Two Pullets Passed in Two Days

[dennio]

Sorry for your loss.

What exactly have you been feeding your birds on a regular basis?

Since some of the older ladies (21 weeks) started laying last week or so I switched them all over to Purina Layena that I get at TSC. I threw out their old bag that only had a little left and started them on a fresh bag this morning.

 

[dennio]

Since some of the older ladies (21 weeks) started laying last week or so I switched them all over to Purina Layena that I get at TSC. I threw out their old bag that only had a little left and started them on a fresh bag this morning.

We also on accession give them watermelon, banana, lettuce, carrots, corn on the cob and various other scraps. But it had been about a week prior to these passings that we had given no scraps.

 

[Iluveggers]

I’m very sorry you are going through this.
Even though that coop is a large prefab, I don’t know for sure it is big enough for 14 hens. The ventilation worries me unless you added more when you set it up, especially if it has been upwards around 100 degrees, coupled with the stress and hormone surge that comes with being a new layer. Have you made any modifications to the coop to help with air flow? There are some members on here that have made amazing modifications to improve the durability of coops like yours and improve breathing conditions for the chickens inside. Hopefully someone can comment with some suggestions.

 

[dennio]

I’m very sorry you are going through this.
Even though that coop is a large prefab, I don’t know for sure it is big enough for 14 hens. The ventilation worries me unless you added more when you set it up, especially if it has been upwards around 100 degrees, coupled with the stress and hormone surge that comes with being a new layer. Have you made any modifications to the coop to help with air flow? There are some members on here that have made amazing modifications to improve the durability of coops like yours and improve breathing conditions for the chickens inside. Hopefully someone can comment with some suggestions.

I suppose I should probably think about some type of modification for air flow. We have been leaving the coop door vent open and the chicken door open nightly to allow flow and let the hens enter an exit to the run when they please.

Anyone with suggestions on adding further air flow temporarily during the summer months?

 

[Kiki]

We also on accession give them watermelon, banana, lettuce, carrots, corn on the cob and various other scraps. But it had been about a week prior to these passings that we had given no scraps.

Did you feed these things daily? How often and how much?

 

[Kiki]

Feeding daily treats...all of the things you mentioned...can quickly cause issues.

The first one that comes to mind with no warning signs of there being a problem is fatty liver disease.
It will kill a bird in an instant without you even knowing something was wrong.

Should you lose another bird I highly recommend you send it to your state lab for a necropsy.


Please please rethink feeding regular treats.
The commercially made pelleted or crumbled feed is a balanced diet.
Feeding anything besides that takes away from the bird getting a balanced diet.
Feeding corn or bread or scraps... Can cause a bird to become overweight extremely quickly and when a bird is overweight it's not something you necessarily will see with your own eyes.

Overweightness causes all kinds of laying disorders.

 

[dennio]

I suppose I should probably think about some type of modification for air flow. We have been leaving the coop door vent open and the chicken door open nightly to allow flow and let the hens enter an exit to the run when they please.

Anyone with suggestions on adding further air flow temporarily during the summer months?

I should probably add that the run is covered and fenced for anyone hopping in at this point.

Did you feed these things daily? How often and how much?

Maybe 1-2 a week if we have leftovers. Before their passing, it had been over a week with no treats, just their crumbles and free ranging the yard.

 

[chickfused]

Any chance you've got the avian flu that's going around?

 

[Kiki]

I should probably add that the run is covered and fenced for anyone hopping in at this point.

Maybe 1-2 a week if we have leftovers. Before their passing, it had been over a week with no treats, just their crumbles and free ranging the yard.

. I'm just saying if you have been feeding treats regularly since you got them...it could be part of the problem. Not feeding treats for one week is good but wouldn't make a difference IF they had been feed too much over time.


What state are you in?
I'll give you a direct link to your state lab.

 

[Kiki]

Any chance you've got the avian flu that's going around?

Avian flu is going to kill the entire flock...quickly.