Mites causing illness and death?

[sammi]

don't give dog food.
it's high in carbs.
cat food is higher in protein..especially kitten feed.
but so is grower or gamebird feed..and cooked eggs..

best to check the coop and birds for mites at night with a flashlight..

 

[AngelzFyre]

Just read your other post with all the information and hope you're on the right track now with them all and don't lose any more.
Everyone here at one time or another has had something come on suddenly or happen to their chickens that they didn't expect. You live and learn and do better the next time. Don't feel bad for something you didn't know.

When all this calms down for you, get some time each day or evening and sit with a cup of coffee, tea or whatever your favorite beverage is, and read through the various posts on care and diseases on this forum. I'm addicted and cannot go to sleep at night until I've read til my eyes are about to close. I've learned so much from everyone on here and they are a Godsend to those of us that are just getting into chickens and other fowl. Whenever I have a question I do a search or just read on here and I've always been able to find the answer.

About the dog food...I have been giving my chickens Evanger's Buffalo and Evanger's Duck canned. It's 100% meat and they love it. It's human grade processed meat and no..I don't eat it but do feed it to my outside dogs(labs & a border collie mix) since it's a bit rich for the Poms, they get the EVO 95% canned Venison.
I try to do this at least 2 to 3 times a week during the cold weather and also give them oatmeal with yogurt and a bit of olive oil or with buttermilk. Yuck to me..but yum to them!

Oh and Welcome to BYC and I hope you have a better week and all goes well!

 

[nzpouter]

Quote:
only cheap ones... grain based to bulk up quantity, quality dog food are mainly meat based.

 

[silkiechicken]

Even expensive dog food has less protein than cat food, since cats are strict carnivores. The best to do is see if you can't find a game bird feed or layer supplement type with high protein without the sodium or unknowns in using feed for other types of animals.

 

[nzpouter]

but you run the risk of having chickens with runny poop with cat food... hence for rehab of sick ones I prefer dog food.... lower risk for those already stressed.

 

[Brokenegg]

Sounds to me like they were in the heat, and then got cold? The black spots at frost bit, not mites. If they have worms, the will get weaker and weaker over time, Not in a day or week.
Mites would have to engulf the entire bird for death and you wouldn't have to guess, You would Know. Some of our rescued birds have heavy mites and have probably lived years and years with them. Not likely a flu in the cold. As long as you have 4 birds, a place for them to get off the ground and out of the wind, they will do better without the heat. If you give them any heat you will have to always give them heat. We had heated coops and lost some every year. Now, they get none and rarely do they die. Just pile lots of straw in a corner of their coop and they know what to do from there.
If you think you have Mites, and your feeding them organic feed? why would you use seven? we just use a little skin so soft and if we get a bird with lifted leg scales, we dip their legs in old motor oil a couple of times in a week, it smothers the mites and kills the eggs. Taught that by an old farmer. we tryed vasoline but it don't get up and under.
It's always possible you just had a bird die from a heart attack and the others are fine? At about a year old is when we see that type of thing happen? If the rest are eating alot it could just be they are cold and are just trying to keep their furnace's running?
If they are eating and drinking, they'll be fine, God Bless

 

[Brokenegg]

O" ya. Pet foods are from animal protien, Not good for birds... Use game fish food, for pond fish. ZIt will be between 39 and 43 percent protien and has all the other good stuff for birds. When our birds egg production takes a dip, we give them a hand full to give them a pick me up. Don't need much just a little over time.
Get it at the feed store.

 

[Brokenegg]

O" ya. Pet foods are from animal protien, Not good for birds... Use game fish food, for pond fish. ZIt will be between 39 and 43 percent protien and has all the other good stuff for birds. When our birds egg production takes a dip, we give them a hand full to give them a pick me up. Don't need much just a little over time.
Get it at the feed store.

Just went a read your other post, if your getting eggs, they are fine. the first thing to stop when sick is the eggs. They are just dealing with cold and egg production, they are fine. Stop grinding the feed, egg shells are good for the calcium and short term grit.
Sounds to me, you are a great Mom, Joni