Rooster died seemingly out of nowhere

[casportpony]

One of my leghorns were laying really soft shell eggs or ones that would break really easily. Someone told me to put te calf manna available as free choice and the ones that need it will eat it and the ones that won't will not eat it. Only a little has been consumed and I've kept it on the bottom story of the coop so it stays dry and out of the way.
He wasn't a super special bird, just one from tractor supply so I'm not certain if their supplier vaccined them for Mareks.

I feed them in the run because I don't like putting food in the coop. Is flock raiser a good feed for all of them? I have mostly 12 hens a large fowl rooster 5 bantam hens and 2 bantam roosters.

I feed mine a mix of lay crumbles, scratch and free choice oyster shell and alfalfa hay for calcium and if I get one lay soft eggs she gets a human calcium pill every other day for a total of 3-4 doses.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Fight the good fight...

I used to post a lot in EDIC, but questions (with no ancillary, not to mention essential, info) such as: "I sat on my chicken!!! What do I do???? ? "Stand up and get off your chicken, yes?" and I pretty much retreated to just `touch-and-go' when I don't have to make too many assumptions (lots of photos of condition are usually bait to this writer).

For a while, I'd just copy/paste FAQ Q's into first reply and wait...
Also, if folks would take a few minutes to learn how to use the ADVANCED SEARCH FUNCTION (and all that is really difficult about that is remembering to USE THE SEARCH BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AFTER DEFINING THE PARAMETERS IN THE SEARCH FIELDS) to examine previous Q's & A's for same issue(s), questions in current thread could be refined even further.

Sorry, pet peeve being flailed by excess caffeine

Not directed at OP - sudden death in an apparently healthy one year old roo will admit to a near infinity of hypotheses as to causative `agents' (doubt it was the feed, however)...

You're too funny! Thanks for the giggle.

-Kathy

 

[ivan3]

HELP!!!
I am a newbie to back yard chicken raising.... In less than 3 days I have had 5 chickens die for apparent no reasons... I had 40 chickens 15 female amerucanas, 5 male ; 15 Rhode Island Red females and 5 males all in a 16 x 18x 10 foot from floor to roof Coop it is all brick and they have their own laying houses which they all use.. I have raised then since they were 8 days old... They are 8 months old now and have been relatively fine laying eggs and docile up until 3 days ago... We thought it was the roosters that were attacking and gang raping the females.. Literally they were in a line and crouched on top of the first chicken.and no sooner did one finish the other 4 pounced on her.. Suffocating her and she was dead.. This was the first so we took action and seperated the males from the females except for 2 male ameraucanas which all amerucanas seem very docile the reds are more aggressive..and now we lost 3 yesterday and 2 in between this morning and the afternoon.. Except that the other 4 didn't have signs of trauma.. They are also pecking at each others tail feathers now and have rare behinds.. Some have bleed...(we seperated an reintroduced then and they were fine after) We've checked their water, and their feed (which is a mixture of crumble and dried corn) for rot or spores and find nothing. I am so distraught bc we have done everything in our power to make sure they are well taken care of.. They have posts to rest on and we graze them every other day and without coercion they enter their home.. We lock them up so no predators have access to them.. Although today my husband put a key lock on just in case there is some lunatic that likes to have fun with chickens out around my property... Youll understand why in a bit.. They have adequate sunlight, water and food plus flying room.. But they are dying and I have no idea why? Back to the original problem WE think the roosters left gaping holes in their backside and it looked like they were violated by a very thick large stick! Help I really don't know what else to do!

Welcome to BYC, sorry you are having these problems.

First, get out there and observe flock, closely. Remove every chook that is picking at the fundaments of others ( the cannibals). Separate all roos from the hens. It could well be that one of the hens was injured and another chook(s) took a bite of the raw wound - and found it good... - this behavior can spread through entire flocks and all would have to be culled (or go through cans of pine tar/blue kote slathered/sprayed on butts - labor intensive and not always effective.

Once you have what you believe are the `appropriate diet' hens together - check their butts daily, for a week or so, after they go to roost - make sure no cannibal slipped by.