Improving chicken management

[awolffphotog]

Hello all. I came on here because I feel like something is amiss in my flock and I want to catch it before it's something major. I've had one chicken die several months ago...lethargy and ataxia and then dead. After that everything got a thorough worming (this was just coming out of winter) with ivermectin. My chickens roost in a horse stall they have all to themselves. It's dry, food is free choice and they roam the 8 acres freely. I've been fortunate that the only predator problem I had was my own cat, who now is not allowed outside at night because she thinks they're easy targets when they sleep. The remaining five chickens are alert and active and have bright red combs...but their weight seems thinner than I would imagine for free choice food. Are there steps I can take to rule out other possible worms? I have horse SMZs that I could put in the water for a week, if need be. They have a clean water source, but they do drink from puddles around the farm, etc., too. I have Delawares, Marans, and Dominiques. The Delawares seem to lose the most weight and it was a Delaware that died. Thank you!

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC!

You can try posting this under emergencies/disease and see if you don't get some feedback on that forum. You did a good job explaining the situation, which is helpful to the regulars on there that help out a lot of members.

Good luck to you, hope you get the answers you need.

 

[Mrs. K]

Generally speaking, active birds with bright red combs are healthy. Have you weighed them? Or do they just seem thin to you?

If they have all that space, they may be covering a great deal of territory, and are lean from the exercise.

Or you might be right and they have parasites. In my experience, healthy looks healthy, bright eyes, active, good feathers.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

I would ask what exactly are you feeding?
Protein level in main feed and any other foods given?

Would not advise worming without knowing if and what kind of worms may be present.

Have you checked them over for external parasites?
Check at night well after dark. Wipe bottom of roosts with a damp white paper towel to check for night feeding mites, you'll see red streaks on towel if they are present. Then part feathers down to skin around vent, head/neck area and under wings to look for lice and mites.