How often do your chickens die? Aka - am I just unlucky?

[Mrs. K]

You can (and should) try really hard to solve any problems you become aware of, eliminate as many dangers as possible... but you can't control life and death absolutely. Trying to nurture life also means witnessing more death, as heartbreaking as that is.

This is the real deal.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

Good morning from my corner of the world!

I checked their food and this is the nutritional value of it according to the bag

10.6% Protein, 4% fibre, 5.3% Fat, 2.08% Calcium, 0.27% Phosphorus, 8.48% minerals (called cendré brute here is apparently a measure of minerals and trace elements - very vague), 0.2% Methionine. High protein mix, enriched in calcium and omega 3. Intended for laying hens. Complete animal feed

What do you think?

I'll look up how much protein is recommended. French feeding routines seem very different to those in the US. Here, only scratch and scraps is the norm.

Hello Oh no I would think that is too low protein. I am curious now about French feeding routines.

 

[Kenya Mwangi]

Good morning from my corner of the world!

I checked their food and this is the nutritional value of it according to the bag

10.6% Protein, 4% fibre, 5.3% Fat, 2.08% Calcium, 0.27% Phosphorus, 8.48% minerals (called cendré brute here is apparently a measure of minerals and trace elements - very vague), 0.2% Methionine. High protein mix, enriched in calcium and omega 3. Intended for laying hens. Complete animal feed

What do you think?

I'll look up how much protein is recommended. French feeding routines seem very different to those in the US. Here, only scratch and scraps is the norm.

Hello This 10% protein reminds me of something I read from @saysfaa did a study on chickens stomach contents found 10% protein. Is USA protein recommendations to high I now wonder?

 

[AGstudy]

Hmm, if you're already giving them calcium citrate and d3, the soft shelled egg issues might very well be due to bad genetics. Not terribly much you can do about that aside from what you're already doing. What feed are they eating though? I am unfamiliar with what feeds are available in France, but having a general idea of the nutrition you're working with is still useful

It could also by a phosphorus issue. Calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus have to be balanced for egg shells and bone formation.

 

[SamLockwood]

Hi!

I'm not sure if this should be in flock management or disease and injuries but it's a general question not a specific case, so I'm putting it here.

I've had chickens for two years and started as a complete beginner. I have 13 hens and one roo, started with four but expanded pretty quickly.

In those two years, I feel like a lot of them died. I don't know if it's normal, or if I'm unlucky or mismanaging them!

One died very young and very suddenly of coccidiosis

One was taken by a buzzard - after which we built them a fortress.

One was taken by a fox - after which we fenced and electrified the whole yard.

They got sick with a very bad respiratory virus but everyone made it through.

Then a rooster died overnight

One had a prolapse and later became egg bound, but she's still with us 7 months later.

Two died of mysterious primarily gastric diseases but not cocci - we could probably have saved at least one if we'd gone to the vet sooner.

One got sick with a bacterial infection but made it and is doing great.

One lays only soft eggs and has done so for four months (!). She is also under treatment for bumble foot.

And tonight we took Penelope to the emergency vet after a very rapid decline, and found out she has a massive inflammation of all her internal organs and will most likely not make it. She also laid a fragile egg a few days ago and strained to lay today but nothing came - but it looks like the shell is broken inside her (the vet said this was not the source of the problem and the least of her worries now)

This is all so heartbreaking!

But is this what it's like? Do they die this often? What am I doing wrong?

That's 6 dead out of 19 who have passed through, with one more on the brink and the more who have had serious medical issues. That's more than 30% dead, and more than 50% sick or injured.

I'm a bit worried a lot of it is connected, and that the bad respiratory illness was infectious bronchitis that is still around wreaking havoc - like the sudden illnesses, the problems with laying, and now Penny's collapse.

What say you, are your chickens dying at this rate?

Also, love and prayers for Penelope who stayed in intensive care over night.

In August 2022 I got 30 birds as day-old chicks and keets: 15 guinea fowl and 15 chickens.

April of last year I got six more chicks, this time roosters.

To date 11 of the 15 original guinea fowl are still here: I had two get killed by predators, one died from complications from bumblefoot, and the last was either another predator attack or was killed by a flock mate. I've got 14 guineas now including 3 I hatched myself and kept.

Out of the hens I have 9 left. 5 were killed by predators and one died of cardio-vascular problems as far as I could tell. 9 of their offspring are now added to the flock.

Of the roosters I've got 4 left: one became ill at four months old and I had to dispatch him, the other really annoyed someone in the flock, got beat up, and died a few days later in spite of me treating his injuries and isolating him.

I've had birds with broken legs, birds with egg-laying problems that resulted in infections, birds that get injured beating the crap out of each other. Probably the worst thing I've had to deal with so far was having to euthanize a day-old chick that was deformed and in constant pain.

It's part of the territory. Some poultry-keepers go years without any serious problems, others it seems like one disaster after the other. You try to learn from your mistakes and push on, or maybe you decide this isn't the thing for you.

Either way, chicken keeping isn't for the faint of heart.

 

[A Swede in France]

In August 2022 I got 30 birds as day-old chicks and keets: 15 guinea fowl and 15 chickens.

April of last year I got six more chicks, this time roosters.

To date 11 of the 15 original guinea fowl are still here: I had two get killed by predators, one died from complications from bumblefoot, and the last was either another predator attack or was killed by a flock mate. I've got 14 guineas now including 3 I hatched myself and kept.

Out of the hens I have 9 left. 5 were killed by predators and one died of cardio-vascular problems as far as I could tell. 9 of their offspring are now added to the flock.

Of the roosters I've got 4 left: one became ill at four months old and I had to dispatch him, the other really annoyed someone in the flock, got beat up, and died a few days later in spite of me treating his injuries and isolating him.

I've had birds with broken legs, birds with egg-laying problems that resulted in infections, birds that get injured beating the crap out of each other. Probably the worst thing I've had to deal with so far was having to euthanize a day-old chick that was deformed and in constant pain.

It's part of the territory. Some poultry-keepers go years without any serious problems, others it seems like one disaster after the other. You try to learn from your mistakes and push on, or maybe you decide this isn't the thing for you.

Either way, chicken keeping isn't for the faint of heart.

Thank you! It's heartbreaking but I love them, and having them, so much I can't imagine I will ever give up!

 

[user651618]

My only losses of adult birds have been to predators and the UPS/Amazon truck.

 

[A Swede in France]

Speaking of bad luck... I started this thread when we had to take Penelope to the vet after a sudden severe decline. I am not sure I said, but in the x-rays we could see that she had a broken egg quite far inside her uterus - long story but she has a severe infection which impacted her reproductive system, which led to the broken egg (not the other way around, with the egg causing infection).

Anyways, Penny was a fighter and survived and got strong enough for the vet to try to remove the broken pieces of shell - only to find that they have fused with the mucous membrane of her uterus and cannot be removed without open surgery.

Bad luck

On another note, we consulted with the vet about food and she gave us a bunch of great tips on how to add additional protein and get the ladies to exercise more. Looks like we have a lot of sprouted lentils in our future.

 

[A Swede in France]

My only losses of adult birds have been to predators and the UPS/Amazon truck.

Lucky... I guess?! It still sucks to lose them, and the amazon truck, that would seriously piss me off.

 

[user651618]

Lucky... I guess?! It still sucks to lose them, and the amazon truck, that would seriously piss me off.

So my chickens have learned to mob the car when it pulls up, in case there's some takeout to be had. Apparently they mobbed UPS when he was backing up and one got backed over. RIP Dimebag.