hens dying..low egg production

[LoriFitz]

Please help!
After asking area 'experts' I have no solid lead on what to do.
I have always had a great flock with no issues. Great health, great layers. I have a good knowledge of the do's and don'ts and spoil my girls with a rich diet of mash and garden veggies along with their usual pellet diet. The coop and run are much larger than needed, plus -they free range on a nice 13 acres- grass, woods... etc. Clean area.

This past spring we added 8 hens to our group, 2-4 month olds. My mom also bought from the same two farm suppliers to BEGIN her flock. Not far into the spring/summer, we both randomly started to lose a hen- every few days... or after another week... and still. We are down a total of 6 hens total. I can only imagine that the new ones brought something in!

Problem is... they seem to die without any warning. We go out to do something (morning or night) a we find one dead. Its very random.

Only one -my sweet baby girl, Kimmy, showed signs for a few days. SHe held her wings low, was unable to roost/jump up... she was wobbly when you set her down as if her legs were unsure. But no others act AT ALL in distress! Combs, feathers etc...fine! I can't see worms, but just gave them Wazine the last week to attempt a treatment of some sort.

What would invade my flock and cause sudden deaths?
What do I look for?
What do I do?

Please help!

 

[LordUria]

What's the breed of your old hens, the new hens, and the ones that are dieing. Are the new hens dieing at the same rate as your old flock, are you separating them now to prevent further contamination. Unfortunately there can be multitudes of reason for any animal to start suddenly dieing off, especially if new members are introduced and they are immune to a virus that your old hens aren't. Its best to keep the two flocks separate for now, at least 300ft between pens, and carefully watch for any other signs

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry for your loss. Coccidiosis could be a possible cause when bringing in new birds of differing ages, or maybe they were getting into something while they ranged and were exposed to botulism. A necropsy by your state vet would be a good way to find out the cause if you lose another (refrigerate, don't freeze the body.) I would do the research on what to do before hand, and also they may be able to answer possible questions you have, with instructions on shipping. Here is the link to state vets: http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx