Wonder if anyone has an answer regarding the death of 2 of our chickens. One Rhode Island Red and the other a black and white (forget the breed). Just up and died, not predator related. Could it be Avian Flu or could it be the heat? They have plenty of shade and water.
The black & white that died was acting funny yesterday - sitting on the eggs all day, which she had never done before.
The Rhode Island Red had crap stuck all over her backside and wasn't laying before she died.
Also, anyone have an idea for an 'automatic' chicken feeder. The one my brother built doesn't flow all that well and get's clogged with any moisture when it rains:
PM or email me for some sketches of a gravity fed barrel-style "turkey feeder" we use to keep deer and other varmints out of the cracked corn we use to supplement winter food for the ones we hunt. With a little design tweaking, it would work well for chickens.
I spoke to the Veterinarian at the Texas Animal Health Commission and he does not think it's Avian Flu based on my answers to his questions. He thinks it could be any number of things like the extreme heat or a bacterial issue, but not Avian Flu. He suggested getting a small square of alfalfa for them to peck and some oyster shells as a calcium supplement. Brother feeds them Layers scratch pellets. Also need to provide plenty of clean water. The water jug he has hooked up has some algae in it. He said clean bedding is not critical.
Also we have not been in contact with any other poultry and brother has raised them from chick-sized.
Vet said I don't need to get them tested at the moment and to call him back if any more die. I think they'll send someone out if they suspect Avian Flu to do the testing. He said that if it was Avian Flu they'd all be dead by now since the first Rhode Island Red died almost 10 days ago. He also said the only way to figure out what kilt them is to perform a series of very expensive tests.
Chickens sometimes just up and die. First one of mine that died when my flock was less than 2 years old I took to the vet. She was sent down to UC Davis, turns out she had ovarian cancer or such.
A few weeks back, El Feo the rooster seemed fine one day. Next day I went out in the afternoon to give them their scratch and he was laying there in the dirt, a little snow stuck on his beak. Good indication he was no longer warm. We'd had flurries off and on that day.
If you're concerned, I'd for sure take them for testing before it wipes the rest out. The messy ass end can be the result of a couple of issues. Some are not good.
This is the best auto feeder I’ve used for my flock. I feed the bigger pellets and it would occasionally get clogged up from moisture as well until I trimmed just a little bit off the neck that funnels the feed. Works excellent!
Extreme heat can and will take its toll. Cool clean water is very important in hot weather as is a shady area for them. It seems like hot weather exacerbates any issues that might be present. As mentioned coccidiosis is a likely culprit. Good luck and if you get any resolution or diagnosis I hope you update this thread. 👍
Many times, I've had a chicken get inexplicably ill, wander around for a few days in a daze, then just wind down and die. Been keeping chickens for 12 years. It hasn't ever been the start of a great die off in my experience. Things go wrong with chickens, just like with people.
I just cleaned out the 5 gal water jug. There was some algae in it. They have plenty of shade and there's a breeze. They have plenty of food. I just gave them a handful of Swiss Chard. All 4 of them seem fine at the moment.
This exactly ! Even worse is .gov will go around and kill all the chickens within x number of miles regardless if there is any disease. If the government wasn’t so heavy handed most flocks will become immune after an initial die off. We’d have more resistant and robust herds and flocks if the government would be so helpful !
This exactly ! Even worse is .gov will go around and kill all the chickens within x number of miles regardless if there is any disease. If the government wasn’t so heavy handed most flocks will become immune after an initial die off. We’d have more resistant and robust herds and flocks if the government wouldn't be so helpful !
Another chicken died yesterday. Heat stroke. I tried holding it under cool water (up to the neck) for about 10 minutes and then let her float in the water for an hour or so in an effort to revive her. Then I put her on a pallet in front of the fan. She seemed to perk up a bit and even moved around a little but was dead the next day. That's 3 dead this summer.
They have plenty of fresh water, a fan and a mister, but when it's 108° there's not much that can be done.
104F here the other day, they're a little heat stress but have a number of shady places to stay. A couple of the shady places get a squirt with the garden hose to add some cooling moisture.
Yep. Mine also have shade. I also spray down the pine bedding every day.
Do some research on your pine bedding. Many thoughts on it being possibly toxic for chickens.
We've had chickens for over 15 years. Only lost 5 or 6 to a random death. We've lost 6 others to predators. We usually buy them from Murray McMurray. We don't get them vaccinated for Coccidiosis, but use medicated feed for the first 16 weeks roughly.
Chickens require very little care. Most people over think it and overdo taking care of them. If one dies just bag it and dispose of it. No need to test it. Most vets have no idea on how to treat or work with chickens. Probably because they have almost no monetary value and aren't worth spending money on them for vet care. Good luck with your chickens and sorry you lost a few. - tnscouter
Like many have said, keep them cool & well watered in this heat. I did have six red Sexlinks & six black Sexlinks to start the year out. Game camera showed two different raccoons got three chicks in the 2'x4' brooder pen at 1 month of age by breaking through the chicken wire after digging under my pole barn sliding door. At 3 months of age and being moved into the large pen, found one dead inside. Next afternoon heard commotion from the chicken pen and ran down to discover a huge black snake wrapped around a half grown hen. Looked like a black basketball. Come to find out, there were two black snakes living in the insulation I had in the ceiling of the chicken house. Last month, I found two partially eaten chickens outside of the chicken pen, raccoons again. They tore through the chicken wire that I had wrapped around the cattle panels that I used for the outdoor run. So, I wound up with five living laying hens, eight dead raccoons, four dead opossums, & three doubly dead black snakes 5 1/2, 6, & 6 1/2 feet respectively. I just purchased six Isa Brown peeps from TSC last week.....Here we go again.
Is there any sign of bright yellow sulfur colored diarrhea? A sure sign of black head disease.
Quote
blackhead disease (histomoniasis) is an important poultry disease that affects turkeys, chickens, and game birds such as partridges, pheasants, and quail. The disease is caused by the protozoa Histomonas meleagridis, tiny, single-celled organisms that are spread to the bird by the roundworm Heterakis gallinarum
Chickens are less prone to this parasitical infection than are turkeys, but chickens are susceptible. I have fought it several times when raising turkeys for the freezer.
The best preventative measure to prevent future infections, if this is your problem, seems to be adding massive quantities of cayenne pepper to the feed. As in a cup of cayenne in five gallons of feed. Anecdotally, garlic water and vitamin E are supposed to help also.
Like many have said, keep them cool & well watered in this heat. I did have six red Sexlinks & six black Sexlinks to start the year out. Game camera showed two different raccoons got three chicks in the 2'x4' brooder pen at 1 month of age by breaking through the chicken wire after digging under my pole barn sliding door. At 3 months of age and being moved into the large pen, found one dead inside. Next afternoon heard commotion from the chicken pen and ran down to discover a huge black snake wrapped around a half grown hen. Looked like a black basketball. Come to find out, there were two black snakes living in the insulation I had in the ceiling of the chicken house. Last month, I found two partially eaten chickens outside of the chicken pen, raccoons again. They tore through the chicken wire that I had wrapped around the cattle panels that I used for the outdoor run. So, I wound up with five living laying hens, eight dead raccoons, four dead opossums, & three doubly dead black snakes 5 1/2, 6, & 6 1/2 feet respectively. I just purchased six Isa Brown peeps from TSC last week.....Here we go again.
Go get some hardware cloth and replace the chicken wire. More expensive but "usually" will stop the raccoons.
We used to mix mayo and catsup in 2nd grade for a double dog dare in school lunch
Get busted by Birtha the cafeteria monitor and have to eat it.
Yall bunch a babies
Guess yall just discovering lowered ‘mini trucks’ now too? 😃🤦🏻
They look best with some dingle balls around the windshield and a set of bull balls hangin' off the, now useless, trailer hitch.
Around here they just lower the rear, and run with the oxidized finish that comes with salvage yard body panels. Also rip the exhaust off it for better power.
If heat related. I use a water bottle and spritz my chickens hourly during the hottest part of day. Chickens open their beak if overheated.....short time it's ok, long time and it can be fatal.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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