jenniet111
Hatching
- Aug 6, 2015
- 1
- 0
- 9
Please advise I have a chicken dilemma, I am new to chickens so please bear with me. This is my first flock. Most of them came from a local feed store and the others came from a reputable breeder. I have lost a total of 5 chickens now starting about a month and a half ago. All were pullets and all shortly before or shortly after they turned 18 weeks. The first on that became ill survived. She is an Easter egger. She is the oldest and her only symptoms were tail down and she seemed lethargic for about a week. I separated her from the others and one morning she was very low, just laying on her side barely breathing. I thought she would pass soon. I finally talked my husband into culling her the same afternoon for me since I didn't have the heart. He went out there to do the job and she was up moving around and acting normal. So we let her be, but never added her back to the group. We decided to just release her and her sister along with 2 brother roosters that were causing problems in the coop/run to free range with her. They have since started laying. Within a week or so of the first one falling ill another pullet that was the same age as the EE's started acting ill. She stopped roosting with the others and had some scabs under her wings where the 2 roosters had been picking on her. They would just flat out attack her every chance they got which was another reason I released them to free range. She ended up with what looked like bruises on her legs and scabs on her face and under wings. I do not know if these were caused from roosters or from whatever illness I'm dealing with. We finally decided to put her down as she was not getting any better. The next to fall ill was a turken. She started holding one foot up and would limp. We thought maybe she sprained it. Within a few days she was dead. The remaining 3 pullets; 1 turkens, 1 EE and a silver laced Wyandotte , seemed fairly normal one day, maybe a little easier to catch and then dead the next day. These were all just under 18 weeks. They didn't all die at the same time but basically 1 after the other over several weeks. I'm really not sure what's going on. I fear it's Mareks. When the first chicken fell ill I put them all on corid for about 2 weeks. They continued to fall ill so I stopped that and began to add poultry cell thinking maybe it's a vitamin deficiency. That doesn't seem to be helping either. They have all been routinely wormed and I did mite spray today although I have seen no signs of mites. They all are at a good weight, they eat and drink well, no one is wasting away. Their feathers look lovely, no nasal discharge. I don't know who to quarantine because they are normal one day and dead the next. They are all on chicken starter / grower which is medicated. I am afraid to take them off the medicated. I did change to a different brand which we have been through 2 bags of but this all started before changing brands. So far it has not affected any of the roosters or my younger silkies. However my silkies may all be roosters for all I know. They will be 18 weeks next week. I am worried I will lose the 2 remaining EE's. Should I try the corid again. I am not seeing bloody poop and change the shavings often. It has been hot here in north AL, but I keep fans on them, there is a nice breeze in our barn and the water never runs out. Is there something elae I should try. I find it odd that we didn't lose any as chicks, but now that they have almost made it to maturity they are dropping like flies. We do have a wild goose population that resides at a pond next door and they often come to our pastures. we chase them off but they keep coming back. Could they be spreading something? I think I covered everything but please feel free to ask questions and advise. Thanks in advance.
