What is killing my chickens?

[BankFam]

The only answers I can find online are for predators and things people feed their chickens, but my question is specifically related to FREE- RANGING chickens and what they will naturally graze on.

Our chickens were all very healthy and thriving. I started free-ranging them daily. After some time, one of them became very lethargic, eventually stopped eating, developed some slight puffiness in her face, and died.

So far, we have lost a total of 5 hens to unidentified sickness. The first was the only one who had puffiness, but they all became suddenly lethargic, stopped eating, had watery poops, and died, some more suddenly than others. I did my best to diagnose and care for them but I am still new at this. I'm not sure if I am accurately checking the crop for emptying. There were no other symptoms. No discharge or anything. Just lethargy and watery poops.

I finally stopped free-ranging them. We lost one more very shortly after, so I also took the precaution of telling my kids to stop feeding them grass (in case it was clogging the crop). It has been several months since we stopped free-ranging and we have not had any losses since then. They are all very happy now, although they really miss being on grass.

My best guess now is that they were eating something poisonous while free-ranging. What kinds of things would a chicken eat in the wild that would kill them? My husband suspects hemlock.

We live in WV.

 

[aart]

I am just so curious about what was killing them.

The only real chance to know exactly what it was is to have a necropsy with labs done.
@Kiki has list of places that she might be willing to post.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello, go to PoultryDVM and select all the symptoms that apply, then you will probably find the possible cause. I hope your chickens never get this again!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Where did they free-range? Any chance they got into rat poison? I agree that chickens don't typically eat a "natural" poisonous vegetation.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

I'm a thousand miles south of you, but to this day I've not seen a chicken injured or killed by poison, and my chickens eat a wide range of poisonous plants (pokeweed, dogfennel, yellow jessamine) and even a variety of mushrooms. If there's anything deadly poisonous here they're definitely not eating it despite having full access

 

[Smokerbill]

Could they have found some trash? Maybe they were eating glass or screws. I opened the crop up of one of my chickens that died unexpectedly and its gizzard was filled with pieces of broken safety glass. I found that it was laying internally, too, so I'm not 100% sure why it died.

 

[Kiki]

Click on the link in my signature area

 

[BDutch]

I opened the crop up of one of my chickens that died unexpectedly and its gizzard was filled with pieces of broken safety glass. I found that it was laying internally, too, so I'm not 100% sure why it died.

It’s no problem for a chicken to pick up pieces of safety glas to digest their food instead of the usual grit.

It's a possibility but I don't know how they would have gotten exposed to it. We had some locked in the shed and we only ever used it IN the shed because that's where the rodent problem is and I'm pretty sure the mice ate all of it before we started free-ranging. We no longer use it and we don't use chemicals anywhere else on the property.

If the mice died of rat poison or were weakened by it, it is possible that the chickens found a few and ate them. Chickens love to eat meat. And the rat poison accumulates.
Investigations showed that many predators who died and were found on or around barns had rat toxins in their body.

 

[BankFam]

Awe, I feel so bad for you to get discouraged about them enjoying your property. It's really not that common and I bet you will find the source of the problem as you continue to investigate. It's easy to make temporary, daytime fencing to limit where they range (easier than a tractor.) I have 5 acres too, and I have a few chicken wire rolls with stakes that I stapled on + some "panels" that I built with fencing wire and horizonal fence boards. I basically divide my property in half to let them range where I want them based on season. But also to keep them from wandering to far where we dont have fencing (the River side. I don't know what they could encounter beyond our property and I've heard that neighbors have poison out.... Don't beat yourself up, you're just trying to do the right thing, they SO enjoy free-ranging.

Thanks for the tips and encouragement. I was feeling so defeated and guilty for a while I couldn't even enjoy the chickens that were left. I think they must have been depressed too, losing their sisters. But seeing them happy and perky now, laying their eggs and enjoying their dust baths really brightens my day!

 

[PhantomSlayer]

It's a possibility but I don't know how they would have gotten exposed to it. We had some locked in the shed and we only ever used it IN the shed because that's where the rodent problem is and I'm pretty sure the mice ate all of it before we started free-ranging. We no longer use it and we don't use chemicals anywhere else on the property.

What if they were grazing on the leech field?

Ours eat on our leech field no issues. Our geese love that area because the grass grows fast.

The obvious answers are always the food. It may help for more info to narrow things.

While most chickens in general instinctively know to avoid what might kill them I have seen some people post on here because they have one curious one that ignores that. Have you gone around the areas to see what plants they had access to?

Is your yard or your neighbors yards treated with any chemicals? That can certain cause issues.

Not many people will assume water issues but where did your birds favor drinking?
While chickens can be hardy in some ways but if they drink from the wrong puddle or bucket that contains contaminants that could easily kill off quite a few. As much as you might think "I put fresh water out this morning" lets face it they drink wherever they please. I can put fresh water out right next to them and walk away and theyll go drink out of the gross goose pool thats even farther away.

While it may not be your issue but birds love insulation and metal. Any little scraps of metal, nails and staples alike are seen as food. Insulation isn't good for them either. Not sure the symptoms they could create but it's something to keep in mind.

Last but not least..

It might not hurt to look into if you have any wild bird diseases in your area. If your birds are foraging and exposed to other birds that could have put your birds at risk?