Lost 3 Barred Rock pullets this week and need help IDing cause pls

[Yard full o' rocks]

Just this week I have lost 3 Barred Rock pullets, each approx 21 weeks of age, not yet laying.

Last week the entire flock was VERY active, energetic, alert, etc, including these 3 girls. One by one this week they became lethargic, sat around kind of hunched over, didn't move around much at all.

There was NO respiratory difficulty noticed. NO discharge from eyes, nose or mouth area. NOTHING swollen or enlarged. NO discoloration of comb (although combs are still relatively small) or legs.

I have another that has developed these same symptoms today.

As chicks, they were fed medicated feed w/amprolium. Were recently wormed with Wazine as a preventative measure prior to laying. No medications ever given to them other than these.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

I have birds in adjoining pens and none of them are showing any symptoms of any kind. It appears to be contained to the BRs only

Thanks in advance

Scott

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They are kind of old for coccidiosis, but that could still be a possibility if their immune systems were compromised...but I wouldn't make that my first guess. Here is info anyway: http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/coccidiosis.html

Were there any strange poos?

Any problems with moldy or wet feed lately? Or other poisoning possibilities?

Do your hens still smell sweet? Or do they smell like poo? (Normally they should smell fresh and sweet.)

Here are handy charts at the bottom of this common poultry diseases webpage-
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Hopefully someone will be along who will nail it for you!

 

[speckledhen]

Hmm, maybe they ate something in the pen. Check under feeders and waterers and in corners for wet, moldy feed, first of all. If it's just this pen and they aren't symptomatic, that'd be my first thought. Did you change shavings brands/types recently? Check their feed itself by smelling, looking for greenish/grayish mold, etc.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Cyn- thanks, I'll try that. I recently cleaned/changed the litter in the coop, but it is still the same brand I have used for 2 yrs. These birds have been allowed to free range during the day pretty regularly so perhaps they did get into something bad. I'll check in depth in the AM

Chicksaresweet - thanks very much for that link!!!

 

[hinkjc]

I agree with cocci. People often ignore this in more mature birds, but it is much more common than most realize. If you have moist soil or a recent heavy rain, this is the most likely culprit. There is also a chance they had an overload of worms and from the recent worming a sudden dispersement can cause internal stress on a bird. I'm leaning more towards cocci tho. The only other thing I can think of in birds this age would be reproductive hemorhage. A little odd in multiple birds at once though.

 

[dawg53]

How about lice/mites? Seems there's a bunch of that going around this time of the year.

 

[joletabey]

Oh Scott, I have no ideas to help you, but my sympathy you have- I hope you figure out what it is and put a stop to it!

 

[kathyinmo]

Awwww, Scott, I am so sorry to hear this. I wish I could be of any help, but am clueless with this stuff. I keep reading and trying to research some of these poultry problems .... illnesses, diseasese, accidental things (poisoning, botulism, mites, lice, worms, etc) and I still can not figure it all out!

Since it is happening all in one pen though, it leads me to think it may be some mold or something like that. I have treated botulism successfully (and unsuccessfully). Seems it always happens after we have rain. Food particles on the ground get wet, then mold, or something I think.

Wish I could help. Just here for moral support....

 

[Robert Blosl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek%27s_disease

This is a diease that can slip up on you. Sometimes you get it from bringing in a new strain of birds. I have had friends who had to vacanate for it ever since they got it. Sometimes you can get it from just showing them as the judge can bring it to your birds on his hands.

I dont know under the fit of the fittest princilple the strong survive and you breed from them and they get stronger. I have had problems with fowl pox in the past from the little bugs bitting my chickens. bob

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

How are they?