What Am I Doing Wrong??

[CindyinSD]

Some things to consider... Where did you get your chickens? Where did you get the coop? Used or new? If you built it, did you use recycled lumber? Where did you get it and recycled from what? How long have you lived on your property? Did previous owners keep chickens? Do you use any cleaning chemicals when you clean up after them?

Have you paid much attention to what they eat from your land? Do you grow or have growing anything that might poison them?

Usually chickens are pretty durable. They don’t tend to eat poisonous plants or suffer from any kind of bedding unless it’s moldy or saturated with waste. They need a dry place to sleep, out of the wind, some feed that isn’t moldy: seeds, bugs, organic non-gmo super-expensive or the cheapest stuff you can find, leftovers, compost pile, sweepings from the bakery floor—they’re chickens. They’ve been surviving for thousands and thousands of years on stuff their often struggling families couldn’t eat.

Sometimes they do just up and die for no discernible reason, but not all of them. Something is going on here and it doesn’t seem to be anything you’re doing or not doing, so don’t kick yourself. I would send any future casualties to the lab. Hopefully they can give you some light on this mystery.

I’m real sorry this is happening to you. Sometimes life just sucks. It’s not fair—ever. You just pick up your broken bits and soldier on. I’d hate to see you give up on keeping chickens, because they’re ordinarily such a blessing. Best thing is to get that necropsy done. Figure out the problem, then you can figure out your next steps.

 

[FireGal]

That's a cockerel. Pretty sure I can see his pointy saddle feathers and double wide white barring, in addition to the dark red shoulders and bright red saddles. Sorry.

Age and posture are very pointy towards possible Marek's or nutrient deficit both of which could effect other flock members. Did you already express your feed routine and I missed it? Did you ever have to treat for coccidiosis as chicks, which could have lead to necrosis in the intestines leading to a nutrient deficit?

Link to best resource I have seen on Marek's...
Marek's Virus FAQ

I use hay and have for while. I'm serious about my breeding projects, safety, bio-security, etc... as well as fairly skilled at diagnosing many issues... I have not lost a single animal to the use of hay. Straw or any other form. I also use pine shavings, and sometimes rice hulls, dry leaves, mowed grass, etc. Crop blockage or impaction can happen and is a real concern so I'm not trying to diminish that. Make sure a form of grit is available. Mine use dirt from the ground but I do also bring in washed river sand (small pebbles essentially) as my stock load can be high at times.

ETA: Don't get new chickens without getting a necropsy. Depending on what the issue is will make a difference in what cleaning or how long vacating matters! You wouldn't bring a new un-vaccinated pup onto a premises with know Parvo virus.

ETAA: I do agree that straw is NOT a good litter.

She/he hasn’t crowed or laid an egg yet, so even though we know she/he looks like a cockerel we are just in the habit of calling them all girls. It’s okay if he is a he. We live in the country.
I just feed layer pellets to them. They aren’t laying yet but at six months they should be close. They get maybe 1/2 cup of scratch and cracked corn mixed (for six chickens) in the evening. Sometimes I put oregano, garlic, and or coconut oil in their food

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Birds not producing eggs are not layers and really shouldn't eat layer feed which is 4% calcium.
Males, chicks, pullets not yet at POL, molting hens, hens on a winter break and hens retired from production are not layers.
Just because they are female chickens doesn't make them layers.
Some breeds lay so infrequently, even if they occasionally lay, they really don't need layer feed and should get another feed option.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Until you get a necropsy and know what is killing them, for the time being, definitely lose the hay inside the building. If they consume some of the molded hay in the run, that could be problematic too.

 

[CindyinSD]

I concur. All-flock is what you want for a mixed flock. Then offer oyster shells free choice. I wouldn’t expect layer feed’s added Ca would cause a problem of this magnitude, though... would it @Kiki ?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I concur. All-flock is what you want for a mixed flock. Then offer oyster shells free choice. I wouldn’t expect layer feed’s added Ca would cause a problem of this magnitude, though... would it @Kiki ?

It depends on how long they have been consuming the excess calcium.

 

[Don 27]

What are you washing it down with? Possible contaminant source? Any oil leaks or other spills nearby?

Is the wash anti bacterial or anti viral? If not, that *may* be one possible way to improve "cleaning". I avoid overuse of these type of products UNLESS something has been identified.


She has lots of great information, I wouldn't say particularly untrue. I would say it's good advice and note that everyone has different ways and resources and that's okay!

What works in some environments may not work well in others.

I just try and provide the information... without the fear mongering like "your chickens will die." Thank you for being passionate about helping save our birds!

Did I say your chickens will die. Or was that From the link I posted. Now I don't believe everything in that link but you are right there is some good advice in it.

 

[FireGal]

I just checked and I was wrong. They have all flock.

They do have oyster shell and I did have a girl that was laying, but she stopped once it got cold.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I wouldn’t expect layer feed’s added Ca would cause a problem of this magnitude, though... would it @Kiki ?

It depends on how long they have been consuming the excess calcium.

It also depends on genetic predisposition as well as what else is being fed or what other forages are available. And can be effected by dehydration.

But yes, excess calcium fed long term to birds not in lay *could* (doesn't mean will) cause issues of this magnitude including gout, kidney failure, and even sudden death. (I wouldn't expect it to present like this, though I'm here to learn) Most folks will never know this is what happened and may blame it on heart attack.

Getting a necropsy may or may not give you an exact cause of death, but it can tell quite the story and really help us discover what we are facing or rule out what we are not. Hopefully provide some closure.

They do have oyster shell and I did have a girl that was laying, but she stopped once it got cold.

For informational purposes... laying hormone is light triggered... and so laying slows (or stops depending on age, breed, and individual) as light decreases... which also happens to usually be as it's getting colder. The lower light levels can even make pullets come into lay later than they might have if maturing during a different season. Over all they are hatched with all the ovum they ever will lay and later layers lay larger eggs than early laying pullets. In some of the darker northerly locations some folks do provide extra light in order to give more hours not only of light for laying but also light to feed which is where energy comes from... to stay warm, lay eggs, etc. Sorry, slightly off topic.

Hope your boy recovers!

 

[Don 27]

It also depends on genetic predisposition as well as what else is being fed or what other forages are available. And can be effected by dehydration.

But yes, excess calcium fed long term to birds not in lay *could* (doesn't mean will) cause issues of this magnitude including gout, kidney failure, and even sudden death. (I wouldn't expect it to present like this, though I'm here to learn) Most folks will never know this is what happened and may blame it on heart attack.

Getting a necropsy may or may not give you an exact cause of death, but it can tell quite the story and really help us discover what we are facing or rule out what we are not. Hopefully provide some closure.



For informational purposes... laying hormone is light triggered... and so laying slows (or stops depending on age, breed, and individual) as light decreases... which also happens to usually be as it's getting colder. The lower light levels can even make pullets come into lay later than they might have if maturing during a different season. Over all they are hatched with all the ovum they ever will lay and later layers lay larger eggs than early laying pullets. In some of the darker northerly locations some folks do provide extra light in order to give more hours not only of light for laying but also light to feed which is where energy comes from... to stay warm, lay eggs, etc. Sorry, slightly off topic.

Hope your boy recovers!

Now I know this sounds completely ridiculous. But I might as well ask . Say my birds are sick and I have a necropsy done and they find a rare disease like newscastle. Ok should I be worried about them possibly forcibly calling my flock? Now I know this is a stretch but what do you think? my birds are not sick or anything but it's just something that came to mind.