- Sep 26, 2010
- 104
- 4
- 101
Hi
I have a flock of 21 red Sussex-cross hens and a rooster, just about a year and a half old. Some of them have been looking quite so well the last few weeks and tonight one died. Perhaps someone might be able to give me a hint as to what's going on.
They are an outside flock with a medium size hen house. Very good ventilation in the hen house. The pasture is fenced and divided into two sections (we switch between the sections to give the grass a rest). They have just under half an acer total. They are heavily malting at the moment.
I had one hen (a 'wild'/pet hen who wasn't part of this flock) go through these symptoms earlier in the year as well and after about 3 months she 'fell off her perch' from it. Now it seems to be in the flock and I'm worried that it's spreading.
First noticeable symptom is that they want scratch. They eat other treats, but won't join in the flock for scratch. Next, they start loosing weight and the feathers look a little dull.
After a few weeks to a month of this, they go off the lay. About a week to 10 days later, the comb and wattles go dark and become less firm. They don't go pale like a non-laying hen does. Their bum hole is small like a non-laying hen. Still loosing weight.
From here on, they seem to always be thirsty and continue to loose weight. They seem huddled up and less enthusiastic about things than before. Cold weather really seems to bother them. A couple of weeks after their comb turns, they start to sleep all the time. They still drink a lot but won't eat a huge amount. Their crops never seem very full. Within a week from here, the hen dies.
The one hen I had earlier in the year went on two courses of antibiotics, one worm treatment, and chicken vitamins. Non of these had a noticeable effect except maybe the vitamins. The hen that died today had one coarse of antibiotics about two weeks ago with absolutely no visible effect. I read the instructions on the antibiotics and give it to them exactly how it says to.
I've started the whole flock on Antibiotics for cocc.... -however you spell that one-, worm medicine, and rehydration vitamins today. There is at least two more sick hens in that flock so rather than isolate them, I thought I should treat the entire flock as a unit.
I don't know that it is Cocci.... as they don't have the runs. There's no blood in the poop. There is no sneezing or coughing so that rules out all the chicken illnesses I know.
It's a slow process taking at least two months from when I first notice it to when they die.. Can anyone shed some light on this? I hope I don't need to cull the entire flock but if I cannot figure out what's wrong...
I have a flock of 21 red Sussex-cross hens and a rooster, just about a year and a half old. Some of them have been looking quite so well the last few weeks and tonight one died. Perhaps someone might be able to give me a hint as to what's going on.
They are an outside flock with a medium size hen house. Very good ventilation in the hen house. The pasture is fenced and divided into two sections (we switch between the sections to give the grass a rest). They have just under half an acer total. They are heavily malting at the moment.
I had one hen (a 'wild'/pet hen who wasn't part of this flock) go through these symptoms earlier in the year as well and after about 3 months she 'fell off her perch' from it. Now it seems to be in the flock and I'm worried that it's spreading.
First noticeable symptom is that they want scratch. They eat other treats, but won't join in the flock for scratch. Next, they start loosing weight and the feathers look a little dull.
After a few weeks to a month of this, they go off the lay. About a week to 10 days later, the comb and wattles go dark and become less firm. They don't go pale like a non-laying hen does. Their bum hole is small like a non-laying hen. Still loosing weight.
From here on, they seem to always be thirsty and continue to loose weight. They seem huddled up and less enthusiastic about things than before. Cold weather really seems to bother them. A couple of weeks after their comb turns, they start to sleep all the time. They still drink a lot but won't eat a huge amount. Their crops never seem very full. Within a week from here, the hen dies.
The one hen I had earlier in the year went on two courses of antibiotics, one worm treatment, and chicken vitamins. Non of these had a noticeable effect except maybe the vitamins. The hen that died today had one coarse of antibiotics about two weeks ago with absolutely no visible effect. I read the instructions on the antibiotics and give it to them exactly how it says to.
I've started the whole flock on Antibiotics for cocc.... -however you spell that one-, worm medicine, and rehydration vitamins today. There is at least two more sick hens in that flock so rather than isolate them, I thought I should treat the entire flock as a unit.
I don't know that it is Cocci.... as they don't have the runs. There's no blood in the poop. There is no sneezing or coughing so that rules out all the chicken illnesses I know.
It's a slow process taking at least two months from when I first notice it to when they die.. Can anyone shed some light on this? I hope I don't need to cull the entire flock but if I cannot figure out what's wrong...
