so many horror stories...

[ams3651]

I know the percentage of people active on here compared with the number of people who have posted diseases or disorders of their chickens has got to be low but its starting to scare me. On average how often would you say you have a serious problem with one of your chickens. I dont mean predators because there is only so much you can do about that. I wont be raising chicks unless one of the hens chooses to, so I guess Im talking when they are mature.

 

[tat2edlady]

once maybe every 6 months but have gone as long as 1 year with out problems

Mindy

 

[silkiechicken]

Hard to put a number on serious problems, since not many post if something is not wrong. Like viewing the emergency room, might think the whole world is sick and dying.

In my adult birds, I say the only serious problem I had was with a few hens who became internal layers.. stuff like broken nails, a cross beak, a cut from a fight aren't really serious to me since they can be fixed/cared for or solved with minimal effort. Had cocci once but that could have been prevented with slower introduction to the soil.

I say with individual bird health, I end up with a "serious" problem 1:50-100 birds over 4 months old? So every few years maybe if that.

I don't think you need to worry.

 

[Katy]

I've had chickens for going on 35 years and I've never had any serious problems with my chickens. No diseases that wiped me out or spread like wildfire.

That's not to say I haven't lost hens...I have, but usually it's been one of those things that they were fine one day and dead the next.

 

[ams3651]

Its good to hear, I just dont have the stomach for some of the "putting it back together" type things that some do or the money to go to extremes. Maybe Ive been on here too long before actually getting my chickens.....nahh that cant be it.

 

[rooster-red]

I've not had problems with diseases in the last 2 years, only lost 1 hen that had a heart attack about 15 minutes after I first brought her home.

Always quarentine new birds and chances are slim that you'll have a disease problem.

 

[d.k]

* The thing is, see, a lot of people only go looking & find BYC when their bird/birds have a problem. And, unlike some sites with no personal advice, BYC has that, too. . .

 

[lynxpilot]

My first batch we lost 2 chicks for unexplained reasons (that being out of over 50). Next couple years nothing. This year we received a batch of 200 with 4 dead. We lost about 2 per night for the next several nights. I'm guessing they had a bug from the hatchery and it spread a little bit, but not devastating.

Just put group one in the pasture cage today. Next group this weekend. That should help with any sanitation issues.

Those Cornish-X sure are poop machines. Oh well, good for the compost pile.

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

The only problems I've ever had were chicks dying in their first week or two, predators, and a prolapse. Never had anything serious, like viruses or diseases spreading. This is the first time I've had chickens in a while, I've had them almost a year now. Had them a few years ago, my grandparents had them their whole life and the only reason they've lost a chicken is to a predator.

 

[silkiechicken]

One other thing that may affect "problems" is the age of the flock and if you rotate out old layers for young birds every few years. Especially with production breeds, older birds can have higher chances of prolapse, reproductive problems and internal tumors. Not necessilary "serious" unless of course the bird is a beloved pet rather than just one in the production flock. However, this doesn't mean that every old bird will have problems, just a higher risk you have to deal with.