Please help !

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi everyone, am a new member from kenya.I have three months old chicken but since two days ago I have lost seven.they seem healthy today and the next day they start with having convulsions then die in less than a minute.I got a vet and gave them antibiotics and vitamins yesterday but I lost one a few minutes ago.I am really sad.kindly help. I don't want to lose more chicken.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I am so sorry for your loss! That must be very difficult.

Do you know if anything changed recently? Could be moldy feed or fungal infection. Did your vet actually say what they thought it was? Here, the agriculture department would probably pick up the bodies and do a necropsy to ensure nothing spreads to our food supply chain. Recent change to type of bedding? Possible poisoning? Sounds like it could also be a mineral imbalance since it's spreading so fast. What are you feeding? What are the housing conditions, and weather?

I would at least try an electolyte solution. Recipe- 2 cups warm water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir until dissolved and give full strength.

I wish I could be more help. There are so many possibilities! Do you have any government agency you can contact or colleges that might have animal science classes?

Hoping you get some answers and no more losses!

 

[Hayamz]

Hello my friend , I really want to thank you for your great advice for me , I started to make her coop really dark so she can sleep well and it helped a lot about a lot of things , I'm giving her egg shells everyday in her meal , I hang cabbages or any greens in her coop with a thread and she enjoys pecking and grabbing it

I couldn't get her a companion as the coop only fits for one chicken to move freely in there if there are two it will be crowded , also when I bought her as a chick there was another chick with her but he died really early and she was sad about him for a week and got sick and was about to die and she didn't walk or move for a week but I helped her a lot until her health has improved to grow up to be my cute friend , now since I did somethings from your advice she has been laying an egg for a week in a row now

she only took one day off but the rest of the week she's laying and her egg is getting bigger everyday , also her comb and wattles aren't becoming pale anymore after laying they are always red and hot

the next step I will do I will bring her some dirt and see how she's going to enjoy it

but so far she's happy and active all day , her crop is always full by the end of the day . I thank you so much for helping me improve her health , thanks my friend

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@Hayamz Glad she is doing well!

Just remember not to worry when she does take a day or sometimes more off from laying. She just needs a break. I know she will love the dirt when you bring it!

Did you ever tell me her name?

 

[Hayamz]

Really sorry I couldn't answer you for so long I was busy with my new job , anyways her name is Chicky
Listen I wanna ask you something , since I sent you the last time she was doing well and laying well daily and only takes a day off , but this week is different , she laid a sixth egg on Thursday and stopped on Friday as usual it's her day off , but also on Saturday there was no egg , then Sunday she sat down like she was about to lay , I mean she suffers from symptoms before laying that's how I know she's about to lay and I wait for her to take the egg , the symptoms are making a very loud noise and keep moving and going back and forth and then she enters the dark spot of her coop and sits there for about 30 minutes and then gets up and push to lay the egg , so as I was saying on Sunday she made the loud noises , moved back and forth , went to her dark spot , sat there for 30 minutes , and then she got up and start to eat and drink and start her activities, she didn't try to push an egg or something . Then on Monday all yhe symptoms started but then she got up and pushed and layed her egg , Today Tuesday the same happened but with no pushing or laying nothing she just sat there and then got up to start her day , no egg bounding symptoms, she's healthy she eats , drinks and plays well , active all day and nothing wrong with her , so I don't know what's going on with her , she takes calcium and protein and all what she needs , I haven't changed a thing in her diet and I'm really worried .

 

[Hayamz]

Oh and I forgot to tell you , I know that one of the egg bounding symptoms is going in and out of the nest box repeatedly, but she only does that in the morning for once and never do that again , and when she laid on Monday the egg was in normal size and it was laid easily it wasn't difficult for her , her wattles , comb and face aren't pale and her abdomen isn't big or swallowed it's normal and she's walking fine not like a penguin or something

 

[EggSighted4Life]

The symptoms you are seeing is completely normal!

Some girls make a bigger deal of it than others. But my girls will walk around saying "squawk awk walk awk" type noises. Actually, it's one of the ways I can tell they are girls if I haven't yet been able to identify gender by looks.

Sometimes the girls take more than one day, could even be a week off. As long as there are no illness symptoms it is OK. Sounds like that one day she may have been thinking she was ready but the egg wasn't. I've had a girl set in the box for hours and nothing. But the next day laid it fine. And pacing is OK. Especially my new layers do that.

Don't worry about taking a while to respond. We all have lives.

Congrats on your new job! Chicky is doing great as well and you are taking good care of her. If you ever get the chance to upload a pic, I would love to see her!

Chickens are fairly hardy as long as their needs are met, though sometimes they might have issues. But Chicky is well! It's good to be cautious, but try not to worry too much. She really does sound like she is doing well!

If you haven't been able to get her a friend yet, you might be able to give her a mirror in her coop. Then she gets the illusion off a friend.

 

[Hayamz]

Hey there ! I use her picture as my user photo in here , she hasn't changed that much my balcony doors have a mirror from the inside , whenever they're closed she can she see herself

but there's a new thing that started lately and I don't know if I should worry or not, a few days ago she started to make strange noises, she stretches her neck and make a very loud sound ,it's not disturbing but it's heart breaking, it's like a woman screaming , and it's not related to laying because she makes it all the time after or before laying , and when I go in and stay with her she never makes that sound , but when I Go she keeps making it I watched her from behind the glass ,I let her make it and didn't get in , she made it for about 4 times in a row and she was looking around and when she found that no one got it she stopped , but it's really heart breaking , I don't know what she wants , she eats , drinks and lays well but that sound she makes really breaks my heart and it's like coming out from the bottom of her heart she has to stretch her neck and expand her wings to make it , should I be worried ?? Oh and a friend told me she might get her a companion , at the same age , but my chicken is a little bit aggressive and sometimes she bites me , can she hurt her ? Do you think they will get along ? Should I put the new one with her in the coop once she's here or should I keep her away but close enough so Chicky recognizes her ? Sorry for asking a lot but that sound she makes is making me worried and I always get to my work really late because of her .

 

[blairctchickens]

I agree with your friend she needs a companion, but the difficult part will be the introduction. You will need a separate cage to quarantine the new chicken for about a month to ensure she does not have any illnesses that could be given to your bird. In my opinion, the person who you get the new chicken from, that is a reputable breeder with healthy birds then the less the quarantine time. Put the birds in a some what close proximity of each other so they can see and get used to each other. Once the time come to put the birds together (make sure there is plenty of space for each bird like more than Two Square foot of space) there will be some shoving and biting of each other during the introduction phase. This is natural of them to set the pecking order. Once that is set your chickens should and will be a happy couple. Good luck!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi again.

Don't worry about asking a lot of questions, that is why the forum is here.

Yes, I think the sooner you can get her a friend the better. Chance are that's exactly why she is making that noise.

They will need to set a pecking order. We usually use a look but don't touch method where they can see each other through a fence or something. They kind of get the pecking order worked out without anybody getting hurt that way. For us it is usually for about two weeks then we let them free range together for a week or so before putting them in the same coop.

You shouldn't let your girl peck you. Checking for lint or treats I don't mind. But if it's a deliberate peck, I peck them back because I am at the top of the pecking order.

When you do introduce them, they may fight a little. But as long as neither is relentlessly going after the other and cornering and pecking, just let the pecking order take place because even if you try to intervene it will continue when you aren't there.

I agree that quarantine is a great idea and usually highly recommend it. But I realize that may not be possible for you. So if you can let them see each other, close up during the day.... one method people often use with success is adding the new bird during the night while it is dark so they wake up together in the morning. I suggest that you do this when you can be home for at least day one so you can separate them if it gets to intense. I also add new birds during the night with success.

Somebody told me that a mirror wasn't quite as effective for chickens as it is for other birds. But I do believe your issue is loneliness. Getting her a friend is likely your best option. We've known that for a while, but it's a process and I think you are doing well. You haven't disregarded any information and you've worked hard to try different things and see if they worked for you.

How long until you get to introduce her to a friend? After they set the pecking order, they should get along pretty good.

 

[Hayamz]

I will get the new friend maybe on Friday , I'm really concerned because the coop is small not so small but it fits one chicken to move freely, I can't put them in a free range you know I live in an apartment I can't let them wander around or I will be cleaning poop for the rest of my life
And or the pecking thing she only does that with me , I mean sometimes when I'm not here my boyfriend comes to check on her and if she's missing something he adds it but she stays in the corner and will never dare to touch him , lol , but when it comes to me she's very brave she comes near me and let me pet her and she pecks me usually when she's hungry or about to lay or just bored we always get into a pecking fight she's a stubborn she never gives up easily