New member....with a new chicken problem!!!

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SFelder879

SFelder879

Hatching
9 Years
Jul 21, 2010
3
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7
Hi from the beautiful high country of NC!!! I have had my girls, from chicks, since April 2009. They are much more pets than anything else. I have 1 RIR, 3 Buff Orpingtons, and 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks. These girls are incredibly pampered and I'm not sure they even know they are chickens!!! Unfortunately, one of my girls died yesterday....without signs or warning. Of course, now I am scared to death there is something going on with them all. They look healthy and fine, although another of the Plymouth Barred rocks as a droopy, pale looking comb this morning...and that's new. Nothing has changed to my knowledge. Any comments would be very appreciated.
 
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Hi! Thanks for your questions. I feed them 16% protein crumbles, with a 3/1 ratio to scratch with barley. They get oyster shells and free range in my yard for several hours late in the afternoon. I have changed no feed... I did give them some white mixed with wild rice over the weekend....it had been cooked. I have NOT wormed them, as I have seen no sign of worms. They did get into a sleeve of Town House crackers a few days ago (I work for Keebler) and ate them all up....and I did think about the salt content, but the other chickens seem fine....except for the one whose comb is a little pale and droopy. Egg production is WAY down, all of a sudden.
 
I have not had this problem, but from what I have read this could indicate a parasitic infestation (roost mites, lice, ect.) I would check around their vent to see if they are infested. If the combs are pale yellowish, instead of on the white side, it could be a liver problem from to much fat in their diet. Grain typically is only fed as a treat in the winter to help put on body fat to keep them warm. I give my chickens oats sprinkled on the ground in the morning for a treat. I have never seen worms in my chickens but I started using DE in their feed as a health benefit and natural wormer, when I started a new flock, and they are so much healthier than any chickens I've had before! Hopefully someone who has had this same problem will give you better insight as to what it could be. Good Luck!
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Many of us are having problems with the heat with our birds too. In Florida, it is much hotter and drier than it was last year. Make sure your birds have plenty of COOL fresh water and shade.

If you have not wormed, you may want the get a sample tested to see if they have worms.
I would not start a worming program right now - - - in this HEAT - - unless you have a confirmed worm issue.
 
Well, I have checked them all for parasites and not a sign of that....thank heavens....so I'm going to hope that this was something isolated to that one hen. The fact that I was getting 8 eggs a day from 8 chickens, and have since they started laying last September, until 3 days ago and now just getting 3....and today, none....really has me concerned. Our weather has indeed been much warmer, but I change their water daily and are NEVER out of water and their coop and run is in the shade. Hopefully, I'm just an over-doting hen mother!!! Thanks for ALL of your suggestions. I'm keeping a very watchful eye on them.
 

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