My chickens are dying for no reason???

[chick_newbie]

I have lost 2 chickens in the last 2 months. The first one acted a little strange for a week and then just died. She was a slw. Now this month my red chicken that I got from a neighbor last year has died. She kind of acted the same way but only for about a day and then died during the night. any suggestions? Thought about some antibiotics in the water and treating all the rest of them for a couple days. Any other suggestions??

 

[teach1rusl]

Can you describe the symptoms that led up to the deaths??? Including eating and pooping...moving about???

 

[rcentner]

tough to say, I would not treat for anything until you see signs of disease. Chickens can have heart problems that can come up very quick and they die very quick. Antibiotics would not be helpful there at all.

sometimes you just lose a few, if you REALLY need to know what they die of that will require a necropsy (autopsy) and then you will have the answer. Sounds like these birds that passed did not have a contaigious disease.

 

[chickensioux]

What are you feeding them?
What does their poop look like?
What kind of bedding are they on?
What are the symptoms?
Behavior?

 

[chick_newbie]

The slw stayed in the coop for about 3 weeks before and then just started sqatting when we would go out to feed them. Then a couple of days after noticing that she was gone.

The red one just started acting sick maybe for 3 days and then we noticed last naight that she was acting the same sqatting way and passed during the night.

All poop in the coop seems that same but hard to tell which one is which with 17 chicken in there.

They are on layer feed from the feed store like they have been all along. Their bedding is pine wood chips with de mixed in.

My second coop is acting fine and show no signs of being ill.

 

[chickensioux]

It would seem odd that two chickens would become eggbound or have internal laying almost at the same time. Truly without a necropsy it would be hard to say. Everything you are doing sounds fine. So sorry I'm no help. I hope someone else can come up with something to help you.

 

[Judy]

How old are they? Have they been wormed?

 

[chick_newbie]

They were both on the older side....about 3 years old.

Will have to ask hubby about worming...if they weren't, what do you use? The same as for dogs/cats??