My chickens keep on dying :( One after another

[centrarchid]

Based on pictures lets revisit their diet. Chronic losses I have seen not involving parasites most frequently involve nutrition. Can you gestimate the relative constributions of the feeds you provide them with? Also what kinds of plants are immediately beyond their coop wire?

 

[Gaynor]

Hi there are no plants or weeds growing around their coop or run it is just dirt wood chip etc. I feed them on layers pellets and corn as a treat as to much corn give them the runs. They have the layers pellets as they want then it's put up on a hook in the ceiling so not to encourage rats. So they feed from a feeder when they want it. They have constant clean water which hangs from a hook in the run.
They are locked up when they go to bed as it gets dark depending on season will depend on time which they are put away. They are reopened before my partner goes to work at 6am sometimes it's still dark but needs must.
I have heard rats around the coop of an evening but these have been treated with bait boxes so no more signs of them. The girls can't get anywhere near these boxes and the run is covered by chicken wire and debris netting.
The greens they have are what is grown on the plot. These are given daily. I don't use chemicals on my plot.

 

[CindyJackJr]

I am curious, Have you lost any more? I have seen this happen to someone else's chickens recently. The two in the picture, Are they still alive? I would love to see a picture of the faces up close if possible.?

 

[centrarchid]

Most of my birds are expected to live a long time; considerably longer than three years with brood fowl. Hens in lay under my conditions are not fed a single formulation for any length time, especially a formulation designed for birds in confinement under thermally neutral conditions. Birds outside but denied access to forages have a tougher go of it where the commercial production formulations may not be ideal. When you are supplementing with corn the overall protein density and possibly level as well is being reduced. For longer term keeping of hens stressed by laying I go the other way where supplementation increase protein intake. Whole corn and other intact grains still used but a higher protein source like a chick starter or grower is included in the mix to raise the protein intake up a couple notches above what a layer formulation provides.

Also what is the history of your corn? Is it maize corn or your European version of a grain? Think afkatoxins on this.

 

[casportpony]

Hi there are no plants or weeds growing around their coop or run it is just dirt wood chip etc. I feed them on layers pellets and corn as a treat as to much corn give them the runs. They have the layers pellets as they want then it's put up on a hook in the ceiling so not to encourage rats. So they feed from a feeder when they want it. They have constant clean water which hangs from a hook in the run.
They are locked up when they go to bed as it gets dark depending on season will depend on time which they are put away. They are reopened before my partner goes to work at 6am sometimes it's still dark but needs must.
I have heard rats around the coop of an evening but these have been treated with bait boxes so no more signs of them. The girls can't get anywhere near these boxes and the run is covered by chicken wire and debris netting.
The greens they have are what is grown on the plot. These are given daily. I don't use chemicals on my plot.

Wood chips? Like the kind you buy, or the type that tree trimmers chip and give away? I know a few people that have lost horses and cows from using the stuff from tree trimmers.

-Kathy

 

[Blooie]

I'm getting in on this a little late but I've been thinking about it...the rat bait boxes are tripping red flags for me. I know that you said the chickens can't get at them, but have you considered that the rodents might be bringing bits of it IN where the chickens are? A small or juvenile rat, or even a passing mouse, might be able to get through the chicken wire and may drop little bits of that rat bait in the run. We all know how chickens are - if there's a tiny kernel of something new and they spot it, they'll devour it first and ask questions later. If, during scratching around Hen A finds a bit of it and eats it, death can be swift. Then a few weeks later Hen B finds another morsel, and so on. Just a thought, and I might be way off base, but small rodents can squeeze through some pretty small openings.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm getting in on this a little late but I've been thinking about it...the rat bait boxes are tripping red flags for me.  I know that you said the chickens can't get at them, but have you considered that the rodents might be bringing bits of it IN where the chickens are?  A small or juvenile rat, or even a passing mouse, might be able to get through the chicken wire and may drop little bits of that rat bait in the run.  We all know how chickens are - if there's a tiny kernel of something new and they spot it, they'll devour it first and ask questions later.  If, during scratching around Hen A finds a bit of it and eats it, death can be swift. Then a few weeks later Hen B finds another morsel, and so on.  Just a thought, and I might be way off base, but small rodents can squeeze through some pretty small openings.

Hens could also consume small moribund rodent after it consumes a dose needed to kill even the chicken. Mine eat small rodents whenever opportunity presents itself making such also plausible. This would also make for a lack of pattern in losses.

 

[azygous]

I'm getting in on this a little late but I've been thinking about it...the rat bait boxes are tripping red flags for me. I know that you said the chickens can't get at them, but have you considered that the rodents might be bringing bits of it IN where the chickens are? A small or juvenile rat, or even a passing mouse, might be able to get through the chicken wire and may drop little bits of that rat bait in the run. We all know how chickens are - if there's a tiny kernel of something new and they spot it, they'll devour it first and ask questions later. If, during scratching around Hen A finds a bit of it and eats it, death can be swift. Then a few weeks later Hen B finds another morsel, and so on. Just a thought, and I might be way off base, but small rodents can squeeze through some pretty small openings.

You know, this hasn't even occurred to me! I have a rodent problem and I've been thinking about, not actually DOING it, using poison bait. Of course, I wouldn't want to run the risk of the chickens running across it.

But Blooie has a terrifically salient point. Rodents, and even cock roaches, carry the poison rodent bait back to their nests and stockpile it. It is, after all, edible to them. Just two days ago, I discovered a mouse nest, cozy with molted feathers. in the run where the chickens love to dig.

As careful as I would try to be with poison bait, it would probably get carried back to the run. I shudder to think of the consequences.

 

[centrarchid]

Find a different way to manage rodents that does not involve poisons.

 

[Gaynor]

Hi thanks everyone for your help on this. I have 3 of the original 9 girls left and they still appear to be fine.i never started using bait boxes until I lost my 6 girls because I hate killing anything and I was really worried Incase the girls managed to eat a small rodent that had ingested any poison., but I am at the end of the road now with my girls and after loosing 6 seemingly healthy chickens I had to resort to the bait boxes for fear of the rats bringing in some sort of disease which was killing my girls.
Their feed is layers pellets and fresh green veg. I only ever give them a handful of grains as a treat maybe once a week as they absolutely love it. I also give the mealworms which again they go mad for. They also have pasta and rice as a treat.