Sudden death again

[slmwatts]

Hi. I’ve lost two birds and another is looking sick. Need help!
MY FLOCK: I have 6 Americauna-cross hens and 1 Americauna rooster that are about 2 years old. I’m not up close and personal with my free range chickens except to ensure they have food, water and to let them out and close them up; so basically twice a day. I recently got 5 Golden Star hens that are 5 months old, kept them separated for a week and have now been integrated with the Americaunas for a week. I have 9 one-month-old chicks as well, which are kept separately in a large wire pen. The free range birds can get to the wire pen. I feed layena pellets free choice as well as their free range diet. They have access to several water troughs and I keep a waterer in the coop.
MY PROBLEM: found the rooster dead in the coop one evening after he seemed to behave normally that day. No noticeable reason. Today I have a hen that looks sick - panting, droopy, stayed in a nesting box overnight instead of on the roost as usual. Was on the ground this morning acting sick. She did eat and drink and has moved a few feet outside the pen to lay in a favorite spot, but she looks bad still, 8 hours later. Also just found a dead chick!
INCIDENTALLY: we sprayed the coop with liquid Sevin two weeks ago for stick-tight fleas. We sprayed the barnyard weeds with 2-4-D 10 days ago. I fed the whole flock, including chicks, cabbage for the first time ever 2 days ago but the rooster was dead before that. I think one of my hens may have avian pox but have not noticed it on any others.
Can’t figure out why they’re dying, what they had in common. Any ideas on what to do, what to look for on the dead chick, how to possibly save the sick hen and prevent any others from getting it... hard to do when it’s a mystery!

 

[3riverschick]

@Ridgerunner

 

[Kiki]

Sorry for your loss. Who is dying ..the new chickens or your original flock?

 

[slmwatts]

My original rooster died, original hen is sick, new month old chick died.

 

[Hyroler]

I would check yard for plant or mushrooms that might be poisonous to chickens.

 

[Hyroler]

I fed potatoe peels to chicken it dropped dead few hours after eating them.

 

[Kiki]

My original rooster died, original hen is sick, new month old chick died.

I am wondering if the new chickens didn't carry in a disease?
Also...different flocks...different strains of coccidiosis.
The newer chicks may not be "used" to the current coccidiosis on your land.

 

[sirrobyn0]

I don't know. I'm not saying that a chicken won't eat a plant or something that is poisonous to it, but they are animals and as such seem to have an idea of what is and isn't ok to eat. I've fed rotten potatoes to my hens many times without issues. I doubt feeding skins was the cause of death. I doubt that cabbage had anything to do with it either. Again I've fed my chickens cabbage many times without issues. It's hard to say what is happening, but if it was me I would separate the ones that appear ill into another coop / pen / space encase it is communicable. I am not familiar with liquid sevin, could it cause a toxicity issue with the chickens? Is there another poison they could be getting into such as mice or rat bait?

I would definitely separate the ill birds from the flock. If any others become ill separate them off too. Doing that is more damage control than it is actually finding out what is wrong, but if it's something communicated from one bird to another it might save some lives.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

I fed potatoe peels to chicken it dropped dead few hours after eating them.

I feed potato peels all of the time! No ill effects whatsoever.

 

[ronott1]

Hi. I’ve lost two birds and another is looking sick. Need help!
MY FLOCK: I have 6 Americauna-cross hens and 1 Americauna rooster that are about 2 years old. I’m not up close and personal with my free range chickens except to ensure they have food, water and to let them out and close them up; so basically twice a day. I recently got 5 Golden Star hens that are 5 months old, kept them separated for a week and have now been integrated with the Americaunas for a week. I have 9 one-month-old chicks as well, which are kept separately in a large wire pen. The free range birds can get to the wire pen. I feed layena pellets free choice as well as their free range diet. They have access to several water troughs and I keep a waterer in the coop.
MY PROBLEM: found the rooster dead in the coop one evening after he seemed to behave normally that day. No noticeable reason. Today I have a hen that looks sick - panting, droopy, stayed in a nesting box overnight instead of on the roost as usual. Was on the ground this morning acting sick. She did eat and drink and has moved a few feet outside the pen to lay in a favorite spot, but she looks bad still, 8 hours later. Also just found a dead chick!
INCIDENTALLY: we sprayed the coop with liquid Sevin two weeks ago for stick-tight fleas. We sprayed the barnyard weeds with 2-4-D 10 days ago. I fed the whole flock, including chicks, cabbage for the first time ever 2 days ago but the rooster was dead before that. I think one of my hens may have avian pox but have not noticed it on any others.
Can’t figure out why they’re dying, what they had in common. Any ideas on what to do, what to look for on the dead chick, how to possibly save the sick hen and prevent any others from getting it... hard to do when it’s a mystery!

Send her in for a necropsy