# Why are my chickens dying???



## mustrum (May 14, 2009)

Maybe someone can help with this, as it's beyond me...

We bought 25 straight run chickens from a local grower, small time, reputable guy.

We got 3 different kinds: Buff Orp, Buff Brahma, RIR.

The Buff Orp's are dying. ONLY the Buff Orps. Three hens and a rooster. They are all between 14 and 18 weeks old, too young to lay yet. All seemed healthy until they died

There are NO resp. symptoms, no outward signs of illness. Everyone is just fine one night, then dead or dying the following morning. 

Last night we found another hen, weak, unable to stand, no signs of any disease that I could find. This morning, it was the same thing, weak, unable to stand, eventually died.

I gave them tetracyclie for 10 days after the first two died, thinking it couldn't hurt too much, and might save them. Cleaned out the new coop, scrubbing, spraying, litter and food changed, waterers ALWAYS kept clean...

Then I wormed them. They still died, and ONLY the Buff Orps.

We have 9 roosters now ( will be ONE roo after this Saturday when i get off work again).

Three things I am thinking of doing...first, cull out the roosters. 

Second, cut down some of the trees over their run so more sunlight gets in (we left it very shaded since it gets so hot here - we're thinking it might be a vit.D deficiency)

Third, since I can't get dried kelp here, I thought I'd add vits and electrolytes to the waterer inside the coop, leaving the one outside just plain water.

We give them grower feed, scratch with BOSS mixed in just for them to dig at out in the run, and we also give them grrens from the garden, like pea plants and peas, corn stalks, squash, tomatoes, etc...

What else can we do?

Thanks for ANY insight or help.


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Wow. That is rough and I am sorry to hear it. Oh, and welcome, by the way and HI.
Things that come to mind..
How do you feed?
Do they have grit available?
Could there be mold in the feed? That only the Buffs are sensitive to?
It could be something genetic...
Next time one dies... if one dies.. turn it upsde down and see if gunk runs out of it's crop.
The only thing mine have ever died from has been sour crop.(or predators)
Or you could try tipping your remaining birds to see if that is it...
Oh, and what has the weather been like and where are you?


----------



## mustrum (May 14, 2009)

Hi!

Thanks for the welcome and the advice...

We feed grower feed from TSC in two separate feeders, both in the coop, hanging from the ceiling, with none of the food exposed in the feeders for more than 2 days max. The rest of the food is kept in either sealed buckets or tightly rolled feed bag up in the loft. We only buy two bags at a time so as not to have feed sitting around too long.

We also feed scratch in the form of cracked corn and BOSS, just enough for them to scratch at in the run.

Also we make sure to provide plenty of green matter from the lawn and garden.

Grit is available, free choice, in both chick and adult size.

Mold - when we cleaned the coop (only a month in use), we saw no mold anywhere, but we still used a bleach solution, left to dry, then cleaned again, sprayed for mites and fleas, left open all day to air and dry, then new bedding and nesting material...truly, we have done all we can think of as far as cleaning.

Weather - really not too bad the last 4 or 5 days...a little more rain than usual. but no deluges. Not as hot as is usual this time of year. Last three days essentially sunny and breezy. i am worried a little about the fact that essentially the entire run is shaded (we did that intentionally to be sure and provide some relief from what is usually a very hot, humid summertime)...I am planning on thinning the tree cover to allow a 50/50 sun /shade type of run. Was worried about too much moisture in what is now essentially a dirt run contributing to disease, but they've only been in the run for 2 months total...

The second one that died, I checked vent, crop, defeathered it to look for lesions or sores, checked for sores in throat, pharynx...absolutely nothing out of the ordinary that I could find.

The only things out of the ordinary I have noticed are that one hen seemed to want to sit funny, almost as if she was leaning to one side, and the rooster had a limp the day before he died...nothing major, just a slight, barely noticeable limp. The other two showed NOTHING wrong

I just don't know what else to do.

If this other plan doesn't work, I am considering destroying the flock and starting over again, simply because i am getting a little worried about my kids eating these chickens or their eggs when there seems to be some sort of disease process going on here...


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Well.... here is another thought.
Perhaps, since it is just your Buffs, then maybe that genetic line has heart trouble.
They get to a certain size and then just drop dead.
By chance did you notice their combs getting a little dusky before death? A deep grayish red vs the bright healty color?


----------



## mustrum (May 14, 2009)

Chickenista - Thanks so much for your replies!

No, no duskiness of the combs, but some seem to have a lighter pink, almost faded color than others...those that have already died, maybe...I don't remember except for the one this morning, and it did have a lighter pink comb...but she was already down and weak before I looked closely at her, so i don't know if it was there before she was down, or because she was down...


----------



## mustrum (May 14, 2009)

Could this simply be because there are way too many Roosters in the flock?


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

No, I don't think it has anything to do with the roosters.
It would take a lot of abuse and and you would definitely see if the roosters were killing them.

I am out.. I don't know what to tell you.
Do they have bubbly eyes before they go down? Or snotty beaks??


----------



## mustrum (May 14, 2009)

No, nothing wrong in either eyes or beaks...no respiratory signs/symptoms whatsoever.

I just wish I knew what this was. if it is genetic, then I don't feel so bad.

Why just the Buff Orps? Why so suddenly with no real warning? Why no outward signs?

Honestly, i don't know if they were vaccinated or not...if not, then it is too late, isn't it? If not, then what disease kills like this?

Maybe I should just go ahead and vaccinate anyway...and be sure to vaccinate any replacement birds prior to introducing them to the rest of the flock...


----------



## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

what about west nile??


----------



## mustrum (May 14, 2009)

west Nile?

Hadn't thought about that. mosquitos aren't that prevalent this year, we haven't had a human case present in my ER in the last 8 years....

Don't know a lot about West Nile in poultry...does it present like this?

And why just the Orps?

Will look it up, though...Thanks!

EDIT: Found this on PENN. State Univ. site. Hope it's still accurate. if not, someone please let me know..

_Although chickens and turkeys can become infected when experimentally inoculated with the virus
or bitten by infected mosquitoes, these birds do not develop the clinical disease. Their immune
system quickly responds to infection by producing antibodies that clear the virus from their body.
Also, because the virus can be transmitted only through the bite of an infected mosquito, infected
poultry present no significant public health risk. Poultry can neither directly infect other birds,
animals, or humans, nor act as a reservoir for the virus._


----------



## harrisjnet (Jul 13, 2006)

I am wondering if they were vaccinated for Merrick disease. I have heard of some faulty vaccines that caused deaths somewhat similar to what you are seeing. 

I don't know if this will help, but it never heurts. Get some hot peppers into them. They don't have the taste buds for Hot stuff and the peppers will act as a pick me up. Any kind of hot peppers will work. Dollar stores carry crushed red pepper like you see at Pizza Hut. It , Chile powders, paprika, or any other hot peppers will work. Maybe it will pull them through.
Good luck to you and your birds.
Oh, BTW, I would call the breeder you got them from and see if they have had this kind of trouble in their birds or reports from other buyers.


----------



## Dodgegal79 (Aug 29, 2008)

harris might have it with the Merrick vaccince. Chickens at the farm I work at sometimes die like that from the vaccine. That would also explain why just the buffs, they just couldn't handle it.


----------



## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

mustrum said:


> west Nile?
> 
> Hadn't thought about that. mosquitos aren't that prevalent this year, we haven't had a human case present in my ER in the last 8 years....
> 
> ...


thats good to know--i wonder about other poultry. i hope you figure out whats happening.


----------

