***URGENT*** Flock dropping like flys

[nuthatched]

When chickens die, they often spazm, it looks like seizures. I wouldn't worry about ai at the moment.

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ They have unlimited water all day long, we live around thirty minutes south-east of Austin TX so we are very aware of the heat. As for food, they eat grass and bugs and we try to make sure they eat enough feed. Sometimes there's food left over at the end of the day.

That sounds pretty good. (I didn't really expect this to be the cause of your trouble, but wanted to be sure we weren't all missing something obvious.)

Since they are thin, maybe give them a bit more food each day, so they can always eat as much as they want and still have some left over. That way they can eat as much as they need to regain their weight if you figure out & fix whatever else is wrong.

 

[Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies]

Hey BYC, I just had three chickens die this morning and I have really no clue why and the rest of them haven't been laying eggs, I have around thirty-something hens and one rooster that wasn't doing so well either. I have them in chicken tractors and feed them organic dumor feed. When I feel the alive chickens they're as light as a feather Idk what's going on. I took my rooster out of the tractor and let him free-range along with a hen that free ranges and he's doing much better, we also gave him ivermectin. The chickens that died had crazy seizures, Idk what it could be a sign of. Please message if not enough details were provided.

I'm sorry for your loss. I'd say exactly what @Toastedone said, that it's bird flu. It seems you are taking good care of them.

@NatJ They have unlimited water all day long, we live around thirty minutes south-east of Austin TX so we are very aware of the heat. As for food, they eat grass and bugs and we try to make sure they eat enough feed. Sometimes there's food left over at the end of the day.

I hope you can find the answer.

 

[Toastedone]

When chickens die, they often spazm, it looks like seizures. I wouldn't worry about ai at the moment.

And i wouldnt worry either if OP only lost one chicken this morning.. but 3 on the same day in the same way? I didnt want to say it outloud but i just want to help OP have all possibilities laid out for them so they can asses the situation a little better.

 

[nuthatched]

And i wouldnt worry either if OP only lost one chicken this morning.. but 3 on the same day in the same way? I didnt want to say it outloud but i just want to help OP have all possibilities laid out for them so they can asses the situation a little better.

True. But given the information we have, the information we don't have:
I'm guessing that the birds are in their fall molt which would explain the non laying. and they ate something moldy or toxic.
I'm waiting for their ages, complete diet and other information.
I don't like assuming a.i, birds can live through it and be fine and once it's reported, even if it's 1 bird out of a flock of 200, some agency will come and gas all the birds.

 

[Toastedone]

True. But given the information we have, the information we don't have:
I'm guessing that the birds are in their fall molt which would explain the non laying. and they ate something moldy or toxic.
I'm waiting for their ages, complete diet and other information.
I don't like assuming a.i, birds can live through it and be fine and once it's reported, even if it's 1 bird out of a flock of 200, some agency will come and gas all the birds.

All this is true. I know its a gun jump. Will wait for further info before i post again lol im honestly not trying to be the FUD guy.

 

[2cool4school]

I've actually hatched some chicks from these hens before they stopped laying, could they also be affected?

 

[NatJ]

I've actually hatched some chicks from these hens before they stopped laying, could they also be affected?

That will depend on exactly what is wrong with the hens. The short answer is "maybe."

Longer answer:
Some diseases can be transmitted through hatching eggs, and some cannot. Some diseases spread very easily among chickens, so the chicks could have gotten the disease after hatching, even if it was not transmitted through the eggs. So if your hens have a disease, the chicks might be affected or they might not.

Parasites (like intestinal worms) should not be transmitted through the eggs, and are not very likely to be spread from hens outdoors to chicks in a brooder that is not near them. So if an overload of parasites is the problem, the chicks will probably be fine.

If the problem is something in the local water, chicks drinking that water can be affected too.

If the problem is something on the ground, or in a specific bag of feed, the chicks would be fine if they are not on that ground or eating that specific feed.

Unfortunately, you have to know what the problem is before you can really tell if the chicks will be affected or not.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hey BYC, I just had three chickens die this morning and I have really no clue why and the rest of them haven't been laying eggs, I have around thirty-something hens and one rooster that wasn't doing so well either. I have them in chicken tractors and feed them organic dumor feed. When I feel the alive chickens they're as light as a feather Idk what's going on. I took my rooster out of the tractor and let him free-range along with a hen that free ranges and he's doing much better, we also gave him ivermectin. The chickens that died had crazy seizures, Idk what it could be a sign of. Please message if not enough details were provided.

@NatJ They have unlimited water all day long, we live around thirty minutes south-east of Austin TX so we are very aware of the heat. As for food, they eat grass and bugs and we try to make sure they eat enough feed. Sometimes there's food left over at the end of the day.

@Kiki can give you the INFO about how to get necropsy/testing in Texas.
It would be a very good idea to refrigerate the birds and save them for testing.

Hard to know what's ailing them. Could be disease, could be something they ate.
Photos of your setups/tractors/housing may be helpful.

How many birds in each tractor/how much space?


Access to water all day, but do they have access to feed - you report they are thin, so even if they have forage, they may not be getting enough.
You're giving organic feed - is it a layer feed, flock raiser...?

I'm sorry for your loss. I'd say exactly what @Toastedone said, that it's bird flu. It seems you are taking good care of them.

I hope you can find the answer.

Nah. Not likely.

 

[Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies]

Nah. Not likely.

Well that's just sad.