I don't get it... I've lost 4 chicks in less then a month to a mystery. I lost my beautiful bantam cochin hen tonight. She was fine not 10 minutes before. I was tossing everyone there night time snack of scratch grains. (Maybe about 2 lbs between 30 chickens.) She was happily eating, I saw my smallest rooster try to breed her and she chased him away, went back to eating. I was out to the garden for no more then 10 minutes and I find her dead on the ground about 20 feet from where I last saw her. Still really warm. No signs of trauma. No runny nose. She was bright eyed and fine just minutes before.
She was about 2 years old and one of my 1st chickens.
I lost an orphington pullet that was 6 months old last week. Curled up on the coop floor.
A few days before that I lost my black Cochin rooster. Curled up dead in a nest box. He was about a year old.
And a few days before that I lost my Giant Black Frizzled Cochin rooster who was only a year (He was kept in a different pen with only 1 other chicken and a goat)
All of these chickens have been bright eyed and appeared healthy.
I worm with safeguard only if I see tapeworms. I use Wazine (twice yearly). They all got 1 day of Wazine ... then 10 days later Ivomec....and then 10 days later Ivomec again. Last dose of Ivomec was about a month ago. I've never lost a chicken due to the worming. I don't see how it could be related? We have a LOT of worms here so I try to keep on top of things. Mainly we have a lot of roundworms and tapeworms. I usually have to treat every 3 months or so for tapes when I start seeing them in the poo. Could I be worming too much?
Everyone here has been looking amazing this year and laying like crazy! I've probably hatched out 100 chicks this year under broody hens and our fridge is full of eggs. Really high fertility on all the eggs I set in the incubator. I can't figure this out.
My ONLY guess is my neighbor doesn't like my chickens because one of my orphingtons found a way through the fence and into their very precious garden. They were not to thrilled. Well that chicken died so no more chickens in their yard... I don't want to THINK anyone is tossing something over here.. but I can't figure it out.
Ideas? I've spend a LOT of money getting some of my cochins and I'm scared I'm going to lose more.
I lost an orphington pullet that was 6 months old last week. Curled up on the coop floor.
A few days before that I lost my black Cochin rooster. Curled up dead in a nest box. He was about a year old.
And a few days before that I lost my Giant Black Frizzled Cochin rooster who was only a year (He was kept in a different pen with only 1 other chicken and a goat)
All of these chickens have been bright eyed and appeared healthy.
I worm with safeguard only if I see tapeworms. I use Wazine (twice yearly). They all got 1 day of Wazine ... then 10 days later Ivomec....and then 10 days later Ivomec again. Last dose of Ivomec was about a month ago. I've never lost a chicken due to the worming. I don't see how it could be related? We have a LOT of worms here so I try to keep on top of things. Mainly we have a lot of roundworms and tapeworms. I usually have to treat every 3 months or so for tapes when I start seeing them in the poo. Could I be worming too much?
Everyone here has been looking amazing this year and laying like crazy! I've probably hatched out 100 chicks this year under broody hens and our fridge is full of eggs. Really high fertility on all the eggs I set in the incubator. I can't figure this out.
My ONLY guess is my neighbor doesn't like my chickens because one of my orphingtons found a way through the fence and into their very precious garden. They were not to thrilled. Well that chicken died so no more chickens in their yard... I don't want to THINK anyone is tossing something over here.. but I can't figure it out.
Ideas? I've spend a LOT of money getting some of my cochins and I'm scared I'm going to lose more.
