Chickens dying suddenly... 3 out of 9 so far. Please advise.

[Jordan Piel]

Good morning everyone,

This is long and detailed so please bear with me. We've had chickens for the past three years. We lived in town at first, but were allowed to have them in our yard. We got 4 to start as chicks, they were free range, grew healthy and laid with no issues. When we moved from the city to the country, they came with us and continued to be free range. My parents live on the property adjacent to ours, and all was well for a few months until one of their dogs got ahold of all of our ladies on the same day.

Flash forward to early this year. We built a large coop for protection, half under the safety of our barn, half protruding out of the barn for sunlight, bugs, etc. The coop is safe from predators, have had no issues with anything getting in. We got 9 new chicks, and they just began laying in August.

The first one died 3 weeks ago. We came home, she was laying completely flat on her side, under their roost with stiffened legs sticking straight out. She wasn't dead, but had labored breathing. When we picked her up she did not fight at all... she didn't even move really. Her eyes were open and she was alive, but completely spent and obviously not right. I saw no signs of an attack, no fluids, no puss, no signs of diarrhea, nothing denoting disease visible from the outside. We laid her back down and went inside to get a phone and start researching. By the time we got back to the barn (no less than 3 minutes) she had died.

Two days later, same thing with another hen. Found her in the same position on top of the coop, but she was already gone. We did not pick her up before examining her this time, and did notice clear fluid leaking from her vent, and it appeared swollen and open. Her eye and side of her face was covered in dirt, but I believe it's because she was laying down in the dirt at one point not moving. Both eyes were closed. Again, stiffened, straight legs, but no crust, puss, anything else visible from the outside on her face or body.

I did a full clean on the coop. Threw out the old feed and bought new feed. Scrubbed the water trough, and changed all shavings.

Yesterday (roughly a two weeks since the last one died) came home and same as both previous deaths. My husband examined her and buried her this time, he did not check her vent, so I don't know what the situation was there.

Additional info: We have 9 chickens, two should not start laying until next month. We had been getting 2-4 eggs a day, one day we had 5. The chickens are different breeds, 1 barred-rock, 4 Australorp, 1 leg-horn, and 3 rhode island reds.
The ones that died in order are... 1 Australorp, 1 rhode island red, and the leg-horn.
They were each running, pecking, and playing the day before they died.
The leg-horn was eating and drinking the day before also... I do not remember if the other two were.

I know chickens die frequently and without warning at times, but we did not experience this with our free range group of 4. What are some possibilities (egg-bound, disease, etc.) that may explain these sudden and continuing deaths in a small flock of 9?

Any help you can give would be helpful and much appreciated. Please feel free to request any additional information you deem necessary. I am interested in learning if we are doing something wrong, and also any tips, suggestions, or nutrition observations you may have for a healthy and happy flock. I feed them DuMOR Poultry Layer 16% Crumble.
They also get corn 2 times a week. When we have vegetable remnants they get those also. Fresh clean water daily. Coop raked out once a week. Fresh pine shavings in the suspended layer boxes once a week. We are now getting 3 eggs a day. Also if we should throw out the eggs in our fridge please let me know that also.

Thanks in advance for your time and advice!

 

[Saaniya]

I've read the entire post and I feel.so upset ..what is the temperature of their coop it maybe heart failure due to humidity or heat ..

Did they have well ventilation?

Clear water like fluid in poop is heat indication or kidney failure due to too much protine in diet

 

[Jordan Piel]

I've read the entire post and I feel.so upset ..what is the temperature of their coop it maybe heart failure due to humidity or heat ..

Did they have well ventilation?

Clear water like fluid in poop is heat indication or kidney failure due to too much protine in diet

You and me both! The temp of the coop varies. The sun shines directly in from 2pm to sunset, but there is access to shade at all times. The barn is open faced, so fresh air and wind is abundant. We live on a hill. I am open to any suggestions though if you think it's getting too hot in there. I'll take photos of the coop when I get home this afternoon and post those also.

 

[Saaniya]

I can understand how stressful situation is this ..
There are many people who made their coop well ventilated and broader there are sun + shade both but some times when heat start increasing young hens become more hot then chicks a normal hen had 45°C temperature which is usually very hot ..I suggest many people to provide Fan ventilation to their flock because they need it ..in summer time normal wind nd breeze is not cool them down ..

A neurophy / autopsy gives u exact reason of death which is imp if u continuously losing one by one ..

Maybe the eat some poisonous thing ..
Maybe it's a heart attach but when heart attack happens to a chicken they usually found sleeping no struggles but before that chicken unusual behaviour like flapping wings rapidly is one common signs ..

Just for a safe side ..
Move your lil flock to any other place or just clean / wash the entire coop lookout everyone if they have any symptoms . ..

Contact any local vet in ur area
Look out what they eat
What they forge ..

I feel so sad for ur babies
Hope now everyone will be fine

 

[Jordan Piel]

I can understand how stressful situation is this ..
There are many people who made their coop well ventilated and broader there are sun + shade both but some times when heat start increasing young hens become more hot then chicks a normal hen had 45°C temperature which is usually very hot ..I suggest many people to provide Fan ventilation to their flock because they need it ..in summer time normal wind nd breeze is not cool them down ..

A neurophy / autopsy gives u exact reason of death which is imp if u continuously losing one by one ..

Maybe the eat some poisonous thing ..
Maybe it's a heart attach but when heart attack happens to a chicken they usually found sleeping no struggles but before that chicken unusual behaviour like flapping wings rapidly is one common signs ..

Just for a safe side ..
Move your lil flock to any other place or just clean / wash the entire coop lookout everyone if they have any symptoms . ..

Contact any local vet in ur area
Look out what they eat
What they forge ..

I feel so sad for ur babies
Hope now everyone will be fine

Thanks! I have an extra fan; I'll plug it in for them today and hope that helps. I'll still post pics of the coop later also.

 

[rebrascora]

Where did you get the chicks from?....Private breeder or hatchery?... all the same source or the younger ones from a different source? Were they vaccinated for Marek's? Did any of your original flock survive the dog attack or do you just have these youngsters?

It is the time of year for Marek's disease to be at it's most prevalent. They are at the right age for it and legs sticking out straight can be a symptom of it. It can also cause secondary infections like respiratory disease or coccidiosis as it compromises the immune system.

Yes it may be something other than Marek's, but when you get a number of adolescent birds all dying in similar circumstances, it has to be the number one likely cause. There are so many strains of Marek's that affect birds in different ways, that sometimes it is too easy to rule it out because your flock does not display all the classic symptoms, when in reality they are perhaps suffering from a secondary infection caused by the Marek's virus suppressing their immune system.

Unfortunately there is no recognised treatment for Marek's other than supportive care and good nutrition (vitamin and probiotic supplementation to support the immune and digestive system). I would encourage you to get a necropsy done, or do them yourself if you can't afford one.... often you will see tumours on internal organs with sudden deaths like this to Marek's. A professional necropsy is recommended though as they have instruments to test tissue and of course the experience to spot irregularities.

I hope I am wrong and it is something else more treatable, but getting some testing done is the only way to know for sure, what you are dealing with and how to treat/manage it.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Saaniya]

Yeah it will be helpful if u show pics
Take care of ur babies

 

[Jordan Piel]

Where did you get the chicks from?....Private breeder or hatchery?... all the same source or the younger ones from a different source? Were they vaccinated for Marek's? Did any of your original flock survive the dog attack or do you just have these youngsters?

It is the time of year for Marek's disease to be at it's most prevalent. They are at the right age for it and legs sticking out straight can be a symptom of it. It can also cause secondary infections like respiratory disease or coccidiosis as it compromises the immune system.

Yes it may be something other than Marek's, but when you get a number of adolescent birds all dying in similar circumstances, it has to be the number one likely cause. There are so many strains of Marek's that affect birds in different ways, that sometimes it is too easy to rule it out because your flock does not display all the classic symptoms, when in reality they are perhaps suffering from a secondary infection caused by the Marek's virus suppressing their immune system.

Unfortunately there is no recognised treatment for Marek's other than supportive care and good nutrition (vitamin and probiotic supplementation to support the immune and digestive system). I would encourage you to get a necropsy done, or do them yourself if you can't afford one.... often you will see tumours on internal organs with sudden deaths like this to Marek's. A professional necropsy is recommended though as they have instruments to test tissue and of course the experience to spot irregularities.

I hope I am wrong and it is something else more treatable, but getting some testing done is the only way to know for sure, what you are dealing with and how to treat/manage it.

Regards

Barbara

All of the chicks came from the same source, our local feed and supply store. They get them every spring. As far as a I know, they come from the same hatchery, but I will have to double check on that.
None of the 4 originals survived the dog attack. These are all new chicks. 7 were purchased in March, and 2 in April. If they were not vaccinated at birth, then no they were not vaccinated for Marek's. We gave them medicated feed when they were chicks, but no vaccinations. Is this something we could do now, or is it too late?

 

[rebrascora]

If they are from a hatchery, it is less likely to be Marek's since you haven't added any new birds. Not saying it definitely isn't because wild birds or even the wind can bring it in, but a little less likely.
In my opinion it is not worth vaccinating them now. Chicks are vaccinated at hatch or even in vitro to give the vaccine a chance to build up some immunity before they are exposed to the virus. There is a school of thought that the vaccine may actually be contributing to the increasing virility of the disease, because it doesn't prevent the disease but mostly just enable the vaccinated birds to survive it, but in doing so, the virus gets the opportunity to mutate.

By the way, the eggs in your fridge should be fine but if you are concerned, then ensuring that they are cooked thoroughly rather than served with a runny yolk should guarantee it.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC and I am very sorry that you have lost 3 youngs birds recently. It can be difficult to pinpoint an exact cause unless you get a necropsy done to look for a cause of illness. If you lose another, I would refrigerate the body in plastic, and take or ship it on ice to your state vet or a poultry lab. Ask for Mareks disease testing along with the usual necropsy. Here is a link to contact information:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm
www.usaha.org/menu_item/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf