Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[ldutch123]

Can anyone here help me figure this out?? I had a 9 month hen who has been sittin on eggs since Friday. I pulled her of twice a day to eat and such because she had never been broody before and didn't appear to be getting out to eat. Well I came hide from work today and I found her in her favorite dust hole dead. What in the world happened. Where do I begin to diagnose this. I have 39 others in the coop she was in. everyone seems completely healthy. I really liked her and i'm upset but mostly I want to make sure there isn't done disease going around.

Everyone else seems fine. They free range, always have a ton of food and water available. It has been really.hot lately like in the 90s.

 

[thedragonlady]

Where was she sitting? In a hot place, or in a shady one?
I've been forcing hens off the nest 3 times or more a day in this 95 degree heat to make sure they drink enough, and then doing the same thing when they hatch. The chicks must have water often, at least for the first week after they hatch. Then everyone seems to get the idea.

Something to think about.

 

[Beekissed]

Really, you may never find out what happened on that one. I'd just watch the rest of your flock, keep them hydrated as best you can and wait....in the end that's all you can really do unless you are experienced in necropsy or can afford to have one done.

I've never heard of a young, healthy hen having this kind of death unless their was something wrong with her already....she could have been born with a weak heart and the dehydration caused by brooding and the heat might have over-taxed her weak cardiovascular system when she started the vigorous chore of dusting...who knows?

In the future, I'd hesitate to "pull" a broody off the nest for nutrition or hydration. I'd set food and water nearby and leave her be...they know when to eat and drink. We might think they are suffering but most times chickens disappear into the brush to set~without any source of water or food nearby~and reappear with a whole mess of youngin's weeks later. They are designed for this and, unless they are already unhealthy, they can withstand the ordeal.

I'd say your bird had pre-existing problems and that's something that just happens and you often can't tell from appearance or performance until that condition gets worse.

 

[ldutch123]

I found her in their favorite dust hole. She was all dried out too. This morning when I scooted her off the nest she ran outside n picked at her feathers and ate some grass and drank a bit. She seemed normal. I believe she even headed back to the nest. So what the heck made her lay down in that dust spot n die within a matter of my time at work?

Also Bee I try to keep the attitude that it is what it is but I have altogether 80 chickens. I'm so afraid I'm going to have a disease sweep through the whole lot of them. Everyone else looks healthy. The only one I have concerns with is runty who got her name because she was the run. She has always looked a bit thin and pale.

Also all these chicks were vaccinated for mareks when they came to me but the new ones that are 5 weeks old and have a seperated area have not been....could this be anything like this?

So from experts like u guys I ask you.....give it to me here. Should I be worming my flock ( I never have), should I be treating them with anything other than food water and housing and free roaming?

Also I just recently treated everyone again for mites but they were only around the vent not all over the bird.

Thanks everyone

 

[Beekissed]

I've never officially dewormed any flock of mine, so I couldn't tell you about deworming other than just preventative measures. I don't vaccinate or medicate either and have never seen a case of Mareks. The free roaming, good food, healthy balance in the environment seemed to always work for me, so that is what I always recommend.

Anyone else out there with experience in these matters want to weigh in?

 

[juliezoo]

I've never heard of a young, healthy hen having this kind of death unless their was something wrong with her already....she could have been born with a weak heart and the dehydration caused by brooding and the heat might have over-taxed her weak cardiovascular system when she started the vigorous chore of dusting...who knows?


I'd say your bird had pre-existing problems and that's something that just happens and you often can't tell from appearance or performance until that condition gets worse.

I'm not an "old-timer" when it comes to chickens, though I have raised exotic birds for around 20 years. Occasionally things like this happen, and as Beekissed said, it usually is a pre-existing condition. Sure, it is impossible not to worry about the rest of our feathered flock(s), but so long as the rest are well-fed and watered (clean food and water) and are free-ranging, they should have good immune systems and be generally strong. I would wonder though, did this hen have a clutch-mate or two? Sometimes we see genetic weaknesses in a family and then know to split the mating pair.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Being broody is stressful and it is hot right now, over 100 today for me. I agree the most likely cause is some preexisting condition. If you have 80 chickens, some are going to die. To me, one out of 80 is not cause for panic.

Since you mentioned mites, were those roost mites or northern mites? The roost mites hide in cracks and such and only come out in the dark. I had a professor that teaches chicken diseases at the University say that roost mites kill more broody hens than anything else. To find roost mites, you need a good flashlight and to check in the dark. if you have them, treat the coop as well as the chickens.

 

[ldutch123]

They are the tan colored mite that hang out around the vent. I did a total clean our of the coop tonight. Sprayed the roosts with Adams flea spray before any girls came in there and new litter and im also gonna put some de on the floor. while I don't think this was due the mites...I also don't want them in there. No clutch mate to my knowledge. All my birds ate just Hatchery birds. She was the only salmon fav. I got...I did really like her she was the only really noisy one always lol. Named her five toe because I thought she was deformed

I won't get too worried I just felt like oh no could this be a disease spreading. Also all 80 birds aren't in one coop and there is tons of ventilation. Almost every wall has a huge window cut out. We fixed that little issue. It was so hot in there. BUT I can'tkeep the stupid sparrows out of there!!
Thanks for all your suggestions. I have no one around here who knows anything about poultry so I really rely on this forum and the internet research

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Idutchh, is it possible a dog or something pounced on her while she was dust bathing? I know mine really get into it an aren't always looking out for trouble trouble...the flopping around could attract something too? A broken neck is all it takes, no wounds necessarily.

 

[jazzy519]

I have a stupid question. Is a hen the full size and weight when it starts to lay or does she grow more? And the same thing with a rooster?