first question

[farmin' mama]

After searching on google for some answers, I found this forum..and since we plan to keep chickens from this point out (we just purchased our permanent home!) I figured it would do some good to join!

My problem is this.

We have 3 bantams a friend gave us, they are pullet age...one rooster and two hens. A couple weeks ago, after researching larger/ dual purpose breeds, we purchased buff orpingtons from a local farm (also pullet age, 9 hens and 1 rooster). The orpingtons were riddled with mites, so we treated those and about a week went by and all was well. The next week, I would go out in the morning to find a dead chicken in the coop ( this happened three times), it was always one of the smaller ones and I know they were healthy so we came to the conclusion that they were suffocating/ trampling each other at night. We have two roosts in the coop, and they refuse to sleep on them. We have gone in at night and placed them on the roosts, only to have them jump right back down. I eventually decided to separate the remaining smaller ones at night....this worked up until two days ago, when I found another suffocated/ trampled chicken in the area I had put them into. So, now we have lost 4 chickens total.

Any helpful tips?

I would GREATLY appreciate it.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I have bantam and large fowl running together and never had a problem at night when they roost. so sorry not much help here

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum!

Glad you joined us!

I don't know what you mean by pullet age. Mine normally don't start to roost until they are 10 to 12 weeks old. Others have reported it taking a lot longer before theirs start.

I'd suggest treating them for worms. It is quite possible they have a serious infection which will greatly weaken them.

It is also possible that they have some disease. I'm not going to try to guess which one it might be. I suggest you call you county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, and discuss it with him. I've done that and was put in touch with a local expert (University Ag professor) that I was able to discuss things with over the phone. One question I would ask is, if it happens again, how can you go about getting a chicken autopsy performed to determine what is causing it. There may be a cost involved, depends on the state, but often it is a pretty low cost.

It could be many things. I really don't think they are smothering each other. I've had 28 young ones sleep in that kind of pile and never lost a one. If I read your comments correctly, I suspect that your first ones had a disease they were immune to but passed it on to the others and the others are not immune. But I am only guessing. I really don't know.

Good luck! I know it is frustrating.

 

[farmin' mama]

We wormed all of them when we first got them, could it not have worked? If they were sick, wouldn't there be some outwardly signs? Everyone's poop is normal, everyone is walking around, playing, participating in the group...this is why we figured they weren't ill. I can't be sure, but I'd say the youngest of them are around 12 weeks and the oldest are 18 weeks...we were told that they would be laying in March. The reason I'm guessing that it was smothering or just being trampled is because when we have been going to check on them at night, they are all huddled and there is often one or two that are on the bottom of the pile, actually being stood on- then in the morning when I find one dead, it is the one that was being stood on. Maybe I am wrong

 

[farmin' mama]

I should add, they will sit on the roosts all day long; inside and outside the coop....but at night, they all smash on top of each other. We figured it's because the place we picked them up from was just absolutely crammed...that they are just used to it.