don't know anything of a State lab here , what title would it be hiding under .

 

[X2Farm]

Look under Labs and Depts
http://www.gapoultrylab.org/