Dying black star. WHY???

[jessierose]

I am baffled. This guy looks fine, everyone in the run with him looks fine but he is clearly dying. Hasn't moved in hours. Barely wakes when I pick him up. I have tried to keep him warm and gently dribble yogurt, egg white, sugar water on the side of his beak and he just stays unconscious.
The mystery is driving me crazy! Will everyone else be okay? What can I look for to give me clues to what's killing him??? If it's something contageous, what do I need to do for the others?
They have only been in their new house a week and are 2 months old. They were vaccinated against Mareks.

Any ideas? I think he is past saving but I am panicked about the others!

 

[jessierose]

For what it's worth...here is a pic. He is a little puffed up in the feathers. He isn't really this big. That's the only thing that is odd about him. Other than...the obvious. Do they sometimes just....die?!

 

[Orphy]

no, they usually don't just die. Could this be a parasite problem? have they been wormed? dusted for mites?
Could they have gotten a hold of moldy food?

 

[jessierose]

No, I haven't wormed or dusted them. What products should I use? And, is there a way to tell if this is what they had? I have heard of blue combs on wormy birds but that's not present here.
Any other signs?

They did eat the odler chickens' food yesterday for the first time. It's not moldy but it isn't the starter feed they have had their whole lives.

 

[Orphy]

The feed store will have a wormer that you can add to their drinking water (wazine or something like that), also they should have a powder that you can put on them for mites. Eating the laying pellets shouldn't cause a problem. I don't know if it is a parasite problem for sure, just trying to rule out what could be causing him to be so energy drained.
I would also give the flock a boost of vitamins and electrolytes to help ward off any problems that might be brewing with them.

I would try and see if any of these help, watch the other chickens and see if they start acting the same way and isolate them ASAP to prevent it from spreading. Maybe someone else will have another suggestion.

 

[jessierose]

Ok, I ran out and got the wormer and diatomaceous earth.
Everyone else looks perky and silly like usual. Don't know about this one.
Actually, quite a few of them got stuck outside in a rain storm on Thursday night when a tree branch fell on the door and blocked the way. None of the others seems sick or sluggish.
Too weird.