Infertile eggs, poopy butts, death in winter etc LONG

snaffle

Songster
12 Years
May 27, 2009
299
14
221
Illinois
I have been battling a problem for about 7 years, maybe longer.

When I first got my trio of buff cochin banties, I sold 60 to 90 chicks that first summer
(from my incubator hatches)
The next summer I only hatched 30 after setting close to 100 eggs.
The next year there were 12 that hatched. The following year about 6.

Last year I was given the name of a super chicken man who sold me piperazine, gallimycin, oxytetracycline, replamin, vtia proB and told me when and how much to give.

At the end of the summer I finally had a dozen fertile eggs with chicks.

This year I am back to nothing. Not one egg hatched.

It is not the rooster, because earlier this spring I had 2 or 3.

The hens are not too old because some are 1 year old.

Every winter I will have a couple of hens start 'barking'
To me it sounds like a small bark, I suppose it is a cough.
when that happens, I start giving different medications and the hen will die anyway, even if it acts like it recovers.

Last winter was the first time I didnt have a hen die.

I have never had a rooster do this and die.

Last fall I brought in an americauna hen. A friend has her 7 'flock mates' and gets lots of eggs from them. Mrs Chick Chick has never laid an egg here. She will stare at the nest and often get in it, sqwuak like she laid and egg, but there is no egg there. This is NOT an old hen.

For the past few weeks she has been acting very slulggish. Wont go out with the other chickens. She is not 'barking' like a cold.

I had told mr super chicken guy that my chickens always have poop on their rear ends and I often take a scissors and cut it off. He didnt feel it was coccidia because of the consistency.

This morning I watched Mrs Chick Chick when she pooped and it was white and watery. Not solid at all.

Any suggestions?
Is there a medication that I can give this small itty bitty flock that will clear out all bacteria or virus?

Should I treat for coccidia?

I took a stool sample to the vet and it was negative. The stool sample sat in the clinic for several hours before they checked it.
 
I do not feel that there is a problem with the incubator. Same problem happens when the hens set on the eggs. No chicks result.

I really do not think the problem is the rooster. I have had problems even with 2 or 3 YOUNG roosters.
 
Gosh, I haven't had any experience with these sort of symptoms, but it seems that your flock might be carrying some sort of disease. I hope someone might have some insight or suggested direction to help you solve this. But, I would recommend closing your flock until you figure this out. Don't pass this on to anyone else via eggs or chicks. I hope you figure this out soon, sounds frustrating
idunno.gif
 
I just had my beloved rooster die of severe anemia of unknown origin. I took him to an avian vet and had the works done. A necropsy is also in the works, preliminary results show that everything is normal. He had a "poopy" butt, like he had diarrhea. His stool sample was negative for parasites. I am thinking that the result on the stool was a false negative. I am a lab tech at a local hospital, and I have seen (in people) where stool samples that are liquid can give false negative results, the doctor treats the patient based on the symptoms. So I would say yes, treat for coccidia. That is what I am doing for the rest of my flock. They are ALL thin, and some are lethargic. I dusted all for mites, de-wormed them and just started Corid today. The hens stopped laying eggs three weeks ago. This totally sucks. None of mine have the coughing/barking. I hope that you can find the answer and turn your flock around. As for me, I am shooting in the dark and praying that something works.
 
You Need to trim cochins Butt feathers if they are having fertility problems
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I would try a different feed too maybe just to see if anything changes.
Mark
 
I suspect you may have multiple issues here. But I would take a step backwards and make a list of things you can look into.

Your incubator: Lots of issues can be a problem here- turning them properly & stopping at the right time, temps? Humidity? Clean?

Have you opened any of the eggs that did not hatch- are they truely inferile (clear?) or was there any development? If there was development- what stage did the embroyo die? This can be really helpful to point to the problem.

Your broodies- how many eggs per hen, do you have them in a broody hut/coop- can they be disturbed?

What is your rooster to hen ratio? Do you see them mating?

What do you feed them normally and do you do anything different before collecting hatching eggs? Diet is very important to produce eggs healthy enough to make it to 21 days and be strong enough to hatch. Back to- have you opened unhatched eggs?

How do you store your hatching eggs & how long?

How old are the hens you are collecting hatching eggs from? You say you have had a problem for 7 years- are some of your hens 7?

Get any unusual death/unexplained deaths necropied at your state lab if possible, most states have a low cost or free lab. Where are you located?

Some medications can affect fertility- are you medicating them before or during hatching egg collection?

Some respiratory diseases can permanently damage the reproductive tract- are the eggs you are getting normal looking?
 
I break open all eggs. There is nothing that looks like an embryo even started.
I store the eggs on the kitchen counter in egg cartons and turn them every day.
I lay them on their sides (yes I have heard I should stand them up)
It doesnt matter if I keep them and turn them, or if the hens do this themselves.
It doesnt matter if I put a fresh egg in the incubator, or one that is 7 days old. They wont develop anything.

As I said, it can't be the rooster. Last spring I had 2 roosters, one was from last years's hatch.

I have one rooster and 6 hens. I pluck the vent feathers.

Right now the hens are laying good. I will get 2 to 4 eggs per day.
When they slow down laying, they completely stop.

I can't tell you the protein count of my feed without going to the barn and reading the bag.
Over the past few years, I have fed different brands and it still doesnt make a difference. I have also fed game bird feed and it doesnt make a difference. I have tossed cat food and that didnt help.
I toss corn and that doesnt help.

I dust for lice and that doesnt help. I DID find some bugs on 2 or 3 last spring and dusted everyone.

I do not mark my hens, I dont know if the oldest could be 7. I DO know that the youngest is probably one or two.

I asked my vet about testing and was told there is no testing that can be done.
I even offered to allow them to kill one of the hens and send it off to the lab.

I am in Illinois.

When I medicate, I dont keep any of the eggs. I collect them after all medications have been given for how ever long I am supposed to.

The eggs look normal. Both on the inside AND the outside.

I plan to treat for coccidia. Where is the best place to order chicken medication? Or can I Pick it up at Tractor supply or Farm and Fleet?

Please understand this is NOT my first rodeo. I used to raise cochin banties for years and never had a problem with bad eggs. It didnt matter if I hatched eggs in the incubator or under hens.
 

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