ffmedic530
In the Brooder
Abstract: - 4 chickens have died, mostly younger (hatched in feb, can’t do the math but not laying yet).
- all show decrease in muscle mass/weight, most notably in breast area.
-some exhibit wing drop with no palpable or obvious fracture/trauma.
- some have retracted neck and ruffled feathers day or two prior to death.
- some exhibit no weakness and found dead under coop next day.
-others exhibit profound weakness and lethargy
-stool ranges from norms to black tarry liquid.
- older birds mostly unaffected each year (lost one smaller older New Hampshire red today).
Breeds most recently affected: 2 EE’s, one Jersey/NHred cross, and one NH red.
-deep litter method utilized in static 8’x7’ coop. Run consists of 1-2’ of woodchips, compost pile behind coop, and a premier1 poultry net. Birds have access to full back yard every day. No chemical fertilizers used.
Feed: new country organics classic layer or turkey grower.
2 healthy Narragansett turkey hens currently share the run. Only use coop to lay eggs. No signs of blackhead in either turkey.
Long-winded elaboration:
This is our 4th season raising chickens and the second summer with similar episodes of wasting away, withdrawn behavior, and ultimately an untimely death despite efforts to provide supportive care. We have a mixed flock, started at 18 birds this spring (10 1+ years old actively laying) and 8 chicks. The babies (now teenagers) are New Hampshire/Jersey giant crosses, a leghorn/Jersey cross, and Easter eggers. The remaining flock are mainly New Hampshire’s, cuckoo Marans, a purebred Jersey giant, buff orphington, a golden comet and our O.G. RIR.
The past 3 weeks or so we’ve lost two Easter eggers, one of the NH/Jersey crosses and now one of the older New Hampshire’s (a rather small one missing her tail feathers we affectionately called Peanut) to similar circumstances. They eat and eat, but there’s just no muscle mass in the breast area. Black almost tarry stool is frequent. Eventually we notice one wing begin to droop. They become withdrawn from the group.
One of the EE’s had his neck retracted that I’ve seen mentioned in a capillary worm scenario. Even if we bring them in to keep the other birds from picking on them, give them lytes/molasses etc they are still too weak to eat and end up dying.
The others we notice the thinning out I’ll find under the coop dead in the morning (odd spot yet 2 years going seems to be theee spot for my birds to die sans intervention from a fox) within days of noticeable weight loss.
Have not chemically wormed the birds. I’ve grown nasturtium, add pumpkin seeds to the feed and typically give ACV and drop some cayenne now and again. They’ll eat cucumbers and other potentially natural deworming agents. But this is hitting hard again this year with 4 dead. And 2 seemingly on deck after tonight’s inspection.
Odd thing is my oldest RIR and others have been steadfast and unaffected. So lots of head scratching. I just located a spot up at UCONN for a necropsy when/if we lose another and find it before the rats. But in the meantime, my head is spinning as far as what to try to treat if worms could be the culprit.
Nothing is visible. As far as the poop chart goes most are normal, Cecal, or this black tar. No frank red blood. No visible worms.
I’m a medic and pretty conservative when it comes to meds with patients. But the hospice routine is getting old. Any suggestions for a generic wormer ala “take a z-pack” and call it a day. I realize it’s adding to the resistance problem, I see that daily at work. But it seems like there are quite a few broad spectrum wormers that’ll help, just having trouble nailing down some solid flock-level dosing trying to pare down opposing opinions, hurt feelings and in-fighting over dosages.
Sorry for the novel if you’ve read until this point. Any help or advice is appreciated.
- all show decrease in muscle mass/weight, most notably in breast area.
-some exhibit wing drop with no palpable or obvious fracture/trauma.
- some have retracted neck and ruffled feathers day or two prior to death.
- some exhibit no weakness and found dead under coop next day.
-others exhibit profound weakness and lethargy
-stool ranges from norms to black tarry liquid.
- older birds mostly unaffected each year (lost one smaller older New Hampshire red today).
Breeds most recently affected: 2 EE’s, one Jersey/NHred cross, and one NH red.
-deep litter method utilized in static 8’x7’ coop. Run consists of 1-2’ of woodchips, compost pile behind coop, and a premier1 poultry net. Birds have access to full back yard every day. No chemical fertilizers used.
Feed: new country organics classic layer or turkey grower.
2 healthy Narragansett turkey hens currently share the run. Only use coop to lay eggs. No signs of blackhead in either turkey.
Long-winded elaboration:
This is our 4th season raising chickens and the second summer with similar episodes of wasting away, withdrawn behavior, and ultimately an untimely death despite efforts to provide supportive care. We have a mixed flock, started at 18 birds this spring (10 1+ years old actively laying) and 8 chicks. The babies (now teenagers) are New Hampshire/Jersey giant crosses, a leghorn/Jersey cross, and Easter eggers. The remaining flock are mainly New Hampshire’s, cuckoo Marans, a purebred Jersey giant, buff orphington, a golden comet and our O.G. RIR.
The past 3 weeks or so we’ve lost two Easter eggers, one of the NH/Jersey crosses and now one of the older New Hampshire’s (a rather small one missing her tail feathers we affectionately called Peanut) to similar circumstances. They eat and eat, but there’s just no muscle mass in the breast area. Black almost tarry stool is frequent. Eventually we notice one wing begin to droop. They become withdrawn from the group.
One of the EE’s had his neck retracted that I’ve seen mentioned in a capillary worm scenario. Even if we bring them in to keep the other birds from picking on them, give them lytes/molasses etc they are still too weak to eat and end up dying.
The others we notice the thinning out I’ll find under the coop dead in the morning (odd spot yet 2 years going seems to be theee spot for my birds to die sans intervention from a fox) within days of noticeable weight loss.
Have not chemically wormed the birds. I’ve grown nasturtium, add pumpkin seeds to the feed and typically give ACV and drop some cayenne now and again. They’ll eat cucumbers and other potentially natural deworming agents. But this is hitting hard again this year with 4 dead. And 2 seemingly on deck after tonight’s inspection.
Odd thing is my oldest RIR and others have been steadfast and unaffected. So lots of head scratching. I just located a spot up at UCONN for a necropsy when/if we lose another and find it before the rats. But in the meantime, my head is spinning as far as what to try to treat if worms could be the culprit.
Nothing is visible. As far as the poop chart goes most are normal, Cecal, or this black tar. No frank red blood. No visible worms.
I’m a medic and pretty conservative when it comes to meds with patients. But the hospice routine is getting old. Any suggestions for a generic wormer ala “take a z-pack” and call it a day. I realize it’s adding to the resistance problem, I see that daily at work. But it seems like there are quite a few broad spectrum wormers that’ll help, just having trouble nailing down some solid flock-level dosing trying to pare down opposing opinions, hurt feelings and in-fighting over dosages.
Sorry for the novel if you’ve read until this point. Any help or advice is appreciated.
Aww, I'm sorry about your hen.
