Help!!! What is going on with my chickens?

[forestrymom]

We got our first chickens this spring. Everything was great--chickens were healthy, they laid awesome, etc, etc. We also had chicks. We kept them separate from the chickens and intro'd them and it went great! Then they stopped laying (the chickens). The pullets just started laying. The hens lost feathers around their butts and they have "stuff" hanging out. Now one of the pullets does too. Then yesterday, one of the healthier looking chicks dropped dead. They act healthy to me--they're eating and ranging and seem fine. I treated for lice b/c I did notice that on them when I examined them, but I didn't notice a bunch of eggs or anything. I'm just sick of things going wrong for us. Nothing has been easy at all wrt our livestock.

 

[honfor500]

It is the time of year when chickens stop laying mine have realy slowed down and will probably be done for the year by the end of the month. Also chickens molt this time of year. As far as the dead bird goes it could be just about any thing does there poop look normal .

 

[forestrymom]

Their poop looks normal, but some of the chickens look like they have poop and/or egg on their butts.

 

[georgeandmildredgoose]

sorry to hear about your birds.

have you wormed them?, if so what with.
are there any other symptoms?, weight loss, head shaking etc.

hopefully someone on here can help!

 

[forestrymom]

No head shaking, and no weightloss that I can notice. 3 of the BO hens are smaller than the 4th, but they're younger by a few months, too. The rest are different breeds and they all seem to look "normal" except for the other symptoms I've described. I've not wormed them.

 

[georgeandmildredgoose]

i would worm them, then at least you can rule that out as a possible cause.

 

[forestrymom]

What do I get for worming? Can I worm and delouse at the same time?

 

[georgeandmildredgoose]

im in the uk, so products are different. i used frontline cat for lice and flubenvet for worms. if you do a search on here, you should get some suitable products come up. good luck