Chickens dying after laying

[centrarchid]

Get some fresh dark greens into the chickens as a source of vitamin K. The poison likely makes for an increased need for vitamin K. Discard current bag of feed replacing it with another that is freshly made (check run date so no more than 30 days old) and supplement with a chick starter feed to increase vitamin intake. Store feed in cool, dark and dry location such as provided my a covered metal trash barrel.

Look into means other than poisons to control your rodent problem. Limiting access to feed, especially at night will be a good start. Cleaning up empty feed bags and other sites rodents use for nesting helps as well. Check into methods for drowning mice in buckets of water as they will become more effective as mice have hard time finding spilled grain. I use a limited ration that is completely consumed during day before birds go to roost which means feed applied in morning and I have to check in evening to decide whether more or less it to be applied the following day..

 

[Cindy in PA]

This could be the reason...Picking?.....Hang curtains on your nest boxes....

Picking in Chickens is caused by these factors....

Too hot
Too crowded
Short of fresh air
Lack of protein in the diet or the Coop is too brightly lit....Layer feed should be at 18%.....Fresh water at all times....

Vaseline on the areas being picked will deter them, Chickens hate Vaseline ..

Best wishes...

I think too this sounds like picking. I had a group of sex links one year that went from perfectly healthy to total bloodied butts in a day. I used Rooster Booster Pick No More (Now sold at TSC) and it cured them right away. They can of course peck each other to death from blood loss.

 

[chickens really]

Also speculating that the Chickens ate the poisoned mice is a bit far fetched....This started as they began laying...If the vent is exposed during egg laying for the others to see they may turn into what they are?...Cannibals..., pick that area........Also no true symptoms of poisoning...

Cheers!

 

[bobbi-j]

I think too this sounds like picking. I had a group of sex links one year that went from perfectly healthy to total bloodied butts in a day. I used Rooster Booster Pick No More (Now sold at TSC) and it cured them right away. They can of course peck each other to death from blood loss.

Did yours all die shortly after the picking started? That's the thing here. The chickens are all dying.

 

[chickens really]

 


​I think too this sounds like picking.  I had a group of sex links one year that went from perfectly healthy to total bloodied butts in a day.  I used Rooster Booster Pick No More (Now sold at TSC) and it cured them right away.  They can of course peck each other to death from blood loss.

Did yours all die shortly after the picking started? That's the thing here. The chickens are all dying. 

Sounded like it?....OP needs to clarify ..

 

[bobbi-j]

We had mice in the coop so thought the chickens had mites because they lost all the feathers around their vents. Then they started dying. They lose the feathers around the vents, then get bloody and there seems to be bruising or blood under the skin just inside the vent, then they lay for a few days with blood on the eggs followed by the chicken dying. The dead chicken has a bloody open vent with no feathers. Can you please help us figure out what is happening? We only have a few chickens left.

Looks pretty clear to me...

 

[chickens really]

We had mice in the coop so thought the chickens had mites because they lost all the feathers around their vents. Then they started dying. They lose the feathers around the vents, then get bloody and there seems to be bruising or blood under the skin just inside the vent, then they lay for a few days with blood on the eggs followed by the chicken dying. The dead chicken has a bloody open vent with no feathers. Can you please help us figure out what is happening? We only have a few chickens left.

Looks pretty clear to me... 

Great highlighting....Picking for sure..........

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm not saying it can't be picking, and you're right - I am just speculating about the mice since OP stated that there were mice in the coop and they put out poison. I have not experienced vent-picking before, so I don't know what it looks like. How often does it happen to your chickens that they get picked to the point of bleeding to death? (OP didn't mention copious amounts of blood, so I guess that wasn't on my radar) Also, could you please show me where it says this all started when they started laying? I missed that part. Since neither of us can actually see or experience what the OP is, we could both be totally way off base.

 

[chickens really]

I'm not saying it can't be picking, and you're right - I am just speculating about the mice since OP stated that there were mice in the coop and they put out poison. I have not experienced vent-picking before, so I don't know what it looks like. How often does it happen to your chickens that they get picked to the point of bleeding to death? (OP didn't mention copious amounts of blood, so I guess that wasn't on my radar) Also, could you please show me where it says this all started when they started laying? I missed that part. Since neither of us can actually see or experience what the OP is, we could both be totally way off base. 

Reread the original post.......My Birds have never done this......I do know Birds...Many years of experience and great friends...... Although I know of a few friends who have dealt with the issue ............picking is a horrid issue..

 

[ShrekDawg]

It never says it was from when they started laying though.

Your post kind of sounded like you were saying these were new layers, which is I think what bobbi was asking about, and the OP does not say that.

It says they lay for a few days, which doesn't necessarily mean they weren't laying before or they're new layers, I think it was just a way to say how long they live for.

But either way, it could be picking and OP needs to look at every option here, I also think it's weird that almost every single chicken has died and it is in exactly the same way every time. Seems a little too coincidental to only be picking and that would have to be a darn vicious chicken to do that that bad but I could be wrong.

But mine used to bully my one hen (though never to the point of blood) and occasionally pull feathers and it went on for months no matter but then they stopped. But it went for months. No sudden deaths.

I find it strange they died THAT fast, usually with picking there's time to notice the symptoms and get them treated..

But again, I could be wrong and this could just be a SEVERE case.

Either way, eliminate the poison snd try adding some Poultry NutriDrench to their water or some scrambled eggs. That should help with possible nutrient deficiency with picking as well as boosting their system if it is poison. Also try upping the protein and maybe letting them free range. They can pick for protein or not enough space