Why are my birds starving, while surrounded with FOOD!! Help!

[chookchick]

I would take some sample of poo to the closest vet that can do a fecal float. Then they can tell you if there is a worm problem, and if so, which wormer to use to be most effective. Oyster shell is for calcium only, not the same as grit (it dissolves), but they will not eat it unless they need it, if it is separate from their food. I would also cut out the scratch and bread completely, and make their treats highly nutritional ones such as plain yogurt, washed cottage cheese, small amounts of cat food or shredded cheese, mealworms, etc...until you get them back to normal weight. Could you also take one of the dead or dying birds in for a necropsy? to find out what is going on for sure.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I immediately suspected worms, too. I agree with Chookchick on taking the sample to be tested.

 

[TipsyDog]

Most likely you have a worm/parasite problem. Please read this thread on how to worm. It is probably the safest way and best thread I've come upon here. Hope it helps and best of luck to you and your chickies!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213065&p=1

 

[wombat]

The worm testing is good advice.

I'd also try to put more feeders in, and give them only feed first thing in the morning, and then put the scratch out after they have eaten.

I've never used the brand of feed you've mentioned. Have you considered trying another brand with your young birds, to see if you get an improvement?

We also typically have trouble getting our young birds to adjust from crumble to pellets, but we use pellets to reduce waste.

Are your young ones possibly passing up on pellets almost entirely, and trying to subsist on scratch and forage?

If so, try confining the young ones to a run in the am, and feeding only their feed, and nothing else. They can have treats / scratch / forage in the afternoon if they clean their plates! We got ours to accept pellets in about a week of this treatment with this spring's pullets.

 

[speckledhen]

Are they laying? Usually, about 2 years old, some will develop a condition called internal laying. They stop laying and seem healthy till you pick them up and realize that they weigh nothing. They eat and drink and walk around till they become weak, then they eventually pass away. Egg material and infection builds up in the oviduct and/or the abdomen. I've had this happen six times with hatchery stock, only one was less than two years old. It's genetic/hormonal, no prevention and no permanent cure. Very common in high-production hatchery stock.
Your issue may not be that; it could very well be a heavy worm infestation, but the extreme weight loss is the last symptom of internal laying, before they waste away entirely, in spite of eating and drinking normally. If that is the issue, the older ones may not be inclined to that ailment, so lived longer.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Ok, I will scoop some poop and do a fecal test. it just seems so backwards to have younger birds having such a dramatic problem with the worms, and the older birds healthy and running to FAT! Just seems backwards in my mind!

But I will get a test done.

I have seen no evidence of worms, (the birds hang out on one of my decks on rainy days, so I get ample opportunity to examine poopies, and I have never seen anything suspicious or that set off alarm bells. Though when they got a bunch of tomatoes one day, they scared the hell out of me.

I have read the wormer threads, and honestly, am so overwhelmed at the thought! With 125 birds, of all ages and sizes, how in the heck am I supposed to calculate dosages? Wazine can be put in the water, but people say it is not very effective. I am medicating with duramycin now, for another week to get rid of the cough, so, I cant wazine at the same time, can I?

This is so fustrating!

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Quote:
No, they are not laying, the birds in the most jeopardy, are my young stock, from 4-5 weeks to 4-5 months old. My older girls from last year all seem ok, and my Old Girls, are FAT. but they are still laying well, nice solid eggs regularly.

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I hope you find out it's worms, honestly, because it's easily remedied. If it's not, I hope you find out quickly what the culprit is.

 

[elmo]

There was an article in Backyard Poultry recently about a problem with a batch of commerical feed being nutritionally deficient. A girl's whole flock of chicks ended up sick or dying as a result.

If the worm testing turns out negative, I'd get the feed tested.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Quote:
I have begun to be suspicious of the food, I have to admit. I feed the Blue seal Game bird starter crumble, cause it is the only non medicated starter that they sell. I didnt want to over do, with a medicated feed, and medicated water. And my birds dont like the pellets.

Unfortunately, there is not another type of grain store around, unless I drive almost 35 minutes in a direction I dont usually go. But then I realized that my turkeys were having the same problem, too thin, full crops, and they are in a seperate pen, with the correct food for thier age, so I am right back to square one. I dont think they have worms, but I will test them too.