HELP - DYING CHICKENS!!

[Feath3rDust3r]

Ok, so we've been having some issues this year! I've had chickens all my life and no sickness...this winter we get it all!!! I got a free flock of hens from a friend who couldn't have them on their property. Immediately I noticed leg mites so I put them in a separate coop (thankfully). He had them in a shed with no ventilation and 4 heaters...I put them in my ventilated un-heated but insulated coop with an attached run where they can go anytime they like. The weather wasn't too cold so I thought they'd be ok.

First morning a 6 month Australorp is dead on it's back and 3 other hens have watery eyes and discharge from their noses. I started making a concoction of garlic, oregano oil and cornmeal. In 2 days those sick hens were looking perfectly healthy and running around and eating...and still are!

Last week I started to notice that the flighty little D'Uccle 6 month cockerel was very easy to pick up. By Friday he was sitting around and not moving. I noticed he couldn't walk and would fall over to one side all the time. I thought maybe he had a bad leg. an hour later I went to check on him and he was dead.

The same thing happened to the 6 month old Silkie yesterday. We'd thought she was getting tame and then yesterday she was falling over on one leg. She was dead this morning!

What is going on?!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

Is this you in post 40 saying that your chickens were all fine after the treatment:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...zing-tonight-watery-foamy-eyes.1343973/page-4It is kind of risky recommendingsuch a treatment to someone dealing with a serious respiratory disease, especially when you have lost several chickens, and don’t know the cause.


I would look for any mold in the feed which can cause neurological symptoms and death. Any automotive leakage from farm equipment or cars might as well. Mareks disease might be a problem as well. I would send any new deaths off to the state vet for a necropsy to find out what is going on. Where are you located? Sorry for your loss. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your losses.

Can you post some photos of your set-up, of the chicks and their poop?

How long have they been on your property?
They went from having heat to no heat suddenly - could be that they didn't have time to acclimate to the change in temperature.

To get the best answer as to what is happening would be to refrigerate the body of a bird you lose and send it to your state lab for testing. What state do you live in?

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

Is this you in post 40 saying that your chickens were all fine after the treatment:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...zing-tonight-watery-foamy-eyes.1343973/page-4It is kind of risky recommendingsuch a treatment to someone dealing with a serious respiratory disease, especially when you have lost several chickens, and don’t know the cause.


I would look for any mold in the feed which can cause neurological symptoms and death. Any automotive leakage from farm equipment or cars might as well. Mareks disease might be a problem as well. I would send any new deaths off to the state vet for a necropsy to find out what is going on. Where are you located? Sorry for your loss. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Yes, my chickens that had watery eyes and discharge from noses are fine and healthy. The ones that are dying don't have any of those symptoms

 

[Feath3rDust3r]

I'm sorry for your losses.

Can you post some photos of your set-up, of the chicks and their poop?

How long have they been on your property?
They went from having heat to no heat suddenly - could be that they didn't have time to acclimate to the change in temperature.

To get the best answer as to what is happening would be to refrigerate the body of a bird you lose and send it to your state lab for testing. What state do you live in?

Iowa

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Iowa

The one that you lost yesterday, do you still have the body? If you do, then sending it in would be a good idea.
Here's a link to your state vet lab.
https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdl