My chickens are dying!

[Chris & Mary's Kids]

Hello everybody, I'm new to raising chickens and to this forum. I've had a small flock for 2 or 3 years and aside from predators have had no problems until now. I've just lost my third chicken in a month. The first one, a rooster, showed symptoms of respiratory distress for a few days before dying. The second, a hen, showed no symptoms (that I observed), disappeared one day and was found dead the next (about a week ago) near the coop. No visible injuries. The third died last night. She was acting puny for a day or so before dying. Again, no visible injuries.

Needless to say I'm getting concerned. Should I report this to anyone? I'm scared to because I'm afraid they'll say I have to destroy my remaining 5 chickens. Can I doctor the chickens myself? Where does one get the materials for doctoring? How do I know what it is?

I'm thinking I will have to let it run its course and then start over with a new flock after disinfecting the coop or building a better one. But I hate to lose my remaining chickens. We hand-raised four of them and of course love them dearly. Can anybody help with advice? Thanks in advance.

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

I'm sorry you are loosing your flock. Without much more info to go on it is very difficult to diagnose. Someone should hopefully be along shorlty that may be able to help.

By the way, would it possibly be the heat? What are the temps in your area?

 

[Gracefulspice]

I'm sorry for your loss. I'm no expert by any means, but I do alot of searching online and I came across a site for illness in chickens. It says about symptoms, and what could be wrong. Here's the link. http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/diagext.htm
More members with alot more expierence will be along I'm sure to help out more. I hope everything turns out okay for you, and your flock.

And welcome to BYC.

 

[Chris & Mary's Kids]

Thanks for your condolences, and the link. I doubt it's heat because it's been relatively cool here this summer -- only broke 90 degrees a couple of times. I wish I could provide more info. I'll check out the website.

 

[Chatychick]

What are you feeding them, is their coop hot during the day when they are resting? You can put Teremycin powder into the water to help if you think it might be a respritory problem. you can get it at the feed store. I have done this before with what some call shipping fever. Ours got to hot and started getting sick. it worked. I hope yours gets better also.

 

[Chris & Mary's Kids]

Hi Chatychick. The chickens are totally free range during the day and are only in the coop at night. I supplement their diet with scratch grains and keep them provided with water (there's also a pond they can drink from). We live out in the country.

 

[Lunachick]

Do you have a vet in your area that knows chickens? Maybe they can do a necropsy (sp) on the deceased bird, and you may get some info on the cause of death. Hopefully more people on here can help out more, sorry for your loss of the birds. Keep searching on this site to get more info til someone more efficient comes along.

 

[silkiechicken]

Chris & Mary's Kids :

Hi Chatychick. The chickens are totally free range during the day and are only in the coop at night. I supplement their diet with scratch grains and keep them provided with water (there's also a pond they can drink from). We live out in the country.

So do you offer layer pellets 24/7 in additon to the scratch? My birds have a tough time when it reaches the 80's. If there is too much corn in the scratch it is possible that they can overheat. How old are they too? I find the older the bird the less stress they can take.

Also, since they free range, could they have gotten into something poisonous?​

 

[Chris & Mary's Kids]

Good suggestion, Lunachick. I've got a call in to the vet. They don't do much with chickens but maybe they can suggest someone.

To Silkiechick, we have layer pellets mixed in. There is a fair amount of corn in there - didn't know it could cause overheating. The chickens are not old, only 2 or 3 years (I AM old, and I can't remember

)

 

[dlhunicorn]

I suspect it may be diet...scratch is candy to them...they will leave the nutricious layer pellets (which they NEED even if free ranging)...should have on offer in princi;le 24/7 (though most remove at night)...do you offer also free choice oyster shell???