Poppy chickens that then die.

[MKLaughlin]

We have lost a few chickens and I am not sure what is wrong with them.
They act all lethargic and won't eat or drink and get big globs of poo on their bottoms. I clean the poo off and they just lay there then they are dead the next day. This all happens in a day or two.
They have been eating a lot of garden vegetables and fruit and free ranging but we have been out of the chicken feed for abut a week cause I had to wait to get paid. They always have fresh water to drink too. We got them some feed today so I hope it helps.

 

[MKLaughlin]

Sorry they are poopy chickens not poppy... they go down hill so fast I don't know what is wrong with them. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Eggcessive]

How old are the chickens that have died? Have you seen them acting lethargic, not eating, hunched or puffed up appearance, or blood in poops? Coccidiosis can be a problem especially in younger birds under 20 weeks old. Hopefully they have been getting enough to eat. Moldy food, botulism from eating dead animals, or poisoning could be other causes to consider. Your state vet can do a necropsy on a dead chicken to find cause of death. If you suspect coccidiosis, then treat them with Corid (amprollium) a cattle/hog medicine found in feed stores. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid, or 1 1/2 tsp of the powder per gallon of water for 5-7 days.

 

[MKLaughlin]

They are about 15 weeks old. They only act lethargic for about a day then they are dead the next day. They have been eating lots of greenbeans, tomatoes, sweetcorn, yellow squash, zucchini, and peaches. They have also been eating some horse food sometimes. Not sure what is in the horse food... it has pellets and oats and other grain all mixed together. We got them some medicated grower chicken feed and none have died again yet...
Some have died just from being smothered by other chickens since we can't get them to roost. They sleep in a pile in the corner. But that is a different problem.

 

[Sutremaine]

What's your roost setup like?

You might need to pick them up and place them on the roost. Stay calm and keep at it until they stop jumping off, and repeat each night as necessary. Try scratching and tapping at the roost bar while they're getting ready for bed. Our pair were much younger (6-7 weeks), new to the run, and spent a lot of time pacing around and making noises before trying to form a stack in the corner. They don't really have a pre-roosting ritual now -- they flap up, groom out their quill dandruff, and either settle down or hop back down for a quick scratch around.

It'll take as long as it takes, but it's worth it to get them up away from their night droppings, especially if the droppings are wet enough to form globs.