Why do my chickens keep dying???

[Texpatriate]

My hubby pulls doubles sometimes, He is an RN but they only do 8's. Those make for pretty tiring days! I imagine 24 is MUCH harder than 16.

I know there are some illness, sorry I don't know which... but the birds will always remain carriers of them...

And in other animals like my dogs... the older ones are not effected by Parvo/distemper... but pups who have weaned of mum and aren't getting her antibodies any longer will succumb to it very rapidly.

Kinda sounds like your situation... I will put some more thought into it. Many heads are better than one (sometimes).

If you accidentally fall asleep at work... just make sure you say "Amen" when you lift your head... then they can't fire you!

Though I'm mostly joking, it's real.

Our nurses all do 12 hour shifts. I'm a chaplain resident, so we do a 24 hr shift once a week as part of our "hazing". We have a sleep room (which I'm hanging out in right now), so if nobody codes or dies, in theory I get to sleep. But usually I don't sleep well with the duty phone sitting next to my head.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

What is their housing made from? What substrate/bedding are you using? How is your water supply... from a garden hose? From the tap that you drink from? Do you use different water than what you drink, or do you clean with heavy chemical agents?

How are they dying> any similarities? Do they die in a sudden manner? Do they seize? Have you watched any of this happen?

With cocci there is usually a very substantial amount of blood in the stool. When my poor hen died from it, it looked as if soemone took a vile of blood and poured in over her poop. It was that bloody... and sudden- less than 24 hours of any visual symptoms.

I want to knwo more of the manner of how they are dying rather than them just appearing dead. I highly doubt this is any problem with food, or virus or bacteria... sounds more like acute poisoning. Do you have any neighbors that would have any antifreeze out and available to where your chicken may find it? Any cruel neighbors that might wish to do them harm?

I'm thinking its got to be environment.

Sorry for all the questions... this sounds very unusual.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Do they freerange? Or are they in a pen? .. I'm thinking, if they are on a lawn, are any chemical agents used to help cut back on weeds or try and get rid of bugs/pests?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What is their housing made from? What substrate/bedding are you using? How is your water supply... from a garden hose? From the tap that you drink from? Do you use different water than what you drink, or do you clean with heavy chemical agents?

How are they dying> any similarities? Do they die in a sudden manner? Do they seize? Have you watched any of this happen?

With cocci there is usually a very substantial amount of blood in the stool. When my poor hen died from it, it looked as if soemone took a vile of blood and poured in over her poop. It was that bloody... and sudden- less than 24 hours of any visual symptoms.

I want to knwo more of the manner of how they are dying rather than them just appearing dead. I highly doubt this is any problem with food, or virus or bacteria... sounds more like acute poisoning. Do you have any neighbors that would have any antifreeze out and available to where your chicken may find it? Any cruel neighbors that might wish to do them harm?

I'm thinking its got to be environment.

Sorry for all the questions... this sounds very unusual.

Hi.

Just wanted to let you know... out of the 9 strains of cocci, only 1 presents as blood in the feces.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Our nurses all do 12 hour shifts. I'm a chaplain resident, so we do a 24 hr shift once a week as part of our "hazing". We have a sleep room (which I'm hanging out in right now), so if nobody codes or dies, in theory I get to sleep. But usually I don't sleep well with the duty phone sitting next to my head.

Chaplain, interesting!

 

[Texpatriate]

What is their housing made from? What substrate/bedding are you using? How is your water supply... from a garden hose? From the tap that you drink from? Do you use different water than what you drink, or do you clean with heavy chemical agents?

How are they dying> any similarities? Do they die in a sudden manner? Do they seize? Have you watched any of this happen?

With cocci there is usually a very substantial amount of blood in the stool. When my poor hen died from it, it looked as if soemone took a vile of blood and poured in over her poop. It was that bloody... and sudden- less than 24 hours of any visual symptoms.

I want to knwo more of the manner of how they are dying rather than them just appearing dead. I highly doubt this is any problem with food, or virus or bacteria... sounds more like acute poisoning. Do you have any neighbors that would have any antifreeze out and available to where your chicken may find it? Any cruel neighbors that might wish to do them harm?

I'm thinking its got to be environment.

Sorry for all the questions... this sounds very unusual.

I wish it was that simple. They have all different housing conditions, from "store bought" chicken coops like you'd find at Tractor Supply, to a coop that I've built myself from treated lumber (the exact same kind of treated lumber I used for my coop in TN where I experienced very few losses). And the chicks have all been brooded in those big Steriltite storage tubs from walmart to make for easier cleaning. They all drink water from our well, just like the rest of our family and animals. There is almost no way that anybody has poisoned them unless they were extremely motivated, and none of them have gotten out of the yard. We have a 7 foot privacy fence with padlocks on both of the gates, and I keep their wings clipped. And neighbors are all pretty friendly. I've never actually seen one die. I just find them dead. Had another Cream Legbar chick die yesterday. Thankfully this time it was one of the free cockerels they sent me with the pullets.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

What is your bedding or substrate you are using? Sand, wheat straw, barley straw? Have you noticed any mold anywhere?

Really quite baffled... maybe a local agricultural department can come out and help you figure it out?

So sorry for your losses.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What is your bedding or substrate you are using? Sand, wheat straw, barley straw? Have you noticed any mold anywhere?

Really quite baffled... maybe a local agricultural department can come out and help you figure it out?

So sorry for your losses.

The ag department is a good idea.

I might not send the chick for necropsy. But the next almost layer age one, I definitely would. Even if it cost a little, so does raising and then replacing chicks.

When you say it recently warmed up... how warm are we talking?

 

[Texpatriate]

The ag department is a good idea.

I might not send the chick for necropsy. But the next almost layer age one, I definitely would. Even if it cost a little, so does raising and then replacing chicks. :/

When you say it recently warmed up... how warm are we talking?

Daytime highs in the 70's and 80's. Nothing too extreme. It's supposed to hit the low 90's later this week.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Daytime highs in the 70's and 80's. Nothing too extreme. It's supposed to hit the low 90's later this week.

What do you use as your bedding?