Chickens Keep Dying Help?

[mrswes1988]

Hello! Can someone help me PLEASE! This year we started feeding our chickens veg, fruits, and bread along with their reg feed and my chickens keep getting sick and dying! I also had less egg production. I've reworked them, treated them, and tried everything I could think of to rectify the problem. Could it be the veg,fruit and bread?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hello! Can someone help me PLEASE! This year we started feeding our chickens veg, fruits, and bread along with their reg feed and my chickens keep getting sick and dying! I also had less egg production. I've reworked them, treated them, and tried everything I could think of to rectify the problem. Could it be the veg,fruit and bread?

A little more info would be helpful - what's the proportion of fruit/veg/bread to feed? What's the percentage of protein in the feed? What are the symptoms they show prior to expiring?

Bread really isn't good for chickens except as an occasional treat; overfeeding could result in nutritional deficiency and decreased laying. Are you feeding more than just as a treat?

 

[mrswes1988]

Yes I am feeding them a loaf almost everyday because they love it. Along with greens and occasional fruit. I have 22 chickens. This is only my second year so I'm still learning

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I hear you - they do love it, and mine would probably prefer just bread to their complete feed...but I liken bread (especially white, processed bread) to junk food for chickens. A little, occasionally, is fine. When it starts to become too large a part of their diet is when it becomes a problem. Try cutting out the bread entirely to rule it out as at least a contributor to the issue.

 

[mrswes1988]

Thank you! I will!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hope they feel better soon. Please update us when you can.

 

[casportpony]

Hello! Can someone help me PLEASE! This year we started feeding our chickens veg, fruits, and bread along with their reg feed and my chickens keep getting sick and dying! I also had less egg production. I've reworked them, treated them, and tried everything I could think of to rectify the problem. Could it be the veg,fruit and bread?

If another dies you should have a necropsy done. @ChickenCanoe , can you comment a good diet for poultry?

-Kathy

 

[horrocksfarm]

I'm at a loss...completely heartbroken.....my chickens are spoiled, they always have access to food and water, I give them rooster booster vitamin and electrolytes probiotics, feed is dumar layer crumbles, at night I give them black sunflower seeds and just started giving them some scratch just as a treat. They have 1/4 acre to free range during the day. They have a big 24x13 covered in closed run with perch and nesting boxes, dirt floor. I have lost two hens within 2 weeks, I saw with the first one that when she pooped there was a round worm in it so I went straight out and got wazine and treated all of them. She seemed off so I brought her in and 3 days later she passed. 2nd one just passed tonight, it had been two weeks since worming them and she stayed to herself just not acting right, quiet, not eating or drinking kind of labored breathing so I brought her in and 3 days she passed. Her poop was watery green and white. Empty crop on both when I brought them in, thought 2nd one was egg bound so treated as recommended and after the bath she perked up some and ate and drank. Gave her polyvisol on day 1, day 2 I gave her nutra-drench and later tylan thinking maybe that would help. I tried scrambled eggs, oatmeal and yogurt. 2nd one was a young layer 1st one was about 11 months. I know it may not seem like a big deal but these are my babies...if anyone can guide me what to look for or what to have on hand so if another falls ill I would appreciate it. I don't have the money to send them to a specialist and I'm still new to raising chickens so I have searched all over the Web to narrow it down but I get conflicting answers....it's about as good as diagnosing yourself on webMD.

 

[chickens really]

Just my opinion......Feeding Chickens all kinds of treats in not good for the overall health of the Birds....They only need the proper Chicken food...Balanced nutrition =Healthy Birds......In the years I have raised Chickens I have never encountered any of these common illnesses posted on BYC....it is fun to feed chickens treats because they get so excited over them...I only feed my Birds age appropriate feed, occasional scratch and a veg one or twice a week....I free range daily and toss out a bit of feed on the ground and that even gets them excited....Treats at 5% is all they need...Meaning 1 Tablespoon a day per Bird.....
Water at all times....Granite grit at all times...Oyster shell at all times once laying starts....

Pumping them full of Meds can actually make them worse...Yogurt is a NO , NO.....Chickens can not process dairy....Bread is bad....Can impact the crop......

Anyways,


Cheers!

 

[ellend]

Hello! Can someone help me PLEASE! This year we started feeding our chickens veg, fruits, and bread along with their reg feed and my chickens keep getting sick and dying! I also had less egg production. I've reworked them, treated them, and tried everything I could think of to rectify the problem. Could it be the veg,fruit and bread?

Try maintaining them on only high quality commercial feed; no more than 10% treats, and not even that in stressful weather. Fruits, vegs, & breads: think mold, e-coli contamination, ergot poisoning. Bread isn't nutritional, anyway. If the chikens' poops are green and watery, it may be Clostridium perfingins from eating something bad. Lincomycin from only pigeon supply website, per package directions. Any toxic plants within their reach? Begonias? Jimson weed / datura? Etc...