DCluck
Chirping
I've had chickens for 3 years and every thing was going along fine and this past fall things started to go off into the ditch.
1st. Had a chicken die a non predator death. She'd been slow for a couple of days and her comb was a pale or purplish but I'd seen them get like this before an bounce back with no problems. Then about three days later she was laying in the door way dead one evening.
2. had a couple of other girls look a little off so I put them in the dog kennel in Hen house and fed them some cooked meat and in a couple of days they were out and back with the flock no probs.
3. In about Sept I purchased 5, 11 month old hens and one 1 yr old rooster. They appeared fine and dandy [ no scolding please I now see the error of my ways] and I put them with the flock. Life was good for about a month or longer and then...
4. We had to take down the leaking roof from the hen house. Husband ripped down the rotted rafters and ceiling and left the metal roofing for I'd say 2 weeks perhaps a little longer. It rained and was windy and weather was nasty. We got the roof on it was cold out but not snowing yet[ we live in Wi]
5. A few weeks after the roof got replaced the hens started sneezing. I researched on line and started with Vet-Rx and applied to their combs and a drop down their beak. No help. I added it and oregano oil to their water for about a month... no help
6. I got Denagaurd about Feb and treated them with that and it cleared things right up. I've done the monthly protocol, all was good until about 2-3 weeks ago and I've had 4 chickens die.
7. First two chickens were leghorns and they were not interacting and were not eating. But they time I noticed this and put them in the dog kennel they were dead the next morning.
8. I picked up one of the chickens and thought that she was very skinny so I started checking into wormers. Last week I wormed them with Safeguard and again every one seemed fine until 3 days ago.
9. I noticed one of my 3 yr old hens as standing to the side off on her own found her in the morning and she'd never roosted. I brought her in the house tried to get her to eat and drink to no avail and she died. I finally cut open this chicken and OH MY !!! I think she had what appeared to be a lash egg it was large and it smelled awful.
10. Brings us up to yesterday and today. I had a chicken that again was off, she didn't come off the perch all day, her belly was red and distended and she was not eating. Brought her into the house, read up on lash eggs and how to deal them, because I thought my not catching it was the issue with the last bird. So I'd been giving her warm epsom salt baths yesterday and a couple of times today. Well her last bath was going to be about an hour ago she had some poop ooze out of her and there was pink blood in it. She only had one small poop on 24 hrs and she seemed to be in pain and her belly was growing, so I asked my husband to take her outside and put her down. I cut her open and found she had a water belly.
So here's my question.... Any ideas of what's going on? Is all this connected in some way. Am I missing something, have I done something, should I be doing something? I actually understood the sneezing and cold because of the issues this fall with the new birds and the roof stressing them out, but then I think of that first girl dieing and no new bird every thing was just moving along.
I realize this is long and let me take a moment to thank every one who takes the time to read this. I hope I've made myself understandable and not just the ramblings of worried chicken lady.
Thanks!!
1st. Had a chicken die a non predator death. She'd been slow for a couple of days and her comb was a pale or purplish but I'd seen them get like this before an bounce back with no problems. Then about three days later she was laying in the door way dead one evening.
2. had a couple of other girls look a little off so I put them in the dog kennel in Hen house and fed them some cooked meat and in a couple of days they were out and back with the flock no probs.
3. In about Sept I purchased 5, 11 month old hens and one 1 yr old rooster. They appeared fine and dandy [ no scolding please I now see the error of my ways] and I put them with the flock. Life was good for about a month or longer and then...
4. We had to take down the leaking roof from the hen house. Husband ripped down the rotted rafters and ceiling and left the metal roofing for I'd say 2 weeks perhaps a little longer. It rained and was windy and weather was nasty. We got the roof on it was cold out but not snowing yet[ we live in Wi]
5. A few weeks after the roof got replaced the hens started sneezing. I researched on line and started with Vet-Rx and applied to their combs and a drop down their beak. No help. I added it and oregano oil to their water for about a month... no help
6. I got Denagaurd about Feb and treated them with that and it cleared things right up. I've done the monthly protocol, all was good until about 2-3 weeks ago and I've had 4 chickens die.
7. First two chickens were leghorns and they were not interacting and were not eating. But they time I noticed this and put them in the dog kennel they were dead the next morning.
8. I picked up one of the chickens and thought that she was very skinny so I started checking into wormers. Last week I wormed them with Safeguard and again every one seemed fine until 3 days ago.
9. I noticed one of my 3 yr old hens as standing to the side off on her own found her in the morning and she'd never roosted. I brought her in the house tried to get her to eat and drink to no avail and she died. I finally cut open this chicken and OH MY !!! I think she had what appeared to be a lash egg it was large and it smelled awful.
10. Brings us up to yesterday and today. I had a chicken that again was off, she didn't come off the perch all day, her belly was red and distended and she was not eating. Brought her into the house, read up on lash eggs and how to deal them, because I thought my not catching it was the issue with the last bird. So I'd been giving her warm epsom salt baths yesterday and a couple of times today. Well her last bath was going to be about an hour ago she had some poop ooze out of her and there was pink blood in it. She only had one small poop on 24 hrs and she seemed to be in pain and her belly was growing, so I asked my husband to take her outside and put her down. I cut her open and found she had a water belly.
So here's my question.... Any ideas of what's going on? Is all this connected in some way. Am I missing something, have I done something, should I be doing something? I actually understood the sneezing and cold because of the issues this fall with the new birds and the roof stressing them out, but then I think of that first girl dieing and no new bird every thing was just moving along.
I realize this is long and let me take a moment to thank every one who takes the time to read this. I hope I've made myself understandable and not just the ramblings of worried chicken lady.
Thanks!!
We are glad you joined our flock.
to have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC! 
