dead chickens

[ddixson]

I am new to the chicken world and I have run into some problems. I have/had 12 amber sex link hens (that what I was told they were), 1 RhodeIsland Red Hen, and 2 Rhode Island Red Roosters. They are about 8 months old. Yesterday we went to the coup in the morning and it we found a dead hen. She was acting a little sluggish the night before. Then last night we went to the coupe and found another dead hen...they all acting fine in the morning when I had checked on them. THey do not seem to be torn apart. All of the birds have been losing feathers which we were told was because they are molting. The seond bird did not act strange at all earlier. We had then closed in to their coupe during the day because a snow storm so they were not able to get outside at all that day. Any ideas of what might have happened to the birds? I am very new to this and want to make sure that I am doing everything I can to take great care of them.

Thanks

 

[emys]

Is it possible they had a bad case of mites? Mites can cause low red blood cell count which leads to weakness, which could have caused freezing to death. Mites can also cause birds to pluck their own feathers. Sometimes you can't see the little buggers until it gets bad. The sparrows carry mites, so it is easy to have your birds exposed. Just a guess.

 

[meriruka]

I'd also check for moldy feed or anything poisonous they could have eaten.

 

[emys]

Is everyone else eating and drinking fine? Do you have any idea how cold the coop got?

 

[Chickenaddict]

Another possibility is lack of ventilation. Sorry for your losses

 

[PandoraTaylor]

First let me say

from Alaska

Second:
Give us the following information. The more you tell us, the better we will be able to help you.

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation?
5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
8) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
10) Describe the housing/bedding in use

Check around legs for raised Scales, mites cause serious damage.....
Check around Vent for mites, and poop.

 

[ddixson]

The ones that are dying are Amber Sex Links about 8 months old. 4-5 pounds. They have a plastic waterer and 2 plastic feeders. One feeder has scratch grains and the other has 16% layer Pellets. They also have a bowl of calcium/oyster shells. Food and Water is always filled. They are on 1.5-2" of pine bedding which we change when it gets wet and soiled. Their poop has been normal. They have lost their feathers on their backs which we were told it was because they were molting. There has not been anything that we can see that has happened to them to cause them to die. They are always locked up at night so nothing can get into them. They have a heat lamp in the coop since it has been in the 30s to 20s at night. We try to let them roam the yard as much as possible. They do have an outside run so that they can go outside. For ventilation they have 1 6X10" vents at the gable ends of the coop and a 12X12" chicken door to the outside run that is usually open.