Need help. First dead chicken.

[coach723]

I do also think you need more ventilation. An obvious sign is to wipe your hand on the walls or roof inside first thing in the morning, especially on a cold morning. If it's damp or wet, or even worse, dripping, then you don't have enough ventilation. The moisture is from your birds breathing and condensing on the surfaces. It's a sure way to end up with frostbite on toes and combs. They can put out a LOT of moisture breathing all night.
I would use the light to get them to come in, if they don't use the roosts then manually put them up each night until they start to. If they still are reluctant to roost, then redoing the roost layout may help. I really can't see them well, so just throwing that out there too.

 

[Kiki]

Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!


(I did this copying and pasting of the article title from my computer @aart )

 

[murrychicken]

I've never heard of a chicken mineral block. Are you talking about insoluble grit or oyster shell?

Some sort of flock block treat thing to keep them busy. Going to get rid of it and the corn. Also was giving them oyster shell.

 

[murrychicken]

I do also think you need more ventilation. An obvious sign is to wipe your hand on the walls or roof inside first thing in the morning, especially on a cold morning. If it's damp or wet, or even worse, dripping, then you don't have enough ventilation. The moisture is from your birds breathing and condensing on the surfaces. It's a sure way to end up with frostbite on toes and combs. They can put out a LOT of moisture breathing all night.
I would use the light to get them to come in, if they don't use the roosts then manually put them up each night until they start to. If they still are reluctant to roost, then redoing the roost layout may help. I really can't see them well, so just throwing that out there too.

Ok I will do this to find out if we have enough ventilation. Actually will do all. Thank you!

 

[murrychicken]

Oh, I was imagining cold weather. 30s and 40s is closer to the sweet spot for most breeds of chickens. You might think that is cold but your chickens don't. If you were fully dressed, wearing insulated pants and a down parka, you would be dressed almost as warmly as the chickens are when they go to roost at night. They don't trade their feathers for pajamas at dusk.
Cut some big windows in that box. Give them some oxygen.
What breeds do you have?
In the future, send dead birds to your state diagnostic lab for a necropsy so you know what killed them. It is impossible to know your next move until you know what is killing the chickens.
What state are you in?

Buff Orphington, Black Ostralorf, Easter Eggers. We are in South Central Missouri. Good to know about the state diagnostic lab. I will remember that.

 

[murrychicken]

That's not cold for a chicken.


Block....like a flock treat block of seeds thing?

Take it away and trash it.

Yes flock treat block of seeds thing.

 

[Kiki]

Yes flock treat block of seeds thing.

Think of it as feeding candy or chips.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Free-choice oyster shell is a good thing, and necessary for layers.

Hello from SE MO. Poplar Bluff area. Where are you, around Willow Springs? My guess is the chickens stick their heads in to roost up there around dusk and hesitate to go in because it's dark and scary. Letting in a little ventilation and ambient light by adding some screened (or hardware cloth) openings along the top should really help, along with maybe replacing the steps with a ramp. Otherwise your setup looks really nice. As @coach723 said, it's hard to tell what kind of fencing you have all around your run, though. Hardware cloth is the safest. (I think it was Coach.... my memory is not what it used to be.)

 

[murrychicken]

Think of it as feeding candy or chips.

OMG nooooooo. I am getting rid of it tomorrow. Thank you!

 

[murrychicken]

Free-choice oyster shell is a good thing, and necessary for layers.

Hello from SE MO. Poplar Bluff area. Where are you, around Willow Springs? My guess is the chickens stick their heads in to roost up there around dusk and hesitate to go in because it's dark and scary. Letting in a little ventilation and ambient light by adding some screened (or hardware cloth) openings along the top should really help, along with maybe replacing the steps with a ramp. Otherwise your setup looks really nice. As @coach723 said, it's hard to tell what kind of fencing you have all around your run, though. Hardware cloth is the safest. (I think it was Coach.... my memory is not what it used to be.)

We are on a cattle farm outside Houston. Thank you for all your help. We are making some changes tomorrow. You can't tell but the entire coop is reinforced with hardware cloth. I think you are right and is too dark and scary for them.