Sudden death

[Megismeg]

I have 2, 8 week old sapphire splash pullets. When I got home from work, one of them was dead in the brooder. She was totally fine this morning and last night. Any idea what would cause this? Is my other pullet gonna be ok if she’s alone? I’m afraid she’s too small to put with all my big hens now.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Could be so many things. What do their poops look like? Coccidiosis can effect pullets that age pretty quickly.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have 2, 8 week old sapphire splash pullets. When I got home from work, one of them was dead in the brooder. She was totally fine this morning and last night. Any idea what would cause this? Is my other pullet gonna be ok if she’s alone? I’m afraid she’s too small to put with all my big hens now.

I'm sorry to hear about your pullet.

Do you have photos of the brooder setup, of the remaining pullet and her poop?

It can be hard to know why one suddenly dies. At that age, Coccidiosis as mentioned does come to mind.

What do you feed, including treats and do you have an Corid (Amprolium) on hand?

Your remaining pullet may be lonely, but she should be o.k. by herself for a little while. Integrating a lone bird into an existing flock of adult hens can often be a challenge. Do you have room in the coop/run where you can section off an area for her so she can be near the others and they become a little more familiar with her?

 

[Megismeg]

I'm sorry to hear about your pullet.

Do you have photos of the brooder setup, of the remaining pullet and her poop?

It can be hard to know why one suddenly dies. At that age, Coccidiosis as mentioned does come to mind.

What do you feed, including treats and do you have an Corid (Amprolium) on hand?

Your remaining pullet may be lonely, but she should be o.k. by herself for a little while. Integrating a lone bird into an existing flock of adult hens can often be a challenge. Do you have room in the coop/run where you can section off an area for her so she can be near the others and they become a little more familiar with her?

I don’t currently have a picture of my set up, but I have the rent a coop brooder and supplies. I didn’t see any signs of coccidiosis in her - she seemed to be eating fine, drinking well and didn’t look sickly or have blood poop. But I know that doesn’t mean she couldn’t have it.

I don’t have any Corid, but I could go up to my farm store and get some.

I do have the appropriate set up in my outdoor coop and run to have my pull it separated for ease of transitioning in. Do you think I should try and get another 8 to 12 week pull it to put with the young one now so she has a companion closer to her size during the transition? Or do you think that can cause conflict because they weren’t purchased together from a younger age? Or do you think even a two or four week age gap between the two would cause bullying between each other?

 

[Megismeg]

Could be so many things. What do their poops look like? Coccidiosis can effect pullets that age pretty quickly.

All the poop that I’ve cleaned so far has looked normal. That’s why I’m a little caught off guard because they’re eating and drinking normal too.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would go ahead and get Corid to treat in case of coccidiosis. Especially because you have a rental brooder. Dosage is 2 tsp of the liquid Corid or 1.5 tsp per gallon of water. Keep your brooder bedding dry and as clean as possible. I prefer to get chickens from a hatchery or feed store to limit chances of bringing in a disease. They do best if close to the same size, but you could get a couple of chicks to raise near her separated through fencing for a bit.