Two young pullets died within1 week

[My Little Sister's Farm]

It sounds like you have a communicable disease. It's spreading and rapidly. You may want to isolate all of your hens from each other, at least separate them by age or when you got them. If you introduced some to the others, the older ones may have immunity to whatever it is or may be spreading something to the new gals. You've lost all pullets so it sounds like your hens are fine but your youngins are the ones in trouble. Until you know what it is you can't very well medicate for it. You only mentioned the listlessness. Are you noticing loose or bloody stools, are they having equilibrium problems, panting, anything else unusual?

Unfortunately, once an animal like a chicken (prey) shows signs of disease, it is usually too late to save them (cost effectively) but not too late to save the rest. This is because they don't want to be seen by predators as an easy meal, it's just instinct that they'd hide pain or illness as long as they could from you. Since you've lost 3 and you are very close with your chickens, you may want to seek out your locate farm animal (not cat/dog) vet for guidance. You can contact your state poultry vet for general free council as well. They are very good about working with the backyard raisers as they know that is where most of the disease mysteries reside.

For now an electrolyte or vitamin supplement would help keep the healthy birds energized and full up on vitamins and minerals. It's a way you can help keep their systems working well to help fight off what may be circulating.

Sorry for the long post. As for tilling your soil. There are microbes that you might bring to the surface that would otherwise stay where they are. By shuffling around soil you would possibly expose your chickens to something more. If you think this is a worm or cocci overload you need to medicate properly for that and then move your coop, leaving the pooped out bugs behind. If you worm but don't move the birds you'll get re-ingestion and the cycle continues.

Good Luck!!!

 

[4Rotts]

Thank you for the great info...everyone.

To answer the ? ...no bloody stools, no panting.
We've had these pullets 3-1/2 months. They were always running around having fun, like pullets do. One day the first pullet stopped running. She would eat & drink (they all would). Eventually all 4 that have died just started walking around slowly, then they would just stop & stand there.
One of the pullets would be fine in the AM...cane out running around...then by evening she was slow.
3 of the 4 would be alive/standing a either one eyelid or both would be shut.
Towards the end...they just acted like they were very exhausted...very weak.
The one was given to us "Brownie" I don't know what breed she was, but she was dark brown. She didn't close either eye, she just died by the next AM.
The other 3 were all americanas.

These deaths were very hard, because in early Spring our area had something called Buffalo Gnats. They would actually get in the nostrils & asphyxiate the chickens.. They also bite the chickens & the gnats saliva is toxic...it's like the chickens are allergic to the saliva & the chicken has a deadly reaction to the bite. It happens really fast, too. I mean really fast. So the chicken can die from 1-2- or all 3 of these .
They gnats come around in early March & can stay until mid June. All depends on how damp it is & how dry & hot it becomes. The gnats hate the dry/heat.
The chickens run for cover in their sleeping house inside the shed. The gnats don't like dark areas they say. We also blew a box fan on the chickens 24/7 for their comfort to keep the gnats away.
Those blasted things killed off 4 americanas, 1 black austrolorpe 1 german spitz . It was just horrible.
Hubby plans to make another outside house for the chickens only screen it in, whereas the gnats won't be able to get to the chickens. All depends how next Spring is...if it's damp the chickens won't like being locked up, but we don't want then to die. Our chickens are very spoiled and get to walk around in a very large area under white pines.
We can't move their outside house, anywhere but in their 100'X50' yard.

As of today our last americana (who was bought with the others) is doing fine. All the other pullets are happy & running around as well.

Since we have never wormed before... what is the best to use ?
Can both older hens & pullets, both use the same wormer ?
Do you put it in the water ? For how long ?
Sorry...but we know nothing about worming the chcikens.

Thank you all in advance...

 

[My Little Sister's Farm]

Here's what I did last week for worming and cocci. Grind raw pumpkin seeds and sprinkle on feed every day, mix Diatonatious Earth into the feed and sprinkle onto the ground and in bedding too. They will dust and reduce the amount of gnats too maybe. Add Corid to your water at 1 tsp/gallon, change every day and do for 5 days. Add grapeseed oil to the top of your water too, this will help with worms too. I prefer the natural methods but use corid because there isn't a withdrawl period on amprolium in proper doses.

Good luck.

 

[kathyinmo]

I think you will find these threads on worming very helpful! Good luck!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2699776

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2650463

 

[mame1616]

Grind raw pumpkin seeds and sprinkle on feed every day,


Hi - what is the benefit of this? I use the DE too, and I think it does a great job. I also use ACV in the water. My goal is to grow all my own food someday, as well! Haven't figured out what to do about rice, though.

Thanks!!

 

[My Little Sister's Farm]

Supposed to be a natural wormer. So is cayenne pepper. And that makes sense, didn't use it this time to try it though, because they say people from cultures that eat a lot of peppers, curry, and other spicy food have smaller worm loads, so it may be true it helps.

 

[4Rotts]

Thank you everyone...

I appreciate the 2 links. I still need to read one of them.

Update... so far all is well.

Last night was the first night ALL of the hens & pullets slept together in the same house.
Hubby opened their door right at dawn & it was pouring down raining.

I will update later when I am able.

Thank you all so much.

 

[currycomb]

years back we were loosing chickens with similar symptoms. hauled one up to vet, round worms. so she was dewormed, unfortunately too late for her, but now we us ivermectin, grab each chicken, split beak apart with fingers and give several drops on tounge. seems to work. could also use the approved chicken wormer, but ours free range so limiting their water to only the treated water would be impossible. too many birds for size of coop and run to lock them up