Dying Flock

[aoxa]

Thank you for all your help and recommendations. I didn't really notice any weird behavior, but I am watching this one very closely. They were 14 months old (roughly). They haven't really been laying eggs but I assumed that it was because of the winter and the shorter amounts of daylight (I was told they need 14 hours of daylight to lay eggs). I am going to go to the feed store tomorrow and see what kinds of medicinal products they carry.

Thank you again for all your advice! I really hope I can save my last girl!

at 14 months they should be laying regularly through winter. This would be their first winter they would be laying.

If they are not laying, I'd be concerned. My Red Sex Links (just like your avatar picture) lay consistently. Every day. Miss a day every month or two. If your hens aren't laying that well and that is what they are (red sex link) they may have something like worms, or not eating proper feed.

What type of feed do they get on a daily basis?

 

[Lobzi]

Evidently fatty liver is a problem among chickens. You might try giving the last one some liver support such as Milk Thistle or Aloe Detox. Im doing that with mine and already had one seemly sick girl turn around because of the administration of both. Good luck with her.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I don't know what happened to them. :-( One died about a 3 weeks ago, and we lost one yesterday. They seemed fine until they died. Our last hen also seems fine, although maybe a bit bored without her friends. The weather hasn't been too terribly cold and I have a ceramic warming plate underneath their nesting box to help warm the coop. I don't see any sign of mites. I guess maybe they could have worms, although the hen we have is pretty active. Can I buy dewormer at the feed supply store? Should I try an antibiotic?

Also, I live in NJ and although I haven't checked Craigslist, I had a hard time finding hens during the warmer months. I anticipate that winter may be even more difficult. Would it not be better for me to order birds that have a guarantee of health? Or are those guarantees kind of loose?

I can wait a month and see how this last girl fairs until I get her some playmates. Will I have to slowly introduce the new birds since their is only one hen in the coop or can I forgo that process? In the meantime is there something I can do to help keep her occupied so she doesn't get bored and lonely?

Sorry for all the questions. I guess I naively thought I would have my birds for a number of years. I didn't really think about them dying :-(

There is no need to treat the remaining bird with any kind of antibiotic at this point. There are many different ones available for different problems and if she is currently showing no sign of illness there's no reason for antibiotic's.

With young birds that age not laying and multiple deaths I think the number one question at this point is: What are you feeding them? Are they getting a good layer feed as the basis of their diet?

What kind of coop do they have and does it have good ventilation?

Deworming is fine. A couple of good ones are Valbazen or liquid Safeguard for goats. Give 1/2 cc by mouth and repeat in 10 days. You can also dust for mites if there's any concern over that. Treat the coop as well. Most feed stores carry Poultry Dust for that purpose.