The 'death hunch'

[Carmellee]

Hi everyone! This is my first post so here we go...
I lost 3 chickens this year and it looks like it's going to be a 4th. Each death was a few months apart. The symptoms are diarrhea and the hunched up sick position. They were all a little different but that was the common thread. 2 got culled and the 3rd just dropped dead. After the 3rd I thought maybe worms so I got dewormer and wormed the last 3. Now one of them has what I now call 'the death hunch'. I'm thinking bacterial infection? Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[azure_]

They might be egg bound which means they have an egg stuck in their egg tube thing (I don't know the real name) or they are severely constipated, I don't really know, sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

What is your location? What are the ages of the chickens and what was the age when they died? Were any of the chickens laying eggs? Do you have a vet that will look at some combined droppings for worms or coccidiosis? If you should lose another chicken, I would ask your state poultry vet to do a necropsy. The chicken’s body must be kept cold, but not frozen. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Carmellee]

What is your location? What are the ages of the chickens and what was the age when they died? Were any of the chickens laying eggs? Do you have a vet that will look at some combined droppings for worms or coccidiosis? If you should lose another chicken, I would ask your state poultry vet to do a necropsy. The chicken’s body must be kept cold, but not frozen. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

The chickens are 2 years old. These last 3 left I finally got some

What is your location? What are the ages of the chickens and what was the age when they died? Were any of the chickens laying eggs? Do you have a vet that will look at some combined droppings for worms or coccidiosis? If you should lose another chicken, I would ask your state poultry vet to do a necropsy. The chicken’s body must be kept cold, but not frozen. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

I'm in Connecticut. Their about 2 1/2 years old. I they were all laying before they got sick. Dewormed last 3 so I dont think it's worms. I got some Amoxicillin yesterday and she seems to have perked up. Maybe bacterial.

 

[Kiki]

What exactly do you feed your birds?
Please list everything thst you give them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hens over 2 years can suffer from reproductive disorders, cancer, crop problems, in addition to lice, mites, parasites, and respiratory diseases may be brought into a flock by adding new birds or from migrating birds. A local vet could look at some collected combined droppings for worms and other parasites. Do the chickens lose weight before they die. Are crops emptying overnight by the next morning?

 

[Carmellee]

What exactly do you feed your birds?
Please list everything thst you give them.

Mostly chicken pellets and free ranging in yard. Very occasionally a mix of bird seed, teff, buckwheat, wheat berries, chia,and flax. And extremely rarely kitchen scraps. While they were molting I was giving them some canned tuna and mealworms also for protien.

 

[Kiki]

Mostly chicken pellets and free ranging in yard. Very occasionally a mix of bird seed, teff, buckwheat, wheat berries, chia,and flax. And extremely rarely kitchen scraps. While they were molting I was giving them some canned tuna and mealworms also for protien.

What is very occasionally?
Once every few days?

 

[Carmellee]

Hens over 2 years can suffer from reproductive disorders, cancer, crop problems, in addition to lice, mites, parasites, and respiratory diseases may be brought into a flock by adding new birds or from migrating birds. A local vet could look at some collected combined droppings for worms and other parasites. Do the chickens lose weight before they die. Are crops emptying overnight by the next morning?

Its weird. Other than the 'death hunch' and diarrhea all three were a little different. The first one seemed normal sized and just looked hunched and in pain, the second wasted away to nothing. I thought maybe impacted crop for that one but I think by the time I noticed something was wrong with that one her body was just shutting down. And the third one seemed normal sized and looked like she was perking up real good before she just dropped dead in the yard - and that one her abdomen felt swollen but not the other two. This fourth one seems fine except for the two big symptoms mentioned at the top and seems much better since the antibiotics.
The other weird thing is they all seem to have a good appetite to the bitter end.

 

[Eggcessive]

Many state poultry vets will do a necropsy on backyard chickens to help determine a cause of death. Prices vary by location. Bodies must be kept cold, not frozen. Here is a list of state vets to contact in case you lose the 4th bird:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm