Trying to figure it out….

[Nnewhouse]

Iv been raising chickens for over 10 years now and one died and I can’t figure out why. We built an entire compound 40 x 75, 6 foot chicken wire with a skirt All around. It’s all wooded with oaks and hickory trees. One possible issue is squirrels. Dozens of squirrels come to eat their scratch throughout the day. Another possibility could be the caterpillars. Grey with 1/4 inch fuzz all over them.
Iv had many chickens die from raccoons, hawks, and coyotes, but this was the first that got sick. Just when I created a chicken fortress with 30 pound test of fishing line, and 50+ hideous CD’s shimmering frequently all over… ( thankfully no HOA)… .don’t tell me they are going to be more prone to get sick.

 

[Chicalina]

How old was the chicken, what breed and did it have any symptoms?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to posting here at BYC. How old was the hen. Did she show symptoms prior to dying ?

 

[Nnewhouse]

How old was the chicken, what breed and did it have any symptoms?

She was a cream legbar and only 9 months old:/

 

[Nnewhouse]

….also, her comb started getting pale. I put her in her own cage, and saw her poop was normal green. Sometimes watery, but not all the times. She just slowly stopped eating. I put her favorites, oatmeal, cheese, yogurt, cabbage, strawberries…. She would go and look at them, but that’s it. Also vitamin water. I checked her crop and it was small…the size of a quarter?… and gave her a little EVOO with a syringe. I checked her vent, and there was no egg. Also, she stopped laying…

Thank you for taking the time to discuss this. I just don’t want any more to die over something I could avoid.

 

[Chicalina]

Have you dewormed and deloused your flock recently? It could have been a number of things but anaemia, not eating and lethargy are commons signs of parasite load. I'd do it now for the others just in case.

Could you send her for a necropsy?