found dead hen in laying box

[effie]

Quote:
I am in WV near the Ohio river border--I have a light on all the time in the coop except during really sunny days. There has never been any poison or insecticides in the coop area-everything is nice and dry.I went down this evening at 8:30 and she is in the same laying box I found the other one dead in-farthest away in the corner- I have the double row metal laying boxes--5 on 5. Her poo is grass green_I don't know if that means anything-she looked at me when I went in but didn't get up-the other hen was all over me. I fear I will find her dead it the morning-I doubt they all had the same mother coming from tractor supply so I have no idea....I have been stumped as to what these hens really are anyway-the original owner said RIR-no way-they are light orange ) thought maybe New hampshire Red??? I don't know . She is definitely done molting-she is full of feathers and healthy looking other than the lethargic and poopy butt thing.
edited----OMG- I may have fed them some potato peels about a week ago-I can't remember what I did with them-they usually go to the compost pile-I never knew they couldn't have them-they weren't green -one person on here wrote they could have them -just not green ones--my grandmother always had chickens and I have had them before --I never heard that --I am so embarrassed and sad that I might have caused this-what are the symptons?????? It still doesn't explain them not laying eggs since christmas but it may be something..

When I start reading all the diseases and mites and problems everyone seems to have it is disheartening to take this project on of having chickens again-I don't ever remember having problems years ago when I had them.

 

[3goodeggs]

I think the peel from last week would have gone through by now. Don't beat yourself up over it. I know what you mean by 'disheartening.' Things happen that we have no control over. The lack of eggs seems to be a big clue to their problems. is the hen that is well laying? and why were these hens given to you? Did the last owner see any problems?
I wish I could help you. It is a mystery. It would be nice to know what is wrong so we can help others who may go through this, but

I do not wish to sound heartless, but you need to be sure that when your new chicks come, that they are kept away from these chickens and the chicken area that they are in now. it sounds physical not bacterial or viral, but it might be, so better safe than... you know.
I wish I could have been more helpful. I am sorry this is happening to you. Please do not let it discourage you from the joys of farm life. The more animals we have, the greater the chances that something will happen.

 

[effie]

Well, I went down this morning and she is still kickin--the really active hen is the one that is laying as I figured. The sickly acting one was in the same box but actually came out when I went in the coop-The original owner had to move to TX to the burbs and couldn't take them is why I got them. They have always been very healthy and friendly--the sickly one still looks very healthy weight wise and feathers. We'll see what happens. After doing alot of research on potato peels last night I feel confident it wasn't that either-there a bunch of people that feed thier chickens potato peels. I really think it has to do with her not laying --which she wasn't laying for a month before I got her. Who knows. you're right about the more animals you have the more things like this happen. I grew up on a farm with cattle and horses-we probably had twenty horses and 6 new foals one summer-never had problems and didn't know what colic was---but they were always in the pasture year round. My daughter has 4 horses now and I find the more you pen them up and fuss over them the more problems you have--gotta let animals be animals. We are building a new chicken coop by my garden this spring so I hope we have no problems--this site has been educational--thanks everyone!!!

 

[effie]

Went to the coop this morning and she is up and about. Following me around like normal. Yesterday my nephew and I went down and she poo'ed out this stream of clear yucky stuff that smelled up the whole coop-have no idea-but maybe she is getting it out of her system. Still just the one egg-I dug them up some worms this morning and they loved that.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Quote:
I am in WV near the Ohio river border--I have a light on all the time in the coop except during really sunny days. There has never been any poison or insecticides in the coop area-everything is nice and dry.I went down this evening at 8:30 and she is in the same laying box I found the other one dead in-farthest away in the corner- I have the double row metal laying boxes--5 on 5. Her poo is grass green_I don't know if that means anything-she looked at me when I went in but didn't get up-the other hen was all over me. I fear I will find her dead it the morning-I doubt they all had the same mother coming from tractor supply so I have no idea....I have been stumped as to what these hens really are anyway-the original owner said RIR-no way-they are light orange ) thought maybe New hampshire Red??? I don't know . She is definitely done molting-she is full of feathers and healthy looking other than the lethargic and poopy butt thing.

SNIP

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You wrote that you have the light on all of the time. You mean... just day hours right? They really need night time too.

Sounds like she's feeling better. No clue about cause of first one's death. Sorry.

 

[DTRM30]

http://www.chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=17568.0

here is a great site that has lots of pics of "normal" poo - you can check to see if what you saw is in the normal range or not.
In general - bright green poo means she hasn't been eating enough. Foamy or yellow poo is generally a sign of being sick ...

Sounds like she's doing better though. Did you check them for mites/lice or have you ever treated them for such ? If they have mites, you may never see them - but they can make a chicken extremely sick and weak from blood loss.

Oh, and if you got the chicks from TSC - and they are a light golden color with cream feathers underneath - they are probably red sex link aka Commets aka commercial hens. They are a cross breed designed for laying. Have a few myself - very friendly birds - they are the sweetest of my bunch.

 

[mamabigbird]

First things first ... welcome to BYC.
Our first chickens were second hand, two year old red sex-link hens. We got 11 of them from a local farmer.
A few were laying but some weren't and never did.
They started dying off mysteriously, fine one day and then lethargic for a day or two and then they just died.
I think I had about six die off within a few months and the rest died one by one over the next year.
The very last one died about a year and a half later.
I came to BYC for info and support, and learned that sex-links aren't very long lived and are prone to cancers.
They are prolific layers when they're young and then stop and die.
I have a young bunch now, that will be a year old in June. Again sex links from the feed store,
but they are so sweet and such good layers that it's worth their short lives to have them here.
Hopefully this is what you have and not some other insidious problem.
I have quite a few older non-laying mutt chickens that are very healthy and are enjoying their retirement in style.

 

[effie]

Quote:
You answered my question as to what they are--I googled sex links and that is exactly what they are. This may have answered all the problems. Thanks, Kay