Please Help!! No one can figure this out. My flock is in trouble.

[South Dakota Chick]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/posts/19849025

I have had a couple done and it was expensive but still no answers.

 

[NatJ]

I see a bunch of different problems, and you have solved quite a few of them:
--chicks died in cold weather (solved)
--predators killing birds (hopefully solved)
--quail with picked toes (solved)
--hens bullying chicks, causing starvation (solved)

For the most recent ones, this stands out to me:

They all have the same course of illness but no real symptoms. They get a little floppy or quiet. I bring them in and quarantine them and they eat and drink like crazy. Within a couple of days they look like they will recover. Then they just start to sink into the cage and never stand up again.

That "eat and drink like crazy" makes me think they are not getting enough food.

Do they always have food and water available?
You may still have some bullying going on.

I would try putting out several more feeders and waterers, more than any reasonable person would think they need. And I would make extra efforts to never let those feeders and waterers run empty.

I would also set up some things to block lines of sight, so chickens can get out of sight of other chickens-- it could be a simple as haybales or cardboard boxes or old tables turned on their sides in the middle of the run, with feeders & waterers on several sides. If it helps, you can make it look more pleasing later. This provides more chances for chickens to eat & drink without being noticed by any bullies there may be.

 

[Kiki]

I have had a couple done and it was expensive but still no answers.

Done a couple by yourself or with a state lab? The state lab will give you an answer.

 

[South Dakota Chick]

Done a couple by yourself or with a state lab? The state lab will give you an answer.

Both. Paid for them and did ourselves.

 

[janiedoe]

Is there any ventilation in your coop? It doesn't appear that there are enough roosting spots.
You need 1 ft of roost space per hen.
You also need 1 sq ft of ventilation for each hen. This must be open at all times, so you'll need to cover it with hardware cloth. Not chicken wire. You'll also need to make sure that the openings are above the hens' heads when roosting, and that rain doesn't come in.

 

[janiedoe]

I believe that housing is your major problem. Inadequate ventilation and space.
Also, all waterers should be cleaned and filled daily.
And fresh, unspoiled food, placed in multiple places, so that all have access. The same with waterers.

 

[South Dakota Chick]

I see a bunch of different problems, and you have solved quite a few of them:
--chicks died in cold weather (solved)
--predators killing birds (hopefully solved)
--quail with picked toes (solved)
--hens bullying chicks, causing starvation (solved)

For the most recent ones, this stands out to me:


That "eat and drink like crazy" makes me think they are not getting enough food.

Do they always have food and water available?
You may still have some bullying going on.

I would try putting out several more feeders and waterers, more than any reasonable person would think they need. And I would make extra efforts to never let those feeders and waterers run empty.

I would also set up some things to block lines of sight, so chickens can get out of sight of other chickens-- it could be a simple as haybales or cardboard boxes or old tables turned on their sides in the middle of the run, with feeders & waterers on several sides. If it helps, you can make it look more pleasing later. This provides more chances for chickens to eat & drink without being noticed by any bullies there may be.

I guess it isn't that they gobble it all down but I will try this. I meant to say that they are eating and drinking normally and then suddenly they aren't.

We feed in the morning and at night and have vegetables and other things to eat in the run each day. The water is always full or at least has some water in it. I can try separating the waterers though and see if that helps.
I usually keep them in the one corner because that is where the most shade is so I want the water to be cool in the summer.
Let me see what I can put out to create a hiding spot. I have wanted to build some things for them but we just haven't had time yet. When they were free ranging, they had more places to go.

 

[South Dakota Chick]

Is there any ventilation in your coop? It doesn't appear that there are enough roosting spots.
You need 1 ft of roost space per hen.
You also need 1 sq ft of ventilation for each hen. This must be open at all times, so you'll need to cover it with hardware cloth. Not chicken wire. You'll also need to make sure that the openings are above the hens' heads when roosting, and that rain doesn't come in.

There is some ventilation. They get locked in at night, so not in the open run. There are 3 bars which are over 6 ft each long. I need to spread them out more because somehow they got all pushed together yesterday.

There are 11 chickens. I took out the roosting boxes because I was worried that it was some sort of parasite and wanted to remove anything that they could hide in.

 

[South Dakota Chick]

I believe that housing is your major problem. Inadequate ventilation and space.
Also, all waterers should be cleaned and filled daily.
And fresh, unspoiled food, placed in multiple places, so that all have access. The same with waterers.

Waterers are cleaned and filled daily. I just don't use the larger one when it isn't hot but I can start using that one again.

Food is fresh every day. I only put out what they can finish. There is very little if any left by the end of the day.

I do need to put it in multiple places. Will try that.

 

[South Dakota Chick]

I believe that housing is your major problem. Inadequate ventilation and space.
Also, all waterers should be cleaned and filled daily.
And fresh, unspoiled food, placed in multiple places, so that all have access. The same with waterers.

There is a lot of space in the coop. It was originally built for 25 birds. I have had other chicken people check the size to see what we can fit. We only have 11 right now. They are only in the coop at night and let out early in the morning. It was used for chickens for years before we moved her. I can see where I can add extra ventilation. There is meshing above the door for ventilation and venting holes on the walls.