Why did my flock suddenly develop so many health issues?

[flockoffour]

About 3-3.5 years ago I got 4 chicks, and about a 1-1.5 years ago I got an additional two. It seems lately that everyone from my original flock started to develop strange and random health problems. One of my hens layed a lash egg and had an infection, and sadly passed away a couple months ago. Another one has a large, distended abdomen (feels oddly like fat and not like fluid), and a week ago another one layed a lash egg. Right now I am treating with an antibiotic to try to get rid of the infection for the girl who layed the lash egg, and am hoping for the best. I can't seem to figure out why everyone from my original flock is getting all of these health issues, and my younger birds, who also live with them, are completely fine. I am wondering if it is just because they are poor quality, hatchery birds that were bred for quantity? They are all different breeds but I got them from the same hatchery (not sure which one since I picked them up from a feed store :/) on the same day. They all have plenty of space, live in an open-air coop with large sand runs that I clean almost every day, and well-ventilated hen house with shavings. 24/7 access to laying pellets, oyster shell, and grit, with the occasional fruit and veggie scraps. I eliminated the possibility of it being a weird substance in the soil or water since my two younger birds are completely fine.

Any ideas/thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Allears]

Novice chicken keeper, what is a lash egg?

 

[junebuggena]

3.5 years is actually old for some breeds. Sexlinks and production type breeds such as Leghorns and Production Reds are bred to produce lots of eggs in just a few years. Lash eggs are a sign that something is seriously wrong with a hen. The distended abdomen is a sign of either being egg bound, internal laying, or liver failure. All of which could be age related. It might seem like you are having a lot of health problems, but it's only 2 birds. It just seems like a lot because you have a small flock. Just because a couple birds have/had failing health does not mean the rest of them will. The occasional sick animal is part of keeping them. Sometimes, something goes wrong. Animals get sick or have a health problem and die. It doesn't mean that you did something wrong, and it doesn't mean that there was something that could have changed the outcome. It's just a part of life. Take a deep breath. It's normal for older birds to have the occasional health problem. It's just a part of aging.