Strange Weekend _ 12 WK old black sex link pullets dead and one limping

[tool172]

Strange Weekend _ 12 WK old black sex link pullets dead and one limping.

Got some replacement birds since a coin slaughtered my flock. He got lucky and chinked my lock. That was repaired. Hadlve 1 buff hen age 1 yr 4 most. Bring home some pullets, 2 barred rocks, 2 cinnamon queens, 2 black sex links or cookoo marina and 1 Easter egger and one more buff. All 12 weeks old, grown up together. So I move my tractor, load up the food and water containers ( 7 gallons ) and enjoy the holiday with family. Come back, one dead maran or sex link, one limping and right foot is not being moved, but chicken feeds and drinks. Obviously having issues. My hen ( old buff ) is now not laying and gasping for air it sounds like. I checked her for egg bound with finger in that vent and didn't feel anything she still walked around the yard but didn't peck much.

I added b12 to water, added more vinegar to water, and am letting it play out for now.

Wondering if the dreaded avian flu or am I dealing with an incident of a pecking order scenario. But doesn't explain my big buff being stressed again..

The black bird does not grip with her foot at all. She moves up and down on it. Obviously struggles, but does roost with it bent under her.

No signs of injury otherwise.

I did capture and dispose of the 36 lb coon. Predators aren't showing up and digging and all birds roost in the tractor at night.

 

[tool172]

Update, the black can get up and down but lays on the ground a lot and the oldest buff at 1.4 is just sleeping on the roost all day which isn't like her.

 

[tool172]

Update, buff of 1 yr 4 months just stays perched on the roost and closes eyes and breaths hard. Respiratory infection? Time to cull?

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Strange Weekend _ 12 WK old black sex link pullets dead and one limping.

Got some replacement birds since a coin slaughtered my flock. He got lucky and chinked my lock. That was repaired. Hadlve 1 buff hen age 1 yr 4 most. Bring home some pullets, 2 barred rocks, 2 cinnamon queens, 2 black sex links or cookoo marina and 1 Easter egger and one more buff. All 12 weeks old, grown up together. So I move my tractor, load up the food and water containers ( 7 gallons ) and enjoy the holiday with family. Come back, one dead maran or sex link, one limping and right foot is not being moved, but chicken feeds and drinks. Obviously having issues. My hen ( old buff ) is now not laying and gasping for air it sounds like. I checked her for egg bound with finger in that vent and didn't feel anything she still walked around the yard but didn't peck much.

I added b12 to water, added more vinegar to water, and am letting it play out for now.

Wondering if the dreaded avian flu or am I dealing with an incident of a pecking order scenario. But doesn't explain my big buff being stressed again..

The black bird does not grip with her foot at all. She moves up and down on it. Obviously struggles, but does roost with it bent under her.

No signs of injury otherwise.

I did capture and dispose of the 36 lb coon. Predators aren't showing up and digging and all birds roost in the tractor at night.

Hi @tool172 welcome to BYC,
sorry no one answered sooner.. How is your flock today?
how’s the one that limped?

 

[tool172]

The Buff passed away yesterday morning. Definable respiratory infection with cloudy eyes, puss from eyes and she refused to drink and eat any more. It's my fault from mixing her with the new pullets i got too fast. She was my sole survivor.

The cookoo maran is limping bad and using her wings to balance on the other foot staying down. She can't even reach the watering nipples. I'm guessing some form of paralysis or she got into it when i was gone and lost function. One foot as she grows is no way to handle it. I'm making the decision to cull her out I think. She has a fighting spirit and we moved her 50 yds away from the coop and she made it back to the door. Just another casualty from the 6 that were together.

Since the 6 left are healthy at 14 weeks with the sickness in their area, i'm going to press with them and not add or remove any birds to my flock for 2 months after they run their laying lives and bleach down real good. Hard lessons but that's part of life. I have beef cattle so for me it's a monetary objection to treatment when i can replace a bird for 6 dollars and spend 30+ on treatment that will be ongoing.

Regarding the predatory issue, after getting the big male raccoon, I haven't had an issue since and we went back to padlocking the door to the coop for now. I'm working on an enhancement that will add some other features like a dust bath and more internal shelter to the tractor, but it's been real solid for over a year now and as we all know it's an ongoing process.

I ended up using the forums and a vet book and some fellow chicken lovers that we are friends with to break down the disease issues. Definitely respiratory and could be corzay (sp)

Bottom line - don't mix birds for a month after getting more to clean up diseases, however if they are carriers but immune, it doesn't matter to the rest of the flock. Mix safely.

Thanks for following up!

 

[Stipenvlerk]

I’m glad your found friends to talk about all the issues and got a predator out of the way. I hope everything will go more smooth from now on..

‘Cattle is a lot of work too! In the Netherlands it gets harder and harder to keep them because of all the enviromental rules the government makes. Like no protein in their food anymore and stuff.

thank you for your response and have a nice sunday!

 

[tool172]

I know this is off topic, but how do you supplement bulk grasses that aren't protein rich dependent on the weather patterns. That multiplies the grazing issue to an extreme almost as if you need a perfect year round mix of grass which every rancher knows is a multi-year process.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

I know this is off topic, but how do you supplement bulk grasses that aren't protein rich dependent on the weather patterns. That multiplies the grazing issue to an extreme almost as if you need a perfect year round mix of grass which every rancher knows is a multi-year process.

Since it’s off topic I send you a DM

 

[MNMary]

Update, buff of 1 yr 4 months just stays perched on the roost and closes eyes and breaths hard. Respiratory infection? Time to cull?

I am having a similar issue with a 12 mo old barred rock, she won't walk. Eats and drinks fine, but we need to bring the food to her. I am curious if there are any answers to your question. How are yours doing today?