Chickens dying

[Wyorp Rock]

My remaining hen is a 3 year old black decline. She lays eggs regularly - about 5 a week. She doesn’t have lice or mites and she’s been recently dewormed. I don’t see or feel any swelling or bloat, but I could probably miss that unless it was very obvious. To me, she doesn’t look any different than she ever has, except she is a little mopey right now since her coop mate died yesterday.
She has had a soiled butt (I think I saw this as a symptom) for about a month now. She’s also had poor eggshell quality this laying season. I assumed that it was a calcium problem, but now I wonder if it’s fatty liver disease. Her poop was a bit watery today, but it rained and washed away so I can’t get a picture.

It would be a good idea to clean up her bum. Offer her some extra calcium and poultry vitamins for a few days.

 

[SJC510]

It would be a good idea to clean up her bum. Offer her some extra calcium and poultry vitamins for a few days.

Thank you! I will do that!

 

[Kathy Golla]

You should send the hen you lost Friday into WV state vet tomorrow for a necropsy.
That’s the only way you are going to start find out what is going on.
Anything else is just conjecture.

 

[Edingerfarm]

I have mature hens, different ages but as old as 6 years. I was given hens about 2 years ago and they were all fine, but I have lost two of them this week. The first one was sitting, wouldn't move. I moved her to the water and she wobbled further away and lay down panting then died. This morning, I found a hen dead in the coop. I am feeding oats, scraps and laying crumbles ( non medicated). Any ideas? I am worried about my remaining 13 hens. Also they free range every day.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have mature hens, different ages but as old as 6 years. I was given hens about 2 years ago and they were all fine, but I have lost two of them this week. The first one was sitting, wouldn't move. I moved her to the water and she wobbled further away and lay down panting then died. This morning, I found a hen dead in the coop. I am feeding oats, scraps and laying crumbles ( non medicated). Any ideas? I am worried about my remaining 13 hens. Also they free range every day.

Did you start a thread, if you did I'm not finding it.

It's very hard to know why a bird has died unless further testing/necropsy is performed. Sending the body to your state lab is a good way to get more information. Another way would be to perform your own informal necropsy to see if there is something obvious like Fatty Liver/Abnormal Liver, reproductive problems (cancer, peritonitis, etc.), impacted gizzard/crop. Your location is not shown, so you can look up your lab here https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

With laying hens, I have found that reproductive disorders seems to be the cause of death in my flock. Sadly, there is not much that can be done about that.

Taking some stool samples to your vet for testing is always a good idea. Ensure your birds have fresh clean water, fresh food and don't have lice/mites are other measures you can take.