Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Chickens are Dying

If it were coccidiosis, the whole flock would be dead.

Chicks or grown laying hens, you gotta keep their rear ends clean.
You can buy antibiotics to put in their water.
I'd start there.
Make sure they have fresh, clean water....EVERY day.

We have a population of redtail hawks here in southern OK that's unbelievable. I had my laying hens in a covered pen.
I never fed "laying" mash or pellets*. Just plain feed. If your chickens are healthy and well fed, they will lay.
I hung one of those 5 gallon game feeders full of scratch grains from the top of their run.
It was set to run twice daily.
Their prepared feed was in a gravity feeder inside their "house", out of the weather.

* - laying "feeds" only provide more calcium to promote shell formation and doesn't really stimulate egg production. I fed crushed oyster shell, free choice. Same principle and gives them "grit" for their crops.

I've been mixing crushed oyster shells into their feed.

I'm not cleaning chicken ass - my brother can do that if he wants - the chickens are his deal. I'm just helping him out when he's out of town for work - which is every other week.

They have clean water, plenty of feed, shade, a fan and a water mister that we turn on during the hottest part of the day.

"... I'm not cleaning chicken ass ..."

But you'll pick up your dog's poop or seine cat turds out of a litter box?

That's why there are so few farmers these days. People like you aren't willing to get their hands dirty.

Sic "em Martin! That High Noon is just no good.

You don't know what you're talking about and you'd do well to inform yourself before making such an idiotic statement.

To whit:

One of the main reasons there's so few farmers these days is because huge corporations are buying up farms and the average small farmer cannot compete.

Get Bent.

No sir! You put in the time and energy required and you can do quite well with a "truck garden".
I live 3 miles from a family that does quite well..
There again, you gotta be willing to get your hands dirty and work!

Go butt a rubber stump.

Livestock are like 2 year olds.
They depend on you to be certain they have food, water and shelter.
Take care of them and they take care if you!

Warm compresses on a chicks butt to keep the vent from being clogged.

mix hot pepper with some water and put a few drip in their mouth, Thank me later.