I have lost 10 chickens in 4 years

[Iluveggers]

I totally understand how you feel! I started my flock about 4 or 5 years ago and my chickens are my pets. I take them to the vet when they’re sick which has been very expensive. I keep their coop incredibly clean. I’ve had to rehome a few unexpected roosters and have driven over an hour to deliver and make sure their new home was up to my standards. Invested in aviary netting to protect them from the large hawk population in my area. Give them frozen treats and watermelon on days when it’s unbearably hot. Made sure they get very high quality feed. Ect. It has been devastating when I loose one to illness. I’ve learned so much over these years though. I know how to tube feed, give injections, give pills, get rid of mites, what to do for worms, and how to treat and bandage a bumble foot. I even tried an implant on a hen with consistent laying issues.
Despite all these efforts and the amount of work put into them, I’ve still had many losses. Necropsies at my state lab have resulted in things like renal failure, cancer, reproductive organ infections, and even have been inconclusive once or twice.
I can honestly say I have been extremely diligent in researching, educating myself, and have done everything in my power to give them the best home possible. It kills me to see them sick or suffering. I already regret the 8 new chicks I got this past fall because I’ve already become so attached to many of them. It’s hard to resist developing those feelings when they follow me around like a shadow and gather around and fight to see who gets to sit on my lap or beside me. I don’t care what anyone says, in my experience chickens are definitely affectionate and develop complex relationships. But, as much as I have loved having them, I’m on the same page as you. You are not alone in how you feel. When my current feathered babies pass, that’s it. No more.

When my dog passes, I go through a period when I say I’m not getting another dog. The grieving is real. But then a few months later, I realize I miss the companionship and love, and go find another rescue pup. Animals are a lot of work, and eventually they all die. I personally feel the joy they bring when they are alive outweighs the work I put in & sadness I feel when they are gone. Same with chickens, but they probably won’t live the 15+ years my past two dogs did. I don’t think I could ever live without animals. I am thinking about adding a kitten, and next year a few goats.

 

[JHH3]

I have had chickens for 4 years, 24 chickens all together. I've lost 10 in that 4 years.

2 under a year to I think liver ruptures
1 a year to a liver rupture (was necropsied) none that died were overweight
1- (3 years) old to cancer
1 (2 years) to an egg breaking inside her
1 (3 years) to unknown illness
1 (4 years) to possible cancer (had been laying lash eggs for a year)
1 (4 years) to a severe prolapse
1 (3 years) to cancer (last week)
1 (3 years) to unknown illness (last night)

And I have a sick bird pooing out yellow liquid but seems better than she was.

I know they all have different symptoms but am I doing something wrong? Is this normal? I scoop their poop daily. They only free range an hour or so a day then stay in a large pen. They get organic feed and fermented feed, minimal snacks. I feel horrible and guilty. They very quickly became my pets and I really wish I'd never gotten chickens.

Are chickens born and raised by a mother hen on your property less likely to get diseases? I have hatched 3 birds here and they seem to be very healthy.

I know how you feel. I bought 25 total chickens last year, I lost 5 of them to illness or injury, one to a predator.

Despite my better judgement they were all named and became more like pets than they should have.

For each one I've wondered what I could have done better to have prevented their deaths, blame myself for most of them because I feel they were preventable though likely I could have only prevented 3 of them for sure.

But this spring one of the hens went broody and hatched out 2 half wyandotte half jungle fowl chicks which are both doing well, though looking like both are roosters (I already have 5 roosters, I don't really need more, lol)

I try to look at it this way, the ones that died had pretty good lives though short, potentially better than they would have if they'd been bought by someone else. My only regret is the pain that some of them must have felt in the dying and that I couldn't have done more for them, but with each loss I've resolved to do better by the rest and hopefully I will do so.

Despite the pain of losing them, I think it's worth it to have them and hope to have the remainder for several years and will undoubtably get/hatch more. Though I may refrain from naming them so the pain of losing one isn't quite so bad.

 

[Ladies of the Forest]

Just a quick question: how can you tell they “had cancer”? Was there a post-mortem done on each bird? I’m wondering if they might be eating something poisonous on their free-range walks? Chickens are really smart about what-not-to-eat, but mistakes can happen, too. I’m so sorry for all of your losses, and that much cancer in one place sounds like environmental factors might come into okay? It’s just awful to lose that many birds, and all to cancer? I’m so, so sorry for you

 

[Mrs. K]

I think that the idea of 5-8 years is very unrealistic. I keep a flock, maybe because I am a teacher, I fall in love with my students, but I know I will only have them a short time, and they will go on. I keep a flock, birds come into the flock, and birds go out of the flock.

Everything does die, you nor anyone else cannot prevent that. I do love having chickens, but I love all aspects of it, raising young chicks, talking to old hens (we have a lot in common) but I also have a realistic expectation that I will outlive the birds currently in my flock, but I hope that I have a flock until my turn to go.

Do not feel guilty, if the birds have clean water, food, wind protection, and predator protection you are doing just fine. They did not die because of you, they LIVED because of you. But all of them will die.

As my granddaughter put it, dang it, that is too bad... but now we can get chicks", perks me right up!

Mrs K

 

[meeptastic]

Sounds like you're doing your best with poor genetic quality from hatchery stock. There's also several environmental factors that could be contributing, but my guess would be the genetics are poor and you are suffering the consequences of someone breeding for profit. Also, don't underestimate the impact stress can have on a bird. You mentioned there's often fighting and that you have two roosters together... that could certainly make things stressful for the flock and in turn, more susceptible to illness.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

I've lost 20 birds this year. No predators, just dead. Most were over 3 years, 2 were over 8 years. I think only 3 were young hens. It happens. Sometimes chickens just die, or fail to thrive. In the previous 3 years, I lost 4 birds total, so maybe this year was just THE year. I love my hens and roosters, and I feel, that no matter how long their lifespan is going to be, they will be happy, occupied and well fed.

I'm sorry. Maybe I just not cut out for this if this is how it goes.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

And every time I lose one I'm tempted to hatch more just to see a new and hopefully healthy life. But, the guilt is still eating at me over the ones I've lost. I can't help but feel I'm doing something wrong.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

Sounds like you're doing your best with poor genetic quality from hatchery stock. There's also several environmental factors that could be contributing, but my guess would be the genetics are poor and you are suffering the consequences of someone breeding for profit. Also, don't underestimate the impact stress can have on a bird. You mentioned there's often fighting and that you have two roosters together... that could certainly make things stressful for the flock and in turn, more susceptible to illness.

I need to figure out a new situation for the roosters now I only have 10 hens.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

I have a 14 year old dog with cancer right now so this is all just fraying my last 2 nerves. I have such a love hate with all my animals. I do know I certainly wouldn't survive without them.

When my dog passes, I go through a period when I say I’m not getting another dog. The grieving is real. But then a few months later, I realize I miss the companionship and love, and go find another rescue pup. Animals are a lot of work, and eventually they all die. I personally feel the joy they bring when they are alive outweighs the work I put in & sadness I feel when they are gone. Same with chickens, but they probably won’t live the 15+ years my past two dogs did. I don’t think I could ever live without animals. I am thinking about adding a kitten, and next year a few goats.

 

[AngelicaRoss]

Just a quick question: how can you tell they “had cancer”? Was there a post-mortem done on each bird? I’m wondering if they might be eating something poisonous on their free-range walks? Chickens are really smart about what-not-to-eat, but mistakes can happen, too. I’m so sorry for all of your losses, and that much cancer in one place sounds like environmental factors might come into okay? It’s just awful to lose that many birds, and all to cancer? I’m so, so sorry for you

No, I don't think they all had cancer. 2 were diagnosed by a vet but I didn't have them necropsied so I don't know for sure.