HELP! Am I dealing with a disease? ***WARNING! dead bird pics***

[olijo123]

Help! I just recently lost one of my chickens. She was a bantam and was over 10 weeks old. She was one that I hatched from a broody bantam and was very healthy. I took her away from her broody momma at about six weeks old. After I took her away I put her in a small coop away from the other bantams because she was still too small to be with the others. She was in the coop with her 3 siblings, and 3 bantams from my other broody hatch. They were all the same age. But, I went to a swap last week and came home with three d'uccle chicks that were the same age also. But the breeder I got them from had healthy birds so I wasn't concerned about disease. BUT I always take caution so I put vinegar in their water to help prevent coccidiosis. They all seemed fine until this morning I found my 10 week old bantam hen dead. I hope I am not dealing with disease! This is what she looked like when I found her. Maybe mareks disease???? Or a sudden death? Thanks!

 

[Roy Carlsen]

I don't know but I also lost another chicken myself today and she looked just like your does with the eyes white like clouded in color, second I lost in 3 weeks and they were less than a year old. I keep my water with vinegar most of the time, and clean the coop out every 2 weeks or so and fresh food, water and shavings as well as the stuff on the floor to prevent bugs. I am beside myself as I think it may be the Florida heat!

 

[Chilali]

Are any others showing any symptoms? You said this one was too small to be with the others, so she's a runt, right? Sometimes runty chicks can die for no obvious reason, but I wouldn't rule out disease. Even if the birds you brought home are healthy, you may have picked something up on your shoes or clothes. If you really want to be cautious, you should totally quarantine all new birds, even from seemingly healthy sources, for at least a month.

 

[Roy Carlsen]

I had some large black birds crowding my hen house the past few weeks and my chickens may have picked up a disease. Possibly Fowl Cholera? A few have lost weight, egg production is down and not eating unless I put out a lot of feed in the run as thy won't eat from the coop. I do give them treats of song bird seed mixed with either vegetables, fruit and bread or spaghetti noodles when i get home from work.What do you think may be happening? Or am I bringing something home on my sandles?

 

[olijo123]

I don't know but I also lost another chicken myself today and she looked just like your does with the eyes white like clouded in color, second I lost in 3 weeks and they were less than a year old. I keep my water with vinegar most of the time, and clean the coop out every 2 weeks or so and fresh food, water and shavings as well as the stuff on the floor to prevent bugs. I am beside myself as I think it may be the Florida heat!

Yes I have no idea what could have caused it! And I always keep everything clean. Hope you find out what happened!

 

[ChickenPox]

It could be something or it could have just been a fluke. Sometimes birds just pass. I lost a perfectly healthy Marans hennie a couple weeks ago. Laying an egg a day, great weight, everyone healthy. Dead as a doornail the next feeding. Always a good idea to quarantine, though sometimes not as easy in practice. I introduced mycoplasma to my flock once many years ago by not keeping new birds separate. Sorry you lost your girl.

 

[olijo123]

Are any others showing any symptoms? You said this one was too small to be with the others, so she's a runt, right? Sometimes runty chicks can die for no obvious reason, but I wouldn't rule out disease. Even if the birds you brought home are healthy, you may have picked something up on your shoes or clothes. If you really want to be cautious, you should totally quarantine all new birds, even from seemingly healthy sources, for at least a month.

I meant that she was too young in size to be with the others cause I thought she would get picked on. But she wasn't a runt. Sorry for the misunderstanding! But I suddenly noticed that a few of them puff their feathers out and close their eyes like they are sleepy. And they walk around like that. And I usually always separate new birds, but I didn't this time. Thanks!

 

[subhanalah]

@Eggcessive
I saw this post and I'm curious what your input is.

 

[olijo123]

It could be something or it could have just been a fluke. Sometimes birds just pass.

I lost a perfectly healthy Marans hennie a couple weeks ago. Laying an egg a day, great weight, everyone healthy. Dead as a doornail the next feeding. Always a good idea to quarantine, though sometimes not as easy in practice. I introduced mycoplasma to my flock once many years ago by not keeping new birds separate. Sorry you lost your girl.

Yes it is sometimes very strange with poultry. And I always take extra caution with new birds but this time I just put them together. And Thank you!

 

[muddyfeathers]

I had some large black birds crowding my hen house the past few weeks and my chickens may have picked up a disease. Possibly Fowl Cholera? A few have lost weight, egg production is down and not eating unless I put out a lot of feed in the run as thy won't eat from the coop. I do give them treats of song bird seed mixed with either vegetables, fruit and bread or spaghetti noodles when i get home from work.What do you think may be happening? Or am I bringing something home on my sandles?

I don't know where your located but with the heat starting up the mites are on the way. How many birds do you have? Have your birds recently stopped eating inside the coop or have they never eaten inside? If it's the former my guess would be mites. Not a bad idea to search a bit about red mites and chicken symptoms. However it could be something as simple as a snake.

Good luck