Kimorris207
In the Brooder
Hello all,
I have been raising laying hens for 6-7years now and several times have run into the same fatal scenario. I feel like this is not the result of something I am doing wrong or not doing that I should be but am simply seeking some advice or someone who has encountered the same problem more than once. Over the course of about 4 -5 years I have lost about 5 hens in the same way. I will notice that she is puffed up, moving very slowly and keeping to herself. Also, I've noticed she will typically sleep alone in a corner, putting herself to bed much earlier than the rest of the flock. Once I've witnessed the weakness I move the hen to a separate coop that I keep for raising babies as well as isolating hurt/weak hens. 9 times out of 10 I have found the hen deceased by the morning. There was one instance where it was about 2-3 days after isolating that she passed away. However I have 100% death rate once the hen portrays these signs. It's just a matter of how many hours. There doesn't seem to be any blockage and no obvious wounds. I know hens pass away "naturally" but I feel like I have experienced this much more than my fellow chicken handlers. This has happened to hens from several different flocks, different circumstances, different times of the year. My girls are very well taken care of, they have plenty of space to live, clean water daily, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as their daily grain. Any feed back is more than welcomed. I currently have a girl in the ICU and am hoping I can turn things around but don't know if there is any more I can do for her. Thank you kindly!
I have been raising laying hens for 6-7years now and several times have run into the same fatal scenario. I feel like this is not the result of something I am doing wrong or not doing that I should be but am simply seeking some advice or someone who has encountered the same problem more than once. Over the course of about 4 -5 years I have lost about 5 hens in the same way. I will notice that she is puffed up, moving very slowly and keeping to herself. Also, I've noticed she will typically sleep alone in a corner, putting herself to bed much earlier than the rest of the flock. Once I've witnessed the weakness I move the hen to a separate coop that I keep for raising babies as well as isolating hurt/weak hens. 9 times out of 10 I have found the hen deceased by the morning. There was one instance where it was about 2-3 days after isolating that she passed away. However I have 100% death rate once the hen portrays these signs. It's just a matter of how many hours. There doesn't seem to be any blockage and no obvious wounds. I know hens pass away "naturally" but I feel like I have experienced this much more than my fellow chicken handlers. This has happened to hens from several different flocks, different circumstances, different times of the year. My girls are very well taken care of, they have plenty of space to live, clean water daily, fresh fruits and vegetables as well as their daily grain. Any feed back is more than welcomed. I currently have a girl in the ICU and am hoping I can turn things around but don't know if there is any more I can do for her. Thank you kindly!