Cockerel stopped crowing & hens not laying.

[emma121081]

Hi,

Any help would be greatfully received.

We noticed a few weeks ago that our RIR cockeral had lost most of his tail feathers and when you looked at him from behind his skin was showing and bright red. Someone told me this was mites so we have dusted all the chickens with mite powder and cleaned and sprayed the sheds.

Since then he has also stopped crowing and he generally seems not himself, although he is eating and drinking as normal and his dropings seem normal, he does nt have much energy, his comb has gone a paler colour, he can't run as quickly as he was doing. I have nt seen him mounting any of the hens either.

Having read bits and pieces on the internet I've been looking for more symptoms and a couple of our hens seem to be holding their heads up occassionally when they breath. They have also all stopped laying over night, 7 eggs one day and not 1 the next. Could this be a seasonal thing with the nights getting darker earlier? Could this be a respitory infection in all of the birds?

The birds are getting a iron and vitamin suppliment in their water and I have ordered some wormer because I don't know if the people we bought them from have done them.

Any other ideas?

Thanks

Emma

 

[CHIC]

Have your hens gone into molt?

 

[emma121081]

Hi,

There are one or two starting to moult. Would that make them all stop laying at the same time?

Sorry if this sounds stupid. I don't know a great deal about chickens.

Emma

 

[CHIC]

Well, feathers missing and reduction in egg laying leads me to think molting but since your roo is getting a pale comb that makes me worry. I'm no expert though. There is a member on here, threehorses, who is very knowledgable on these things. Try to contact threehorses.

 

[emma121081]

CHIC,

Thanks, I'll try to contact threehorseshoes.

Emma

 

[drumstick diva]

you mention giving them an iron and vitamin supplement. Everytime I've seen vitamins mentioned on this forum it's always been followed by NO IRON. I don't know why it should be avoided but I'm sure there is a good reason.

 

[emma121081]

Cockeral died yesterday morning. Does any one have any idea if this could have been a disease? Or would he have died from natural causes? He was a young cockeral. All our other birds are fine apart form going through moult. Just I'm worried if he carried a disease that they will also die from it.

Any help would be great.