Keep losing birds!

[Enilcita28]

I have no idea why I keep losing my chickens. The ones that hatched between may and june. So they are about 20 weeks old. The older ones range between 1 year and 3 years old, none have died. Something is happening to the younger ones. I have no idea. I have tried everything. Help!
In the last 3 weeks I've lost two. Could there be something wrong with them that they are unable to get the nutrients from the food? I know for sure they eat. I have layers feed out everyday they eat cracked corn and sometimes meals leftovers like rice and beans...

 

[Mamatomany123]

Non laying pullets should not be eating layer feed. That can be 1 problem. Their main source of food should be chicken feed. I would cut the cracked corn. It's just junk for them. I occasionally give leftovers to mine but they mainly eat their all flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

In picture 5 and 7 the eyes look gray with irregular pupils. Does that look that way to you in person? Irregular pupils with loss of color, can be a sign of ocular Mareks disease. Hopefully, this is just from a bad picture.

What state are you in? What symptoms did the dying chickens have? If you lose another chicken, refrigerate the body in a cooler and ice pack, and contact your state vet for a necropsy to look for a cause of death.

If they just started on layer feed, that would be okay, but layer feed earlier has too much calcium, which can lead to kidney problems and gout. Corn is not enough protein. Was it whole corn or cracked corn? Whole corn should not be given. They only need a balanced feed now, either layer or an all flock feed, and no extras which would dilute the nutrition in their feed. Make sure they have granite poultry grit to help with digestion. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[Enilcita28]

Non laying pullets should not be eating layer feed. That can be 1 problem. Their main source of food should be chicken feed. I would cut the cracked corn. It's just junk for them. I occasionally give leftovers to mine but they mainly eat their all flock.

Ok thank you.

 

[Enilcita28]

Ok thank you.

Mamatomany what would be a good chicken feed? I have always given them layers feed and had no issues. Everyone was always healthy. This year has been awful

 

[Mamatomany123]

Mamatomany what would be a good chicken feed? I have always given them layers feed and had no issues. Everyone was always healthy. This year has been awful

I feed all flock with oyster shells on the side. I always have some non layers and that's been best.

 

[Banana01]

Do you treat for worms? Worms rob them of nutrients. If you can stomach it, do an internal autopsy.

Just treat them for worms anyway, that is always the first thing i do the night before starting any antibiotics. Beautiful chickens by the way. How is their weight, gaining or losing?

 

[Enilcita28]

Do you treat for worms? Worms rob them of nutrients. If you can stomach it, do an internal autopsy.

Just treat them for worms anyway, that is always the first thing i do the night before starting any antibiotics. Beautiful chickens by the way. How is their weight, gaining or losing?

I see that some are underweight for sure. That's why I'm concerned. My neighbor has mentioned that some could get their tongue messed up and it turns hard like a cartilage and they seem to be eating but they really aren't. Does that sound like it could be it? All I know

In picture 5 and 7 the eyes look gray with irregular pupils. Does that look that way to you in person? Irregular pupils with loss of color, can be a sign of ocular Mareks disease. Hopefully, this is just from a bad picture.

What state are you in? What symptoms did the dying chickens have? If you lose another chicken, refrigerate the body in a cooler and ice pack, and contact your state vet for a necropsy to look for a cause of death.

If they just started on layer feed, that would be okay, but layer feed earlier has too much calcium, which can lead to kidney problems and gout. Corn is not enough protein. Was it whole corn or cracked corn? Whole corn should not be given. They only need a balanced feed now, either layer or an all flock feed, and no extras which would dilute the nutrition in their feed. Make sure they have granite poultry grit to help with digestion. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Thanks for the info. No discoloration in eyes. I would think a disease would kill many and not just one here and there.

 

[Banana01]

Before you can consider anything, worms has to be your first assumption. I don't know how long have you been raising chickens, but if worms are present in your environment, then your chickens will get them. I would think you would have seen them by now in that long time you have been raising them. I think i raised chickens for a few months and lost many before i discovered about worms, and chickens stopped dying after i learned to give them their medicine.

Buy your antiparasite medicine and give the ones you think are underweight, small, or acting sick and lethargic a drop at night before their sleep. You have to treat for worms to rule it out, because many other illnesses have the same symptoms and require different treatments.

If your chickens are acting lethargic and not eating, you have about 24 hours until they will succomb to the internal parasites, when it is easily fixed by treating them with a harmless deworming medicine. You can treat the whole flock, or individuals. But the sick ones need individual treatment quickly.

Then if you can rule out worms, it could be the feed as @Eggcessive points out. Try adding a second or third type of feed to their diets. Some may say its too much, but i give options to my flock.

 

[Enilcita28]

Do you treat for worms? Worms rob them of nutrients. If you can stomach it, do an internal autopsy.

Just treat them for worms anyway, that is always the first thing i do the night before starting any antibiotics. Beautiful chickens by the way. How is their weight, gaining or losing?

Before you can consider anything, worms has to be your first assumption. I don't know how long have you been raising chickens, but if worms are present in your environment, then your chickens will get them. I would think you would have seen them by now in that long time you have been raising them. I think i raised chickens for a few months and lost many before i discovered about worms, and chickens stopped dying after i learned to give them their medicine.

Buy your antiparasite medicine and give the ones you think are underweight, small, or acting sick and lethargic a drop at night before their sleep. You have to treat for worms to rule it out, because many other illnesses have the same symptoms and require different treatments.

If your chickens are acting lethargic and not eating, you have about 24 hours until they will succomb to the internal parasites, when it is easily fixed by treating them with a harmless deworming medicine. You can treat the whole flock, or individuals. But the sick ones need individual treatment quickly.

Then if you can rule out worms, it could be the feed as @Eggcessive points out. Try adding a second or third type of feed to their diets. Some may say its too much, but i give options to my flock.

I treated them with amprolium (CORID) during the summer. But they may need another round. I think I will treat the whole flock for at least 5 days and see. It is October and yesterday was 94° here in the Florida green swamp.
I forgot to say, I haven't noticed any worms or bloody poop and that's why I haven't treated them again.