Yesterday, I found a hen dead, about 3 years old. dead in nesting box, but few days ago in corner . Today found another Gwen limping and in corner but did come out to drink. Only thing new , is I bought new straw from central tractor, it was compressed and in plastic . I usually by fresh and not chopped or compressed, but usual place was out. What could it be? I am afraid I will lose my hens
Hi, Ange. I'm sorry you are going through this. I do not pretend to be able to diagnose your issue on the available information. I will only say that it sounds like an issue I have had in the past. I would find dead chickens that appeared to have been fine one day and dead the next. It would run in cycles. Lose a few, then nothing for months, Lose a few, nothing for months. I sent several off to the state lab for necropsey with no positive diagnosis. I went down to the state vet collage to try to find answers. The guy down there said it was most likely Mareks (a virus) and that although there is a vaccine, it is not practical for back yarders. He also said that it is transmitted by native fowl and is EVERYWHERE in our state. The vaccine will not even keep them from getting it, it will just keep the symptoms from killing the birds while they fight it off. There no reason to medicate, the virus is unaffected. There is no such thing as a flock with no disease. Sometimes you have to just deal with losing birds, or decide not to have them. I will never sell, trade, or show birds if I suspect there is anything going on with them, but if you expect your flock to never have issues, or to be sterile, you will be sorely disappointed. I believe in quarantine. I do it whenever I acquire new birds, take birds to shows or sales (and bring them back,) and I highly recommend it to anyone that gets birds from me. You just never know.
