Dead Hens

[kronker]

I am wondering if anyone out there has any idea's about what has killed over half of my hens yesterday. They all seemed happy and such in the morning but when I arrived home in the evening there were two that were almost dead. They were listless and just laying there. Lots of phlem in their beaks, little to nothing in their crops. I tried some sugar water to see if they would respond at all, they did not. After I decided to put them down, I went in fixed super, after that maybe an hour had passed and there was another one doing the same thing. No success on revival there either. I raked their entire run, thinking it is something they ate. The grain is all fresh, the water was fresh. The only things that were different were that I had given them some lawn clippings the day before and I had given them a couple of fresh fish a couple days before. They had not touched the fish and I had not taken them out of the run yet. One of the fish had been picked at and the other was whole. The magpies and crows have been around getting at the fish as well. I obviously removed them last night. I had two more hens dead within another hour and one this morning that does not look good. What ever it is, it happens quick. I did notice that none of the hens that were effected seemed to have much of anything in their crops. The three that seem healthy are all eating and chickening around like normal. Sorry about the length, Does anyone have any idea's?
Thanks
Andy

 

[gmendoza]

I am wondering if anyone out there has any idea's about what has killed over half of my hens yesterday. They all seemed happy and such in the morning but when I arrived home in the evening there were two that were almost dead. They were listless and just laying there. Lots of phlem in their beaks, little to nothing in their crops. I tried some sugar water to see if they would respond at all, they did not. After I decided to put them down, I went in fixed super, after that maybe an hour had passed and there was another one doing the same thing. No success on revival there either. I raked their entire run, thinking it is something they ate. The grain is all fresh, the water was fresh. The only things that were different were that I had given them some lawn clippings the day before and I had given them a couple of fresh fish a couple days before. They had not touched the fish and I had not taken them out of the run yet. One of the fish had been picked at and the other was whole. The magpies and crows have been around getting at the fish as well. I obviously removed them last night. I had two more hens dead within another hour and one this morning that does not look good. What ever it is, it happens quick. I did notice that none of the hens that were effected seemed to have much of anything in their crops. The three that seem healthy are all eating and chickening around like normal. Sorry about the length, Does anyone have any idea's?
Thanks
Andy

Sounds like sour crop Andy. I have had a deadly bout of it before and I hear the tell-tale signs in your message.

Go and get some plain yogurt and some apple cider vinegar from tractor supply ( the kind for horses, only the acv,you cant buy yogurt at tcs.). Take yogurt and mix with chicken crumbles or pellets. drop acv into water about 50:1 ratio( a couple of drops per gallon water). Within a day or so they will be ok,hopefully.You also might need to drain the goopy white gunk from their crops by turning them upside down and holding ther necks with mouths agape and letting that soupy mess come out.

Hope this helps.

Gabriel

 

[kronker]

Thanks for the reply. I will try anything at this point. It happens so quick.

 

[Fancypants4569]

I dealt with the same thing last week. Lost 4 hens in 2 days and still trying to nurse one back to health. Was told by poultry guy at OSU that it sounded like they had gotten something viral from the wild birds. He told me to get them on Tetracycline as soon as possible. I have had them on Tetracycline since last Thursday and so far have not lost anymore hens.