Chickens dying one by one

[obclhorn]

I started with a group of 34 chickens, including three roosters, getting them from Ideal Poultry at one day old. I've lost some to fairly normal causes, but now, ten months in, I'm down to nine hens, though still three roosters, and the primary culprit (at least 12) is full grown, healthy birds just dropping dead. I will come out to their coop in the morning and about every two weeks there will be a dead hen. No injuries, no sign of sickness, nice glossy feathers, just dead.

One time I actually saw it happen. The chicken was scratching for food and suddenly started acting like a person choking. After about thirty seconds, it just collapsed. We opened it up to see if there was an obvious cause. It hadn't choked. There was some clear liquid in the paracardium. That was the only thing abnormal.

Does anyone have any ideas? I'm getting desperate.

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm really sorry to hear that.

Here are some questions to help figure out the cause:
Is there anything toxic that could be causing this?
Is it really hot?
What breed do you have?
Are they getting enough riboflavin (a vitamin)?

They could have poor genetics, they could be eating moldy food. I would suggest getting them on vitamins, cleaning out their entire coop, and replacing the food they have and see if this helps. Hopefully it will.

 

[obclhorn]

Thanks for responding.

I don't think it could be anything toxic. The coop is in an open front barn. We're way out in the country. Two sides of the coop are the sheet metal barn walls. The floor is small rocks coveted in hay.

It had been very hot for the last two deaths, but the previous ones, including the one that I witnessed were during a fairly cool spring.

We have Rhode Island Reds.

They free range and get either layer feed or scratch. Would that provide riboflavin?

 

[NatureChica]

Following. Hope you find a cause. I had a similar issue years ago and no clue why.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC!

Many states offer free or low cost necropsies.

-Kathy

 

[GitaBooks]

Thanks for responding.

I don't think it could be anything toxic. The coop is in an open front barn. We're way out in the country. Two sides of the coop are the sheet metal barn walls. The floor is small rocks coveted in hay.

It had been very hot for the last two deaths, but the previous ones, including the one that I witnessed were during a fairly cool spring.

We have Rhode Island Reds.

They free range and get either layer feed or scratch. Would that provide riboflavin?

I'm not sure if layer feed has enough riboflavin or not, since I know some chickens get plenty of good food and still suffer vitamin deficiencies. I agree with the necropsy idea.

 

[CherriesBrood]

When you opened it up did you see any hay inside it?

 

[obclhorn]

I didn't, but they have a lot of hay in their coop. Is that a problem?

 

[CherriesBrood]

I didn't, but they have a lot of hay in their coop. Is that a problem?

It might be. My feed store does not recommend using hay for chickens because they ended up doing an autopsy on a lady's rooster that ended up dying for no reason and they had found hay inside of his throat or something like that, this lady had apparently had a lot of her chickens die for no reason and she decided to do a couple more autopsys and found hay inside of the others too. They think that is what caused them to die. Now I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, but it could be because of this reason.

 

[obclhorn]

So, I've caught one dying. The legs are splayed, as all the corpses have been. There was some rasping while breathing. But that dissipated. The chicken is just lying on its side, panting. She's willing to drink and otherwise doesn't appear distressed.