Why do they just die

[seminolewind]

Over the past year, I've had 3 chickens just become poor eaters, and eventually die. They do eat, just not enought. The last one was always offered extra food on my patio, and even separated with a buddy at one point thinking that she'd eat more, but didn't. But she died today. I've lost 3 that way out of 33 chickens. Other than that , all three (6 months or so apart) looked and acted healthy up till the end. Just weren't eating enough.

There was never any forseeable reason with the three, just not eating enough. Why?

 

[chicmom]

Have you wormed them? They can become weakened if they've got a bad case of worms. In the chicken world, it's called "going light" when they get thin, and that is often caused by worms.

 

[Theapplechicks]

I was just thinking worms too? You can get some stuff you put in there water and do it periodically to protect them from worms.

 

[Country4ever]

Did you really check them over good from head to tail? Crop? Abdomen? feet? vent? mites?
If they are free ranging, they might have picked up something they shouldn't have.
Unfortunately, these things happen. I've had several die, looking great, but never figured out what it was.
Good luck, and sorry for your loss.

 

[seminolewind]

They have always been wormed and dusted on a regular basis. They free range in my back yard, and for 3 years now, it's been the same free range. The 3 didn't die together. One was last summer. One was 3 months ago. This one today. And yes, they were always checked head to toe.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
your right on what it's called, little different on the cause though.

Avian tuberculosis is what causes going light. The condidtion in which a bird seens perfectly fine, eats normal, then today you notice it's acting weak, tomorrow it's dead. When you pick it up, it's nothing but a breast bone with feathers.

This is carried to our birds by rats in most cases eating feed at night in the coops, or in the barn where you store your feed.
The droppings and urine they leave behind are then picked up by the chicken or other birds when they feed. Fortunately it's not transferable bird to bird I dont believe. This is why it's just one bird here and there.
If it were internal parasites, that is transfered by birds and being around each others poop, so all would have it.

Unfortunately, there is not a darn thing you can do for a bird in this cindtion, it is terminal and all will eventually shrivel away and die very quickly.

 

[CCourson05]

I just try to poison the entire area for rats and mice. I put it in my feed trailer. My barn. My hay loft. EVERYWHERE!

ETA: I'm deathly afraid of mice.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
your right on what it's called, little different on the cause though.

Avian tuberculosis is what causes going light. The condidtion in which a bird seens perfectly fine, eats normal, then today you notice it's acting weak, tomorrow it's dead. When you pick it up, it's nothing but a breast bone with feathers.

This is carried to our birds by rats in most cases eating feed at night in the coops, or in the barn where you store your feed.
The droppings and urine they leave behind are then picked up by the chicken or other birds when they feed. Fortunately it's not transferable bird to bird I dont believe. This is why it's just one bird here and there.
If it were internal parasites, that is transfered by birds and being around each others poop, so all would have it.

Unfortunately, there is not a darn thing you can do for a bird in this cindtion, it is terminal and all will eventually shrivel away and die very quickly.

Boggy Bottom, I think you are right on!!! I didn't find much reading on it until I typed in Mycobacteriosis in poultry. Going light. It fits. I've lost 4 that way in 2 years. All fairly young, tho, 1-2 yr olds.

My feed is pretty much protected. However, my chickens free-range, and are exposed to wild birds, the ground and feces, and probably rat poop, (haven't seen a rat, but you never know). I'm reading that it can be wild bird contact, yes, wild birds do drink from the waterers. I also read it can be oriental cockroaches, being Florida we have lots of outside roaches in the sheds, but I don't know if they're oriental.

I'm reading that it's more common than one thinks. OMG! I wonder how many people on BYC know about this?

Thankyou!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep...
unfortunately, if you've had birds for long, I'm sure you've had one do it to you, it' s pretty common. Most people just dismiss it as one of those things that happen, but there is an explanation for it.

The avian people that told me about it say the best way to prevent it is to feed in the mornings, feed just enough for them to eat completely during that day, basically you dont want food out over night for all the critters to get in. If you've had poultry on your place for over a year, you have rats around somewhere, they are just magnetized to it.
Keep all your feed sealed if at all possible (not for me cause I buy it by the ton) I got a lot of cats and let them out around the birds and feed. That helped a ton on the population of the little nasty buggers.
Pretty much if you've lost a few over the years like that. It is present in your area, and rat control is your best prevention method to keep the others safe, as there is no cure once they get it.