My laying hens are dying!

[HoennerTannie]

Description of my flock: I have approx 12 mixed breed hens that are 3yrs of age (or older) and approx 25 hens that I purchased last year as full-grown laying hens (they are Berg's Browns from Berg's Hatchery in Russell, MB)
Problem: In the past months (not including winter) I have lost several hens, seemingly for no good reason! Four of my older hens have died (which I attributed to old age?) and so far five of my newer hens have also died, which has me worried.
The two flocks get along quite well, but between the new hens (the Browns) there is still rivalry at times, so it could be that some of them died due to pecking...? One died right in the nesting box, usually I find them in the coop on the floor. Yesterday I found a hen badly bleeding from her rear end, the other hens were pecking her there so I removed her from the flock, she is recovering it seems... As you can tell I am truly not sure what to think here, is it possible that they have worms? Their coop is cleaned every month, during this month I add fresh woodshavings every week, it's insulated, and I have fans going when it's damp.
Overall my birds are in great shape, they have lots of feathers, they eat and drink well, spend time outside in their run, and seem to get along quite well. I've only seen poop/dirt on some of their vents a few times, other than that they seem healthy.... I hope you can help me!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can take fecal samples to a vet and have them read for parasites.
3 year old hens shouldn't be dying of old age.
You can send a freshly dead bird to a poultry diagnostic lab for necropsy. That is really the only way to know what you are dealing with but with so many dead, it's time.
There are just too many possibilities to hazard a guess.
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/animal-health-and-welfare/veterinary-diagnostic-services.html

 

[MomJones]

Wow, that sounds stressful as heck. I'm so sorry you're going through this. We have about 2 dozen here in South Carolina and I lost a young pullet yesterday for no apparent reason, other than possibly heat stress.

So I have some questions for you, if you don't mind.
1. You mentioned some might have died from possible pecking, how did you come to that conclusion, ie did you do a post mortem exam on each one and were there bloody marks or holes that you could see?

2. Nine birds out of approximately 37 is a high mortality rate. Are you aware of any diseases going around in your particular area of Canada? There's got to be more than just bullying going on, don't you think? Down here, heat stress is a major concern right now because of higher than normal temps (104 degrees!).

3. Would it be possible to take future fatalities in for examination to determine if you have a possible viral or parasitic presence?

4. Is there any possibility that the birds are overcrowded? When some of my youngsters were pecking at each other and causing wounds, it was suggested to me they might be feeling crowded. My first thought was "no way, this wasn't a problem last time". But then I remembered "last time" I had them in that particular area in much smaller batches. It solved the problem after I moved them.

I'll be following your progress and I pray this gets resolved. Please do keep us posted. It's obvious you love your birds, bless you.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Chickens can live over ten years like dogs. But after their laying years are over (like 3 or 4 years) they can get reproductive problems. Good luck with your girls.

 

[Trux]

You can take fecal samples to a vet and have them read for parasites.
3 year old hens shouldn't be dying of old age.
You can send a freshly dead bird to a poultry diagnostic lab for necropsy. That is really the only way to know what you are dealing with but with so many dead, it's time.
There are just too many possibilities to hazard a guess.
https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/animal-health-and-welfare/veterinary-diagnostic-services.html

Good advice! Only way you will know for sure!