Kb0507
Chirping
Hi!
I have had my flock for the last year and a half. My flock consists of 8 hens, assorted breeds. We've raised them all from chicks. Everyone has been happy and healthy with no problems, not even mites, until 2 months ago. I spend about 10-15 mins every morning watching them after they are opened, to check on everyone. Making sure poop looks good, they are eating, active, so on. I opened my chickens up one morning, went about my business, and checked on them later. All was well. When I went to close them, I found one of my hens in the run dead. I checked her over, found no signs of trauma, sickness, anything. I assumed some freak accident happened, but kept a close eye on the rest of my flock for the next month. I checked the rest of them all over for mites, lice, body weight, diarrhea. No problems showed up. Another month passed and everyone was perfectly fine. Now, yesterday morning I opened the chickens, everyone was fine, we left for the day and when we returned I found my orpington dead in the coop and another on its way out. Again no sign of trauma, body weight was good, no sickness. I had literally just checked my orpington over the day before because I thought she had something on her foot. I had also filled the feeder at the same time and they all ran to it to eat. I'm at a loss of what's going on. Our coop is large, well ventilated, and clean. Attached to it they have a very secure enclosed run and then a large fenced area, covered in netting, that they can dust bathe, scratch, lay in the sun, etc. They are on nutra feather fixer feed, have access to calcium grit, fresh water, and I give them vitamins in the water. My daughters are beside themselves with this happening. Any thought would be appreciated. Thanks
I have had my flock for the last year and a half. My flock consists of 8 hens, assorted breeds. We've raised them all from chicks. Everyone has been happy and healthy with no problems, not even mites, until 2 months ago. I spend about 10-15 mins every morning watching them after they are opened, to check on everyone. Making sure poop looks good, they are eating, active, so on. I opened my chickens up one morning, went about my business, and checked on them later. All was well. When I went to close them, I found one of my hens in the run dead. I checked her over, found no signs of trauma, sickness, anything. I assumed some freak accident happened, but kept a close eye on the rest of my flock for the next month. I checked the rest of them all over for mites, lice, body weight, diarrhea. No problems showed up. Another month passed and everyone was perfectly fine. Now, yesterday morning I opened the chickens, everyone was fine, we left for the day and when we returned I found my orpington dead in the coop and another on its way out. Again no sign of trauma, body weight was good, no sickness. I had literally just checked my orpington over the day before because I thought she had something on her foot. I had also filled the feeder at the same time and they all ran to it to eat. I'm at a loss of what's going on. Our coop is large, well ventilated, and clean. Attached to it they have a very secure enclosed run and then a large fenced area, covered in netting, that they can dust bathe, scratch, lay in the sun, etc. They are on nutra feather fixer feed, have access to calcium grit, fresh water, and I give them vitamins in the water. My daughters are beside themselves with this happening. Any thought would be appreciated. Thanks