Should I be worried - 3 dead in 3 months?

[snowknitter]

When do I start to worry something is going through my coop? We got these chickens in March.

We have lost 3 chickens, one each month for the last 3 months(April, May, June). The first 2 were similar...they became lethargic, standing by feeder but not moving. I could pick them up and move them when normally they are pretty flighty. One had a weird neck thing that made me think neurological but not sure because it was obvioulsy sick and not moving normally at that point anyway.

The last one didn't show any signs...we just found her dead one morning.

3 seems alot but they were all about a month apart...not sure if they are related as that is a good amout of time between deaths. I've cleaned coop and changing bedding well. I do not vaccinate.

They are free range all day, we live on an acreage. No other other animals (well other than barn cat and dog).

Now just the other day I saw one chicken have an explosive poop....like it shot almost a foot out! And the coop smelled bad 3 separate days in the last month from the poops (I believe) so I cleaned it. But since then nothing!


So I am wondering should I be worried...or is all of this just par for the course?


Thanks!

 

[mstricer]

I think if you still have the chicken you should have it tested. I have only lost 1 chicken to unexplained death since 2009. You should worry now, if it is contagious everyone will get sick slowly. Maybe you have mold in your coop. Are you using cedar or pine shavings?

 

[ValleyPoultryFarms]

It may be just an ironic string of deaths. It's happened to me before.
Just keep it clean and beware taking stray chickens or buying them from bad conditions to avoid introducing germs.

 

[snowknitter]

We use pine shavings. I will double my efforts in cleanliness. We don't have the dead chicken anymore. I don't which one the explosion came from now as the 4 of them look so much alike. The 4 of them are kept together...

Hoping perhaps it is just ironic...we were butchering them in the fall as they are all older anyway...but was hoping to get some more eggs out of them over the summer but that has dropped off anyway as well. Don't need my 15 weekers to get anything (kept separate) .... wanted to move them all in together in a month or so...don't know what I am going to do now....

 

[seminolewind]

I just lost 3 with no outward signs. I'm treating for coccidiosis. There are strains that can kill a few hours after showing symptoms. When I went to pick the dead ones up, I grabbed their mid section, and a bunch of blood came out the vent.