Flock Failure

[Pied Piper]

Hi,
I have six hens of varying breeds that have become pets and also, as my husband says, freeloaders. The girls are two and half years old and pretty much stopped laying regularly last July/August. At that time they started moulting (one bird at a time) so I assumed from my research that it was normal. Then winter came and here in CT it was quite cold with a good bit of snow. When the temp dropped below 25, I kept a red heat lamp on at night. Very few eggs happened so I assumed this was normal due to the short photo-period. Then I noticed funky lumps on their legs and feet and learned it was scaly leg mites. I treated according to the advise on this site and they seemed better. One of the hens - a Rhode Island Red stopped eating, became very depressed, and was found dead one morning. I thought from the stress of the mites. No other obvious signs of illness. We were down to three hens (A barred rock/Americauna cross, a Gold laced Wyandotte, and a Copper Maran) who still layed. The Maran started laying half size, yolk free eggs a few weeks ago and then stopped all together. The Wyandotte has become lethargic with fecal matter on her feathers and labored breathing, and of course, no eggs. Now we have one out of six that still lays fairly regularly. Also, every so often somebody lays an egg with no shell.
Pretty soon I will have to start buying eggs. I feed layer ration - crumble and pellet with scratch feed mixed in. I also offer oyster shell and grit. Occasionally I add some produce - corn or lettuce mainly. The girls are free range a couple of hours per day.
What am I doing wrong that my chickens are not laying???? Any thoughts what could be happening with the Wyandotte?
I'm so frustrated and never realized having chickens could be so hard!
Please help...

 

[centrarchid]

Health problems abound.

1) how old is your feed?
2) provide oyster shell free-choice
3) birds could be wormy

 

[Pied Piper]

feed is new. I only buy 50 -75 lbs at a time and buy monthly.
Oyster shell is provided as is grit. They show little interest in the oyster shell which is why I bought the grit.
How would I know it they are wormy? I asked about that at Agway, but they seemed to think there was little call for de-wormer. I am willing to try if that could help. Can worms cause the respiratory issues? What should I use?

 

[centrarchid]

Respiratory problems I have very little practical experience combating because so infected birds are culled immediately. Many of the respiratory ailments tend to be chronic and impractical to fight in a flock setting.

Check with others more versed in use of antibiotics.

 

[Folly's place]

Did they come as chicks from a certified hatchery? Vaccinated for Marek's? From several other sources?? Consider contacting a poultry vet, or your state lab. Have a fecal sample checked for parasites. Good luck! mary

 

[aart]

Pics and/or descriptions of your coop and run might help.

Have you examined them very closely for lice and mites by taking them off the roost at night and parting feathers down to skin around vent, neck and under wings?

What exact brand and type of feeds mixed at what ratio are you using?
Might be low nutrition if you're mixing scratch with crumbles and pellets - they need 16-18% protein.
If they have access to varied ground you don't really need to provide grit.
The oyster shell might not being used because of feed content....they don't eat a ton of it anyway.

With what, when and how did you treat for scaly leg mite?

They could have a respiratory illness that is chronic and hard to treat.

 

[Bethel3330]

I'm new but I wonder that too. A molt is very hard on them and they need a ton of protein to get those feathers back. I've heard experts interviewed and they say those types of mites don't generally cause lethargy etc unless it's an extremely severe case, which it doesn't sound like.
If you have cold hardy breeds they don't need a lamp in the winter. Their bodies adjust to the outside temperature and sudden fluctuations in temp, say, if they've gotten used to it and your bulb blows or power goes out, they could die in a matter of hours. They need help staying cool more so than added warmth in the winter. Protect them from drafts and make sure the coop is ventilated and they'll be fine.
Take a good look at what you're feeding is my advice. Good luck!!

 

[Pied Piper]

I'm sorry, have been out of town for a while and just checked in. My flock of seven is down to four. One died of a respiratory issue, one ofter the leg mites, and one was euthanized due to a retained egg that caused all sorts of trouble.
I'll try to answer the posted questions.
The chicks did come from a certified hatchery, through someone who bought a lot and then sold off most of the four day old chicks. I don't know if they were vaccinated for Mareck's or not.
Aart: I will take some pictures of the coop tomorrow. It's 5x6 raised about three feet off the ground. There are perches in a ladder type set up and three next boxes. There's a roof vent and windows that open in the summer. They have a ramp out the chicken door and a run that's roughly 20x6 at one end and 12 or so at the other. The run is fenced with hardware cloth dug into the ground and poultry netting over the top. We have shavings in the coop and dirt out in the run.
I feed 25lbs of layer pellets and 50lbs of layer crumble mixed as they don't like the pellets very well. In a four quart pail, I add 1/2 cup of scratch. The girls are out almost daily for a couple of hours to forage.
The leg mites were treated first with a soak and scrub in a bucket and then painting their feet with mineral oil. Finally I covered them in vaseline. I emptied the entire coop, let it air, and sprayed with a louse/mite spray. I then put down diatomacous earth and also rubbed it on the perches. Outside I removed the top three or four inches of soil in their yard and discarded that. I put down the D.E. there are well. The vaseline was repeated several times.
I have checked them for feather lice and mites but don't see any evidence.
Bethel 3330,The reason I have a heat lamp is that the first winter our americauna/barred rock cross got some frostbite on her feet and would literally sit shivering.
At this time the four remaining birds seem healthy but lay little. One white rock lays about four eggs per week. The other is molting, The barred rock/americauna cross lays well - about five per week. The Jersey Giant was laying very large but thinned shelled eggs. Often there would be a broken one in the nest box. She has now stopped laying.
Since the four remaining birds seem to be doing well, I am thinking of getting a few more to add in so I don't have to buy eggs. There's a farm near me selling out their stock. They have 10 week old birds as well as younger ones. Any suggestions on what I should ask? Is there an age that's better to get so they all get along and also bond with me? (my birds come when I call) What breed would be better for a good layer as well as calm and easy going? How would I feed a flock that's partly pre-laying and partly laying hens?
Thanks for all the help!!
Pied Piper