Seven dead hens within 4 hours, not attacked. UPDATE: Teflon Poisoning!

[AaronandAlice]

Just an update: 10 eggs today for the first time since I brought these girls home! It’s been 0-5, usually 2-3.
I think Lane Staley is molting- he looks like a hot mess.

 

[lazy gardener]

Re: teflon. Talk of hair dryers and curling irons makes me wonder about a good old iron. I bet mine is teflon coated. Yet one more concern, especially when incubating eggs. When I'm incubating, I'll not use teflon in the kitchen. May only use it once/twice a year, anyways.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

He's just real real tired maybe, big harem!

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Re: teflon. Talk of hair dryers and curling irons makes me wonder about a good old iron. I bet mine is teflon coated. Yet one more concern, especially when incubating eggs. When I'm incubating, I'll not use teflon in the kitchen. May only use it once/twice a year, anyways.

Well that's just it, who knows where that garbage is hidden. Escalating rates of all these diseases these days, good example of things to be concerned about.

 

[AaronandAlice]

Good evening all - I am jumping in on this thread to share that I too have lost 5 of my 9 remaining girls from the very same thing. I am heartbroken because - I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping them warm during these frigid temps. Like you I am new and learning during this first year of chicken raising. I am so thankful to BYC for providing the information they do. My condolences on your loss.

I’m sorry you had to go through this also, it’s just awful.

 

[Kat C]

Could be a possibility.
Post pics of coop.
Chickens can withstand -40° weather so if it wasn't that cold and you had a heat lamp on them they may have had heat issues.

Possible. Chickens are not far removed from wild fowl and handle cold fine. Wild guess but could the heat actually encourage parasites in the coop, lice, mites?

 

[Kat C]

What about Marek's disease. The best book on chicken diseases IMO is The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow. Marek's is listed under the diseases that can cause sudden death and is listed as common. She says it can hit 30 to 50% of unvaccinated flocks and mortality can be nearly 100 percent of those infected. Gail's book also tells you how to do your own postmortem. While you can find lists of symptoms, it can also cause sudden death of apparently healthy birds.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Possible. Chickens are not far removed from wild fowl and handle cold fine. Wild guess but could the heat actually encourage parasites in the coop, lice, mites?

What about Marek's disease. The best book on chicken diseases IMO is The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow. Marek's is listed under the diseases that can cause sudden death and is listed as common. She says it can hit 30 to 50% of unvaccinated flocks and mortality can be nearly 100 percent of those infected. Gail's book also tells you how to do your own postmortem. While you can find lists of symptoms, it can also cause sudden death of apparently healthy birds.

Hi @Kat C Welcome To BYC!

Did you post on the wrong thread? I'm not quite sure to whom you are referencing about Marek's? If you are helping with this thread, the cause of death has been solved. It's very sad really. Come to find out that the heat lamp being used was Teflon coated. This created a toxic gas that poisoned the chickens. Only 1 survived - Lane Staley, the rooster. OP has since acquired some ladies for him and he seems to be quite happy

I agree with you though - some of the symptoms that was listed, a person would consider Marek's as a possibility since it's so prevalent and can come on so suddenly. Gail Damerow has some good info in her book(s) as well

If you're interested, @BantyChooks graciously wrote an article about the use of Teflon Coated bulbs here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/polytetrafluoroethylene-toxicity-in-chickens.73482/

 

[Kat C]

Hi @Kat C Welcome To BYC!

Did you post on the wrong thread? I'm not quite sure to whom you are referencing about Marek's? If you are helping with this thread, the cause of death has been solved. It's very sad really. Come to find out that the heat lamp being used was Teflon coated. This created a toxic gas that poisoned the chickens. Only 1 survived - Lane Staley, the rooster. OP has since acquired some ladies for him and he seems to be quite happy

I agree with you though - some of the symptoms that was listed, a person would consider Marek's as a possibility since it's so prevalent and can come on so suddenly. Gail Damerow has some good info in her book(s) as well

If you're interested, @BantyChooks graciously wrote an article about the use of Teflon Coated bulbs here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/polytetrafluoroethylene-toxicity-in-chickens.73482/

Sorry I was missed that the problem had been solved. Being new I am just learning how to navigate through threads. I use Gail's books all the time. But I have an older copy of the health handbook and it didn't have teflon toxicity. After I saw the solution I mentioned it on another thread where people were heating their coop.

 

[Kathy Golla]

Oooh @AaronandAlice ...wishing for spring. We are having a cold snap in Northern California for the last week with rain to come the next few days.
When is spring in Maine?
I want some more pics! They make me smile. Tell us some stories about the new ladies.