1) What type of bird , age and weight. 9 Hatchery birds, 1 BCM rooster in first year 2) What is the behavior, exactly. dropping dead. no signs of anything unusual. no predators, no apparent diseases, worms, etc. 3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? no symptoms 4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? ?? 5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. nothing! 6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. I thought it was the heat this summer, but they just keep randomly dying. My katest bird, a white leghorn, was big and beautiful and making great eggs. 7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. regular filling of food and water. scraps and BOSS as treats. 8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. no funny poop. treated for worms in an adopted bird, treated whole flock in may. 9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? nothing. 10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? 11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help. 12) Describe the housing/bedding in use Chickens are in 8x10 open air coop and enclosed run. Cleaned weekly, nothing funky. I am at my wit's end! My ladies are dying! I raised them from chicks in Dec. 2010 and a few I hatched myself in Spring 2011. They were super hardy chicks, no problems. I love them like they are my babies!!!!! I know it is normal to lose 1 or 2 suddenly and randomly, but 10?? In the first year?
Hope they get better, and I hope some one more knowledgebal answers your question. To help us answer your question better try posting a picture, check vent for clogging.
I'm not an expert, but a few questions come to mind. What breed of chicken are they, and are they all from the same hatchery? What brand and type of food are you using (layer pellets?) and how do you store it? Could your food be getting moldy? Mold can be lethal for chickens. Do they free range? Perhaps they are getting into something that is making them ill, like a poisonous plant or poison or pesticide used by a neighbor. I also suggest posting some pictures - maybe someone who is experienced with chickens will notice something that will give a clue to what is going on. Also, you might want to contact your state vet and have a necropsy done. If there are no symptoms it may be very difficult for anyone to figure out what is happening. A necropsy should reveal the cause of death. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope you find some answers soon.
