My hens are dying and I don't know why

[SniperGoose]

I'm sorry for your loss! I'd recommend getting a necropsy done. I'm not sure how much that would cost you where you live, but for me here in PA, there's a lab that does poultry necropsies for $30. That's the only real way to tell at this point what happened to your hens. Then you could possibly prevent it in the future, depending on what it is. Best of luck to you and your flock!

 

[Siyabonga Mama]

I agree. My girls have pretty much stripped my rhubarb with no noticeable side affects, other than heinous looking rhubarb. But, I had a one year old (turned one that day!) die of fatty liver disease this spring and she had no obvious signs of illness ever. I’m betting yours have a genetic issue that could only be confirmed with a necropsy. Sorry for your loss

Dang. Thank you ... I think. I should probably do better at keeping track of where they come from ... I don't even know whether these two girls were from the same source. That information would be helpful, based on your comment...

 

[Siyabonga Mama]

I'm sorry for your loss! I'd recommend getting a necropsy done. I'm not sure how much that would cost you where you live, but for me here in PA, there's a lab that does poultry necropsies for $30. That's the only real way to tell at this point what happened to your hens. Then you could possibly prevent it in the future, depending on what it is. Best of luck to you and your flock!

Thanks for the suggestion. I'd assumed a necropsy would be unaffordable, but maybe not. I'll make inquiries, and that's what I'll do IF there's another one.

 

[MrsWayne]

I just lost one of my little hens this evening as well.

Everyone was fine this morning when I let them into their run. They were eating and drinking nicely. The coop didn't seem to have moisture buildup, nor ammonia odor.

I did the same thing today I always do. When I came home I let them out to hang out in the yard for a while. I topped off their water and checked to see how much feed was left. It's cold and rainy so they all stayed close to the coop area. I tossed out some scratch grain about 1/2 hour before dark. She was eating. When I came out to close the coop she was laying near the gate to the run. No marks, no missing feathers, just dead.

I just don't even know what to think. These are my first birds ever and ... well I'm just dumbfounded.

 

[Kiki]

I just lost one of my little hens this evening as well.

Everyone was fine this morning when I let them into their run. They were eating and drinking nicely. The coop didn't seem to have moisture buildup, nor ammonia odor.

I did the same thing today I always do. When I came home I let them out to hang out in the yard for a while. I topped off their water and checked to see how much feed was left. It's cold and rainy so they all stayed close to the coop area. I tossed out some scratch grain about 1/2 hour before dark. She was eating. When I came out to close the coop she was laying near the gate to the run. No marks, no missing feathers, just dead.

I just don't even know what to think. These are my first birds ever and ... well I'm just dumbfounded.

I'm sorry for your loss.
I'd look into having a necropsy performed by your state lab. A direct link to that lab can be found here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/necropsy-and-disease-testing-lab-info.1236884/

 

[MissChick@dee]

Both horseradish and rhubarb are toxic to chickens.

 

[MrsWayne]

I'm sorry for your loss.
I'd look into having a necropsy performed by your state lab. A direct link to that lab can be found here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/necropsy-and-disease-testing-lab-info.1236884/

Thanks, I'll contact them to see what to do.

 

[Relleoms]

Oh no, I’m so sorry for all your losses . Hopefully a necropsy will be able to shed some light on your situation. Please don’t give up on chicken keeping. It really shouldn’t be so difficult; I think you got a bad batch. Hugs to you & your family

 

[Ghosty]

Your case sounds a bit like mine. 3 of my older pullets have gone lethargic and died in the past week. They all seemed fine the day before. It only took them a day to die. 2 of them were Light Brahmas I raised from chicks from Cackle Hatchery. The first that died this week was a Welsummer, who's sister died 4 months ago, and I thought was killed by a snake at the time. Makes me wonder if it's a genetic disease, and stress from the cold weather is making it kick in high gear. The WeIsummer had poop that looked like cancer, green and beady, but she never pooped like that till that day. I put them on medicated chick starter and Corid, hoping it doesn't affect my other birds. I did treat them with Corid once this Summer.

 

[Siyabonga Mama]

I just lost one of my little hens this evening as well.

Everyone was fine this morning when I let them into their run. They were eating and drinking nicely. The coop didn't seem to have moisture buildup, nor ammonia odor.

I did the same thing today I always do. When I came home I let them out to hang out in the yard for a while. I topped off their water and checked to see how much feed was left. It's cold and rainy so they all stayed close to the coop area. I tossed out some scratch grain about 1/2 hour before dark. She was eating. When I came out to close the coop she was laying near the gate to the run. No marks, no missing feathers, just dead.

I just don't even know what to think. These are my first birds ever and ... well I'm just dumbfounded.

I'm so sorry. It's a horrible thing to happen, and whether they're your first flock or your tenth, there's no getting used to the sudden death of a young, healthy bird. I hope it was a once-off and not the start of something. So far I've lost only the two. I hope that's the end of it.