Dead chicken, don’t know what happened

[ChickenCanoe]

Most of the treats we offer, unless they are table scraps, are more expensive than chicken feed with a tradeoff of proper nutrition in feed. Where I live, scratch isn't much different in cost than feed. A can of corn, by volume, is likely to be more expensive than feed.

 

[cmom]

Here I give them cracked corn, oats, millet (sorghum), sunflower seeds. I give them very little as treats. I think of it as treats, just like I want a cookie once in awhile.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Corn and millet = 9% crude protein, oats = 12% crude protein.
Layer feed is 16% crude protein, at the lower range of acceptable protein for body maintenance and egg laying but more importantly, has higher lysine and methionine than the grains.
Chickens don't need cookies, they need protein.

 

[Candy S]

I’ve been feeding mine the formula in the book Fresh Eggs Daily by Lisa Steele. Layer feed, canister of raw oats, shelled sunflower seeds, flax seed, dried herbs, garlic powder, probiotic powder, brewers yeast, and 1 cup diatomaceous earth.

 

[rebrascora]

Layer feed

What is the layer feed you use?

If it is a grain mix as oppose to a pellet or crumble that may be your problem. Grain mixes allow the hens to selectively eat particular components of the feed and usually they go for the high carbohydrate grains first and the fines which contain the added essential amino acids, vitamins and important minerals often get left in the feeder or billed out on the ground and waste. High carbohydrate diets can cause heavy fat deposits and can lead to Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome which can cause sudden death. If this is the case, a necropsy would show thick yellow fatty deposits on the abdomen and most of the internal organs and the liver may be slightly greenish yellow and fall apart when handled. The bird's abdominal cavity may also contain fluid that has seeped out as a result of the liver haemorrhaging or rupturing..... just in case you feel up to opening your hen up and taking a look yourself. That would be my guess as to the cause of death of a relatively young adult bird that is not being fed a complete compound feed.
In my opinion you would be better giving your hens a pelleted feed which will reduce waste and has been scientifically formulated to provide everything they need and save yourself the time and expense of trying to create a balanced diet yourself.

There have been several posts this year here on BYC about people who feed these grain mix feeds losing birds to Fatty Liver HS or their birds suffering prolapses or other laying disorders which can be linked to surplus fatty deposits causing reproductive issues. Apparently it is a common cause of illness and death in caged birds like parrots too which are often fed a mixed grain feed.

 

[Kiki]

I’ve been feeding mine the formula in the book Fresh Eggs Daily by Lisa Steele. Layer feed, canister of raw oats, shelled sunflower seeds, flax seed, dried herbs, garlic powder, probiotic powder, brewers yeast, and 1 cup diatomaceous earth.

This might be why you have a dead bird.

 

[Candy S]

I’m feeding Nature Smart organic 16% pellet. My husband just came home from work and said that when he let the hens out of their coop this morning the one that died was in the nesting box but had her head in the corner and standing strangely. Could she have been egg bound?

 

[Relleoms]

What is the layer feed you use?

If it is a grain mix as oppose to a pellet or crumble that may be your problem. Grain mixes allow the hens to selectively eat particular components of the feed and usually they go for the high carbohydrate grains first and the fines which contain the added essential amino acids, vitamins and important minerals often get left in the feeder or billed out on the ground and waste. High carbohydrate diets can cause heavy fat deposits and can lead to Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome which can cause sudden death. If this is the case, a necropsy would show thick yellow fatty deposits on the abdomen and most of the internal organs and the liver may be slightly greenish yellow and fall apart when handled. The bird's abdominal cavity may also contain fluid that has seeped out as a result of the liver haemorrhaging or rupturing..... just in case you feel up to opening your hen up and taking a look yourself. That would be my guess as to the cause of death of a relatively young adult bird that is not being fed a complete compound feed.
In my opinion you would be better giving your hens a pelleted feed which will reduce waste and has been scientifically formulated to provide everything they need and save yourself the time and expense of trying to create a balanced diet yourself.

There have been several posts this year here on BYC about people who feed these grain mix feeds losing birds to Fatty Liver HS or their birds suffering prolapses or other laying disorders which can be linked to surplus fatty deposits causing reproductive issues. Apparently it is a common cause of illness and death in caged birds like parrots too which are often fed a mixed grain feed.

I’d be one of those referred to in this post; my one year old, underweight hen died of fatty liver just a few weeks ago. Her “treat” was fermented scratch & peck feed. I’ve since stopped feeding anything but all-flock crumbles. It really sucks to lose one, especially when you have no idea they’re sick

 

[Kiki]

I’m feeding Nature Smart organic 16% pellet. My husband just came home from work and said that when he let the hens out of their coop this morning the one that died was in the nesting box but had her head in the corner and standing strangely. Could she have been egg bound?

Could have been a lot of different things.

 

[Kiki]

I’d be one of those referred to in this post; my one year old, underweight hen died of fatty liver just a few weeks ago. Her “treat” was fermented scratch & peck feed. I’ve since stopped feeding anything but all-flock crumbles. It really sucks to lose one, especially when you have no idea they’re sick

A complete feed, be it pellets or crumble, really is the best thing to feed.
Sorry for your loss.