bleached comb, weight loss, lays on side and cant get up, death

[Thefarmersmistress]

Their comb starts getting lighter. Then i noticed they have lost weight although they have been eating. Then they lay on their side and cant get up But can move their legs then die. It takes about a month and is a slow process. There are no breathing problems or outside parisites. Their cages are cleaned several times a week and the feed dished cleaned daily. They all free range for 16 hours a day. They are feed purina chick starter. Used corid as a preventative. No diareha until towards the end. Used wazine to worm them. They are kept very clean and in very clean living quarters. I also rake the free range area every day. Have been loosing a chick a week for several weeks. What could it be?

 

[into_my_web]

That sounds very strange.
I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[blackberry]

I'm new and not familiar with chicken particular diseases but that sounds to me like poisoning over time from some element. Is there something in the free range area that they could be eating?

 

[MotherJean]

Two questions: How old are they? How many have died?

A couple of symptoms make me suspect worms - perhaps tapeworms. First, the pale comb may be a sign of anemia. Second, the weight loss even though they appear to be eating. You said you treated with Wazine. Unfortunately, that only treats the common roundworm. I would take a fecal sample to the Vet to check for worms. It shouldn't be necessary to take the bird in and it shouldn't be expensive. If tapeworm (or other internal parasites) are found, your Vet can recommend an appropriate wormer. If it's not worms, then I would probably seek a necropsy on the next bird that dies. That is the only definitive way of finding out what's causing these deaths.