Why are my chickens dying?

[ponder]

Maybe someone can help with this, as it's beyond me...

We bought 25 straight run chickens from a local grower, small time, reputable guy.

We got 3 different kinds: Buff Orp, Buff Brahma, RIR.

The Buff Orp's are dying. ONLY the Buff Orps. Three hens and a rooster. They are all between 14 and 18 weeks old, too young to lay yet. All seemed healthy until they died

There are NO resp. symptoms, no outward signs of illness. Everyone is just fine one night, then dead or dying the following morning.

Last night we found another hen, weak, unable to stand, no signs of any disease that I could find. This morning, it was the same thing, weak, unable to stand, eventually died.

I gave them tetracyclie for 10 days after the first two died, thinking it couldn't hurt too much, and might save them. Cleaned out the new coop, scrubbing, spraying, litter and food changed, waterers ALWAYS kept clean...

Then I wormed them. They still died, and ONLY the Buff Orps.

We have 9 roosters now ( will be ONE roo after this Saturday when i get off work again).

Three things I am thinking of doing...first, cull out the roosters.

Second, cut down some of the trees over their run so more sunlight gets in (we left it very shaded since it gets so hot here - we're thinking it might be a vit.D deficiency)

Third, since I can't get dried kelp here, I thought I'd add vits and electrolytes to the waterer inside the coop, leaving the one outside just plain water.

We give them grower feed, scratch with BOSS mixed in just for them to dig at out in the run, and we also give them grrens from the garden, like pea plants and peas, corn stalks, squash, tomatoes, etc...

What else can we do?

Thanks for ANY insight or help.

 

[muell112]

If another dies, I'd take it to an extension agent and find out what's killing them - that'll be the easiest way to figure out what the problem is and how to fix it I would think. I also found a disease website yesterday that seems pretty comprehensive - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PS044#. Maybe it's something genetic through that specific breeder? Really I'm just speculating so the best thing would be to have a necropsy done and figure it out.

 

[threehorses]

Could you possibly please answer the questions in the second sticky post in the forum, but answer it here in this thread? that will give us more of an idea of diet, etc - flock history.

I'm curious why you think sudden deaths are a vitamin D deficiency. Are you seeing any signs of rickets? Rubber legs?

Also, have you thoroughly checked their bodies for lice/mites? They're very tricky to find - try looking at night with the lights on, but with a flashlight to help. If you ruffle their feathers over a white pillowcase, that helps to find any that drop off . Also look for their eggs - looks like white dust. Pay careful attention to the backs of their necks, under the wings, their wing-pits, their vent area.

Do you see any droppings or waxiness around their vent?

Anything that you can add to your posted answer fromt he stickys will help.. We need to know everything.

Also, are you giving anything in the water? Electrolytes? You say it's hot there - how hot? Do they have lots of shade, air ventilation, etc? Are they able to stay cool outside?

With what did you worm them? Did you give them probiotics during or after the tetracycline, and if so what did you use?

Can you treat them by hand? Possibly with Enfamil polyvisol non-iron vitamins? Feeding vitamins directly helps prevent vitamin degradation due to light. Also helps keep the water more clean?

Also, what percentage of grower, what percentage of scratch (should just be a thrown treat - not a feed). Do they have granite grit? Any crops mushy? Any bad smells in the mouth? Do you feed spinach and if so how often?

Looking forward to your reply and hoping we can help,
Nathalie

 

[ponder]

Thanks for the replies!!

Sorry for not reading the sticky first...but I will do my best to answer all the questions...

1) What type of bird , age and weight.

3 Types, all from the same Breeder - Buff Orps, Buff Brahmas, RIR. All between 14 and 18 weeks of age. Weight is a guess, but from 3 to 5 lbs over the flock (RIR are smaller/younger)

2) What is the behavior, exactly.

Essentially no out of the ordinary behavior. Everyone is fine the night (or in one case the morning) before, then when we go to let them out of the coop (or in) there is a dead chicken.
The only things out of the ordinary I have noticed are that one hen seemed to want to sit funny, almost as if she was leaning to one side, and the rooster had a limp the day before he died...nothing major, just a slight, barely noticeable limp. The other two showed NOTHING wrong

3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.

No, none, except the one with the slight limp. We checked carefully for mites/lice and found none. To be sure, we use food grade DE in their dust baths, as well as spraying (see below)

The second one that died, I checked vent, crop, defeathered it to look for lesions or sores, checked for sores in throat, pharynx...absolutely nothing out of the ordinary that I could find.

4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.

No Idea. But since this has been going on over a period of a month, I thought it might be a vitamin deficiency. Particularly Vitamin D, since the run they are in (50ft x 50ft) is almost completely shaded by trees. We did that to protect them from the heat we usually get here in middle Tennessee. Also worried about no sunlight in the run possible contributing to soil borne diseases, no proof, just a worry.

5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.

We feed grower feed from TSC in two separate feeders, both in the coop, hanging from the ceiling, with none of the food exposed in the feeders for more than 2 days max. The rest of the food is kept in either sealed buckets or tightly rolled feed bag up in the loft. We only buy two bags at a time so as not to have feed sitting around too long.

Clean water, with the waterers thouroughly cleaned at least every third day

We also feed scratch in the form of cracked corn and BOSS, just enough for them to scratch at in the run.

Also we make sure to provide plenty of green matter from the lawn and garden.

Grit is available, free choice, in both chick and adult size.

All seem to have been eating/drinking well.

6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.

Normal. There is a very occasional dark brown, looser stool, but nothing continually out of the ordinary

7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?

Tetracycline for 10 days (in water), then later wormed, yogurt to replace bacteria.

wormed with wayzine.

We have also cleaned the coop, which was only in use for 6 weeks (and no history of chickens on the property in the past). when we cleaned the coop, we saw no mold anywhere, but we still used a bleach solution, left to dry, then cleaned again, sprayed for mites and fleas, left open all day to air and dry, then new bedding and nesting material...truly, we have done all we can think of as far as cleaning.


8 ) 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?

We will call a vet/extension agent if we can't get this figured out, or if any more die. plans are now to open up the run to let more sunlight in, add vits/electrolytes to water (or by hand), cull the roosters (there are 9 roosters out of 21 total flock)


9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.

No wounds or outward signs of disease I can find.

Again, it is ONLY the Buff Orps that are dying

10) Describe the housing/bedding in use

12x8 converted brand new shed - 5 communal nest boxes (large), straw bedding over linoleum sheeting, 4 ventilation windows, ventilated door, 50x50 foot run.


I hope this helps!

 

[threehorses]

I would definitely take one in to have them tested since the symptoms are so vague. Have them do a necropsy to check for any lesions of Mareks since two showed limping (tho Mareks isn't the only cause of lameness).

That would be the best course of action.

I think your instincts are onto something when you mention that it's one breed - which means probably one line of buff orpingtons from one set of parents. That could mean that they have less of an ability to absorb some nutrient. I would just supplement all their vitamins using the Enfamil because it's ADE vitamins plus some B which is sometimes indicated in lameness issues. Basically it's an over all vitamin. because you give it directly to them, you know they're getting a dose.

You could alternately supplement the water. If you do, try to put it in the shade. Better yet, try putting it in a dark container.

If you use electrolytes with it, try using two waters - one electrolyte water, one plain - both in the amount they usually get of plain.

They can actually absorb calcium with the D3 conversion that takes place in the semi-sun, shade. If they had a calcium deficiency, I'd think you'd be seeing a different type of leg problem.

Definitely an odd situation. I'm very interested to hear what the vet will say. I'm also very much hoping that a way can be found to get this to stop for you.