Help! Dying hens

[Realtorphillips]

Hello everyone, please help if you can. I have some sick chickens and there is no experienced vet in the area. About 3 weeks ago we found our 4 month old seemingly healthy hen dead in the run. There were no outward signs of cause. Then 4 days ago our 1.5 year old lavender started acting very weak, wouldn’t walk much, seeming to be trying to push an egg out, panting and wasn’t eating. We thought she might be egg bound as none of them have been laying well since the first of august when we added onto their coop and assumed they were stressed over the change. We bathed her, put oil on her vent, gave calcium and a warm dark place to herself. The next morning she hadn’t laid so we took her to the vet. They gave her an X-ray and did not see an egg but a mass, diagnosed her with cancer and put her down. But the next day our 1.5 year old welsummer started with the same symptoms other than I did see her have some clear / white diarrhea but I only noticed this once. Tonight she has died as well. I am afraid since none of the other hens have laid for 2 days now that they are all infected with whatever this is and will die. Do you have any ideas what this could be? I have done a lot of reading and these symptoms don’t seem to be matching up with anything. Please help.

 

[AfiafiAfi]

Hi

 

[JacinLarkwell]

What have you done with the bodies? At this point i would open the next one that passes if you no longer have either bird anymore, and see if anything looks off. I lost several pulleys in the fall to what ended up being discarded rat poison from the neighbors that they got into.

What are you feeding them? What's the temperature like? Have any been ill before?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[Realtorphillips]

What have you done with the bodies? At this point i would open the next one that passes if you no longer have either bird anymore, and see if anything looks off. I lost several pulleys in the fall to what ended up being discarded rat poison from the neighbors that they got into.

What are you feeding them? What's the temperature like? Have any been ill before?

Yes I thought about seeing if we can find someone to check the next bird out of another one does die. I wouldn’t know what I’m looking at though and since I can’t get anyone to properly diagnose them now so I doubt I will be able to even after they’ve died. I feed them dumour layer crumble and treats such as sunflower seeds, raisins, and things out of the garden such as tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons and cantaloupe. It has been hot out but they have constant shade and water. We have neighbors but they are not too close and my hens do not go on their property. I thought about poisoning but don’t know what could be doing it.

 

[AfiafiAfi]

I just wish there was a proper vet for ur flock

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I just wish there was a proper vet for ur flock

Unfortunately poultry are the goldfish and guppies of the small animal world here. They're cheap to replace for the most part so there's not a lot of people (though Op apparently does, and that is perfectly fine) that take then to the vet and no vet is going to want to go into an area of expertise that is going to be useless. People in my local area will not take a 7 dollar pullet in to get a bill that is going to be almost 200 dollars just for a check up. We either fix it or we cull.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yes I thought about seeing if we can find someone to check the next bird out of another one does die. I wouldn’t know what I’m looking at though and since I can’t get anyone to properly diagnose them now so I doubt I will be able to even after they’ve died. I feed them dumour layer crumble and treats such as sunflower seeds, raisins, and things out of the garden such as tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelons and cantaloupe. It has been hot out but they have constant shade and water. We have neighbors but they are not too close and my hens do not go on their property. I thought about poisoning but don’t know what could be doing it.

The tomatoes are only the fruit, right? No flowrrs, stems or leaves? The green parts are all poisonous to poiltry, but that doesn't always deter thrm. I have a Cochin who we couldn't let free range because she was constantly eating the flowers off our plants.

Absolute basics, things like the lungs, heart, kidneys and liver (anything red really) should be dark red (pinkish red for the lungs) and not have masses, granules or spots on them.

I just thought about worms and mites. In large enough numbers they can kill birds. Do they have poops with little sesame seed looking things that move? Have you feather checked for mites?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. I would check the feed for any mold. What state are you in? If you lose another, you can refrigerate, not freeze the body, and send it off to your state vet for a necropsy. If you open the abdominal cavity of one yourself, you can take pictures of the organs and the abdomen, and post pictures here for opinions. Some diseases are more obvious in pictures. The necropsy by the state vet is the most thorough for a diagnosis. Here is a list of state vets to contact for price and details:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/bumblefoot.html