Lost 3 chickens..help please.

[prada101]

Hi, i have myhens for about 6 months now so still quite new to it, i had 3 black rocks and 3 ex battery hens, all seemed happy and healthy, 2 wks ago one of my blacks became sleepy and apeared tobe eggbound..we kept her warm and gave her cod liver oil and overnight she seemed to perk up, after 3 days she started laying again but she remained not quite herself( puffed up, slower than usual but she did eat and drink) for about a week, then she became ill very quick(within an afternoon) she was cold very sleepy and died that evening.
3 days later another of my blacks was ok the night before but we found her dead the next morning..she had laid an egg(had a lot of blood on it) and her insides had come out!
yesterday (3 days after the second) one of the ex batts was dead! same thing ..laid an egg(very bloody) and insides had come out!

does anyone know what might be happening? or is it just a horrible coinsidence! i'm really worried about the others

 

[dawg53]

Sorry for your losses. I've had eggbound hens before and soaked them in warm water, massaged their belly while in the water, then lubed their vent with olive oil. All this seemed to help and they layed their eggs with no problems afterwards. I dont know if it's coincidence or not.... again, sorry.

 

[prada101]

Thanks, after watching them carefully and speaking to a breeder yesterday, i think i have a serious problem of bullyiny! !
after loseing another hen yesterday (4 in total!) i could see my black rock i have left (who has been doin some hen pecking since the boss died(naturaly) and has become quite a bully) was very interested in the other hens rears! i have since learnt that she could have developed a nasty habit of 'vent pecking', so bad that the hen insides will literaly fall out!
i never new hens could be so grusome and vicious. I also wish i could have come to this conclusion earlier and could have saved some hens.

The colprit has been moved away from the others and i have one at home on antibiotics with a realy nasty gash on the top of her head and two hens left in the pen.
i will be watching them all a lot closer in the future.

 

[Judy]

Now you just need to figure out whether there is something you are doing/not doing that might have contributed to this. It will help if you answer the questions at the beginning of this section. Or, just tell us how much space they have -- that and a problem with feed and boredom are probably the most likely things you could change.

 

[prada101]

Hi,
They have an enclosure of around 12' x 14' with 2 houses with enough space for 6 hens in each(have ever only had 7 hens at one time),
they are allowed out to free range my paddocks most days.

I have learnt that this is a serious habit that ex batt hens pick up..when there in the factory the eggs go strate through bars and onto the convayer belt so they never get to see the egg until they come out and are allowed to be more natuarall and ofcourse are very curious!

Very sad but a stiff learning curve, of which i'm sure they'll be many more!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Well, you have taught me something. I had an idea of how battery hens live, and have wondered what sorts of problems that life might create for them after being taken to a good home.

How sad. I wonder whether there is some method of preventing this, other than isolation.

 

[prada101]

I wonder whether there is some method of preventing this, other than isolation.

Hi, i have been told you can get somthing called 'peck stop' to spray on their behinds if thay are "at risk" but have never used it so not sure if it works,
Another possible option is to put a cockeral in with the hens..he will normaly take charge and stop any bullying!

i hope this is helps