PLEASE HELP?? Adult, glossy, fat hens DYING. Why?

[InLuvWLife]

Please respond if you can? My hens are between 2 and 4 years old, a mix of breeds. For all their lives I have been using the deep litter method with pine shavings and/or straw, feeding high quality layer feed, free range using an electric mesh fence. I have never lost a hen to predators, but this year I have lost FIVE of my gals to a mystery.

All that I have lost are the oldest gals (4) except for today I lost a 3 yr old. First was an EE. Then a white jersey Giant, Then a Buff Orp, then my favorite , my "boss hen" named Diva who was a red sexlink. Finally, today, a white leghorn.

ALL of these gals were shiny and glossy one day, dead the next morning, lying on the floor of the coop. No signs of distress or illness. The only one who "seemed" sick was Diva who lingered for 3 days and died the same way. She was lethargic and not eating (empty crop) and toward the end was thin but not scrawny.

Please please give me some ideas? I do not want to lose any more. I didn't think four was old for laying hens who have had a good healthy life???

Thank you in advance for answering...

 

[AndystUK]

Well

I would check some basics first:-

Mites = control measures
Worms = Have you treated them this last 12 months?
Water supply = are you sure its from a clean safe supply. Rain water can be toxic too
Did you determine the illness of the one showing symptoms. This could of been air borne from hay or straw. check there is no dust in the product.

Have they had access to poisonous plants known or unknown.
What else have you began to feed them? anything new recently?

 

[mg15]

So Sorry,
would someone poison them?
any injuries at all on them. ?

 

[AndystUK]

So Sorry,
would someone poison them?
any injuries at all on them. ?

There are a lot of commonly grown plants that are poisonous to chickens. Digitalis is one...

I was not suggesting foul play lol

 

[mg15]

I hope you can find out the cause. It's awful to lose some many at once.

 

[InLuvWLife]

OK- mites- they do not seem to have.
Worms- I have not wormed them, but would they look healthy and shiny if they had worms? Can anyone recommend a natural wormer? I am an herbalist and could mix some herbs up, but not sure if they are safe for chickens.
The water- I just scrubbed it out with hot bleach water and refilled with fresh.
The ONLY thing that has changed recently- my high quality organic feed has become unavailable and I switched to the most "natural" layer crumbles I can find. I did find another source of organic feed and will switch back but cannot get it until June 4th. But the crumbles I bought- surely thousands of people feed that?
I am at my wits end. One thing I DID notice- there is a mouse living in the coop and I have never seen one so bold. I am afraid to put out traps or poison to catch it. Would mice be a danger to adult hens?

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING! Just knowing you are out there helps a LOT.

 

[InLuvWLife]

Thank you. It IS awful. People don't realize how unique and special these birds become to us...

 

[mg15]

go here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/87395/laying-hens-worm-medicine/20 it is number 24

Wazine only treats roundworms.
It's best if you can have a fecal float done by the vet to determine what type of worm(s) you are dealing with. If it's not roundworms then wazine would be a waste of time and money.
I used valbazen, which like eprinex is a cattle wormer. It treats liver flukes, tapeworms, stomach & intestinal worms and lungworms.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/120261/what-do-you-use-to-worm-chickens

also go to Freds hens on this site, he knows also.

 

[InLuvWLife]

Thank you. If there is any tried and proven natural wormer I would prefer it? Anyone tried the red pepper/garlic mix and had success?

 

[AndystUK]

I would again look at the water contamination.

Mics/rats can spread viles disease and can easily pass to you hens if they wee in the drinker. Humane trap vermin and let loose miles away.

You say you use BLEACH in the drinkers?? any slight residue of bleach can build up into the hens system and kill them. Bleach is far too excessive a good scrub under a running tap will suffice to bring any drinker back to fresh.

Worm btw love garlic. there is no herbal effective wormer. you will need to get the right product. you only need a small amount to shift them.