Just kind of discouraged. Horrible update: post 29, I think. So sad.

[Olive Hill]

Things happens and sometimes you have a bad year. Try again this year and see if things go better. I agree with the others that if you have common symptoms or many more "illness" deaths then you should certainly investigate things more closely -- management, someone possibly being a carrier of a disease, etc. But things do happen. One year we lost somewhere around 100 birds. It was a terrible, taxing, throw-your-hands-up kind of year. Just one thing after another. Had raised hundreds and hundreds of birds successfully and have raised hundreds more since. It just was what it was. Lost 20-30 in an unforeseen early spring flood. They were young and got cold and wet, we were able to save a lot, but some died. And then The Summer of The Racoon began. We killed as many coons as we could. Set traps, sat out and shot them at night. No sooner could we shoot one than another would come and climb right over its dead body to try its hand at getting to whatever it could. They decimated the garden, ripped the door right off the hinges on my small coop, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill. It's all they did. Others noted similar unprecedented problems with them in this area that year as well. My theory is that low pelt prices made for a boom in the population -- no one was hunting them at the time -- and I don't know if there was a natural food shortage or it was just the population boom that contributed but they were TERRIBLE. Haven't been that bad again since, thank goodness and the hounds are a common sound out in the woods again, which is a very good thing. Carry on, get yourself some replacements and hopefully this was just one of those years for you.

 

[7L Farm]

Don't be a quitter. Live & learn by your mistakes or problems. I don't think anyone likes losing their animals. After all you've done & bam their gone. It hurts theres no doubt about that. You feel like its your fault . Like I said push on & try harder but never give up. You will see it get better time heals all.

 

[Royd]

Just a thought. Do you have pest control, where the company comes in and sprays for bugs and weeds? If so, that may be poisoning the birds.

 

[augustwest]

Again, thank you to all of you. I already disposed of the second mystery death chicken's body. Reading your posts, I wish that I hadn't!

I really think that the first one was egg bound. She was all puffed up with a dropped tail. She was wobbly and could not walk. She wouldn't eat and was miserable. We culled her 3 days in. I felt a mass in her belly as we were burying her.

This second one, I just don't know. My guess is that I caused her death. I read that giving electrolytes was helpful in the cold. I gave some in the water to the flock and this one bird immed. got runny poop.... almost the same color as the elecctrolytes. I stopped them immed., but she seemed off ever since. I couldn't get her gut right and she started getting a poopy butt. I caged her in the garage with a heat lamp and she got weaker and weaker. I was feeding yogurt and anything else that I could think of. She refused it all and I force fed her. I gave sub Q fluids as well. Then she started eating again and I got a solid poop from her. As soon as she started looking better, she started developing respiratory symptoms. I thought maybe I got food or liquid in her lungs. I started antibiotics that KILLED any progress I'd make on her healthy gut. She held on for 2 weeks, but finally died on her own yesterday. I brought her into the house a week into this. Any ideas? Her poop was electric green and my vet said that's a sign of liver failure? She was eating Friday night like it was going out of style.

I agree that a covered run is the way to go to protect my birds from hawks. It's just not an option with the backyard. I will talk to my better half, however, and see what he says.

I guess that the upside is that with all these deaths, I have learned what to look for. I know how to check crops and feel for eggs. I also know how to give sub Qs now. That's a big step, I guess. My vet guessed that it was moldy food that killed the second chicken- maybe spilled in the run and she ate it. I guess I will never know.

 

[txliss]

I know how you feel.

Of the original 7 birds we got, 6 were killed by a neighbor dog at 4 months old. We put up a fence, and bought 4 friends for the surviving BO. Of them, the SLW eggbound just a month after beginning to lay (she always laid double and even triple yolk eggs!

), and the RSL got it's head stuck with 105+ degree heat. I still don't understand how she got her head where it was...

So now, after 2 years, we're down to 3 again.

It's certainly been a learning experience. The birdies belong to my 11yr old DD, and while she cries when there are tragedies, she understands the whole "circle of life" thing, and goes on. In fact, she insists on doing the clean up/burying part herself! DD is a strong girl and wants to be a vet... She's looking forward to the promised 4 new chickies for her birthday.

I hope the rest of the year looks up for you with no more bird deaths.

 

[augustwest]

Quote:
LOL! You're right. I'm not a quitter. I will continue. Tough love helps, too.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Great!

If the law of averages has anything to do with it, you should have a very good year coming up... I've had both...

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Great!

If the law of averages has anything to do with it, you should have a very good year coming up... I've had both...

Me too!

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

I am new but haven't heard of ANYONE who hasn't lost a loved bird or more. (Read my tag line

) I have a friend who's picture I look at when I want a smile. I'm sending him along to you.

[/img]

 

[Adventurefamily5]

I'm sorry for your loss. We just started the backyard chicken thing in September when we brought home 3 baby chicks. They ended up sick with MG. I remember getting on backyard chicken to read the forum and then in an hour I realized I would have to put down those little 2 week old chicks. It was SO hard. Even my husband, the strong, silent type, was pretty upset. But we persevered and now have 3 young ladies who are 12 weeks old today. We went through hell planning and building a coop and run that would be "predator proof," even though we know there is no such thing.

My friends who have chickens have many stories of hawks, snakes, foxes, coons, neighborhood dogs, their own dogs, and disease/ sickness. The post that said to keep on going and enjoy what you love... spot on!