Help idk what to do

[4girls4chicksmama]

Help!!!!! We had 2 laying hens. One died yesterday. Maybe gapeworm? Her sis isn’t showing any symptoms. We also have 4 younger babies I think they’re supposed to start laying closer to the end of the year. We let them roam the yard together. Of course the one that passed was the dominant one. Today we let the 4 babies and older girl roam the yard and when my husband got home we locked them all together in the babies coup while he buried the other. The babies seemed a little nervous but she wasn’t aggressive or dominant acting towards them We kept them separate tonight bc I want to be able to watch them together. She’s just a tad bit bigger than them but she’s thicker lol. How long until we can put them all together? The older girl seemed as tho she liked having her sis around I feel horrible and I doing want the older girl to get sick too. Please help. 1st world problems I know. But it hit me and our 4 daughters harder than we thought it would lol

 

[mechanic57]

Usually, when your youngest ones stop chirping like baby chicks and start chirping/squawking like mature birds, they can be merged together. They should be close enough in size at this point that one group won't seriously injure the other if/when they fight to establish pecking order (which they will most likely do and is normal)

To try to minimize fighting, you can put them in an area where they can see each other, but cannot get to each other until they are old enough to intergrate. This way they could get familiar with each other enough that they may not fight when merged together. Also, consider adding an extra feeder and waterer when you put them together so one group doesn't get defensive over the newbies trying to eat their food and water. Fighting in the way of chasing and pecking may still occur and is normal when you put them together but this could potentially minimize it.

 

[Kiki]

What makes you think the one died from gapeworm?
That is really rare.
It's more like she has a respiratory disease if she was having trouble breathing.

 

[4girls4chicksmama]

She had no other symptoms but the wheezing. She was fine the day before she didnt have any drainage from anywhere Honestly idk

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Wheezing isn't really a symptom of gapeworm and gapeworm takes long more than one day to kill.
It is a shame you buried her. Now you'll never know. In the future, send the bird in to your state poultry diagnostic lab for necropsy. Then you'll know the cause and how to proceed. Because losing a bird for an unknown cause and then bringing in new birds without appropriate action can potentially doom the new birds.
Most labs will send you a FedEx label making it easy. I keep a small box lined with styrofoam sheet and freezer packs to keep the bird fresh in transit. Don't freeze the bird but rather refrigerate it till you send it.
What state are you in?

 

[4girls4chicksmama]

Wheezing isn't really a symptom of gapeworm and gapeworm takes long more than one day to kill.
It is a shame you buried her. Now you'll never know. In the future, send the bird in to your state poultry diagnostic lab for necropsy. Then you'll know the cause and how to proceed. Because losing a bird for an unknown cause and then bringing in new birds without appropriate action can potentially doom the new birds.
Most labs will send you a FedEx label making it easy. I keep a small box lined with styrofoam sheet and freezer packs to keep the bird fresh in transit. Don't freeze the bird but rather refrigerate it till you send it.
What state are you in?

That was the only symptom besides not eating or drinking. Honestly we don’t have enough money to send one off for that nor the refrigerator space or I would’ve. We cleaned their coups like usual tho and moved them to a new spot. Could fire ants have did anything. They’re under a tree that has them. They weren’t on her while she was alive but I didn’t know if maybe something. We check them everytime we let them roam (4-5 times a day) for bugs under their feathers I’m in port st Lucie Florida These are our first chickens as adults I know I failed her and I feel horrible. I hate we don’t have anyone close to us that I can call. No vets in our area do chickens

 

[Mrs. K]

A lot of times a chicken does die. I would really not worry about it unless you start loosing several.

I would put them all together, if there was going to be a problem, it would have showed up pretty quick, the younger birds out number the older bird, so that will spread out any aggression over several birds. What I would expect is a cranky peck, get out of my way! once in a while.

Mrs K

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That was the only symptom besides not eating or drinking. Honestly we don’t have enough money to send one off for that nor the refrigerator space or I would’ve. We cleaned their coups like usual tho and moved them to a new spot. Could fire ants have did anything. They’re under a tree that has them. They weren’t on her while she was alive but I didn’t know if maybe something. We check them everytime we let them roam (4-5 times a day) for bugs under their feathers I’m in port st Lucie Florida These are our first chickens as adults I know I failed her and I feel horrible. I hate we don’t have anyone close to us that I can call. No vets in our area do chickens

A necropsy is usually less money than a vet visit. In some states they're free. I usually pay about $100 but that is with shipping and it is imperative I know what kills a bird. A vet visit for a chicken here is way over $100.
There are a couple dozen things that can kill a chicken quickly.

 

[Lovem all]

As long as everyone is friendly go ahead and let them be buddies

 

[4girls4chicksmama]

A necropsy is usually less money than a vet visit. In some states they're free. I usually pay about $100 but that is with shipping and it is imperative I know what kills a bird. A vet visit for a chicken here is way over $100.
There are a couple dozen things that can kill a chicken quickly.

Not that I’m not willing to de everything I can to help them We just don’t have that amount of money to spend on them I honestly don’t mean to sound cruel. If I could love on them and treat them like the dog and cats I most certainly would We just can’t justify that amount for 1 girl. I hate their coups cost more than they do If (I pray to God no one else has issues ) another gets sick. We’d most likely sell the rest We can’t be as dedicated as some of you are. No doubt we love our girls but the coast guard doesn’t afford us attachment to things for a long time. So we’ll only have them maybe until next year when we move