Intermittent dying hens

[bsfloyd]

Hello everyone. I hate to reach out to you all with such a morbid topic. We are new to raising chickens. Sadly, our flock of girls are dying off which seems to be every few weeks apart, which started in November. It started with the smallest birds, and have moved up to the larger hens. We have started with nine hens at approx. 5 weeks old, and are down four hens with the looks of another sick girl. We took our last sick girl to the vet, and the vet tested for worms (had some), coccidiosis (small amount so she didn’t think that was the cause of illness) but did not test for mareks, though that was what she suspected. The last girl was put on Panacur, which didn’t keep her alive. We have also tried Corid but they are still getting something and dying off. They are currently 7 1/2 months old. The latest sick bird was just acting normal and laying, now this morning is showing similar signs of the others that have died. We would greatly appreciate and feedback or similar experiences as we cannot trace down the source of this problem.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

How sad. I think the only way to test for Mareks is an autopsy. I hope you find out what's wrong. There are so many diseases chickens can get.

 

[Pumpkin 'n Noodle]

Hello everyone. I hate to reach out to you all with such a morbid topic. We are new to raising chickens. Sadly, our flock of girls are dying off which seems to be every few weeks apart, which started in November. It started with the smallest birds, and have moved up to the larger hens. We have started with nine hens at approx. 5 weeks old, and are down four hens with the looks of another sick girl. We took our last sick girl to the vet, and the vet tested for worms (had some), coccidiosis (small amount so she didn’t think that was the cause of illness) but did not test for mareks, though that was what she suspected. The last girl was put on Panacur, which didn’t keep her alive. We have also tried Corid but they are still getting something and dying off. They are currently 7 1/2 months old. The latest sick bird was just acting normal and laying, now this morning is showing similar signs of the others that have died. We would greatly appreciate and feedback or similar experiences as we cannot trace down the source of this problem.

We’d need to know more symptoms. Lethargy? Super foul wet droppings with white/dark brown flecks? What are your birds doing to indicate a problem? Unfortunately chickens are susceptible to so many health issues. I’ve been dealing with sour crop that just won’t quit.

 

[bsfloyd]

Yes, they get lethargic, stand apart from the other hens, balancing with their wings until they stop walking altogether. We’ve separated a couple as they got sick into a kennel in the garage to make sure they were eating and drinking and to ensure they were getting the meds. They eventually stopped eating right before they passed. The current sick hen has eaten a few bites this morning but not her usual and is standing apart from the others. This is the first sign we see before they go downhill and die. Usually, they pass quickly but one lived a couple months (she improved and we were getting ready to put her back with the others when she went downhill and passed quickly).

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. All of the symptoms and ages of the chickens when they died would be important to know. If your chickens were dying under 9 weeks old, it initially may have been from coccidiosis. Did you ever treat them with Corid (amprollium) for possible coccidiosis? Mareks strikes more commonly in the first year of life, and but can occur at any age. What state are you in? A necropsy can be performed by your state poultry vet to look for a diagnosis on what was wrong. Here is a link for finding your state vet:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[bsfloyd]

They started dying at around 3 to 3-1/2 months old, one at a time...never more than one sick at a time. They’ve been treated for Corid. I’ve contacted our Dept of Agriculture (likely not in until Monday if they’re working regular hours). Do you know what the process is for necropsy? This hen likely will pass before they can tell me on Monday. Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

If you lose her, wrap her in 2 garbage bags, and keep her cold, but not frozen in a refrigerator or cooler with ice. Contact them Monday early, and ask about how to transport her or ship her body overnight. Many labs will email a prepaid shipping label for Fedex or UPS, and charge it to your bill. It is cheapest to dribpve the body to the lab. Click on the link above to locate your state vet. Each state is different in price and procedure.