# Sick hens and dying over past few weeks



## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

Hello. I have a small number of chickens. 1 rooster and 3-4 hens. They are housed in a fenced in area which is partly covered and have been there for a few years. The area is about 40 feet by 15 feet. They have access to an inside barn to roost in at night. Anyways about two months ago a 4 year old Rhode Island red got sick. She stopped eating and got lethargic and died within a week. Two weeks ago another hen different breed got sick and had same thing happen. Died. Three days ago my last hen has started the same cycle. Any ideas what could be causing this? Very frustrated. I bought a tiller and turned the ground over yesterday(a little late now) hoping that would help. These birds are not free range although I am working towards that. A side note... Three weeks ago I bought two peacocks and slowly introduced them to the chickens. They get along great. I don't think they have anything to do with the birds getting sick as the first hen died before the peacocks came. 

Any ideas guys? 

Thank you


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

You need to worm your birds and inspect them for lice/mites. I recommend Valbazen as a first time wormer. Dosage is 1/2cc given orally to each chicken and repeated 10 days later. If your feed store doesnt carry valbazen, you can order it online:
http://www.wholesalekennel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29
Lice/mites can be treated using poultry dust. Inspect their vent area closely for external parasites.


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## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

Thanks for your reply! After the second treatment on day 10 how often do I need to use the product? 
Where can I get poultry dust?

thanks again!



dawg53 said:


> You need to worm your birds and inspect them for lice/mites. I recommend Valbazen as a first time wormer. Dosage is 1/2cc given orally to each chicken and repeated 10 days later. If your feed store doesnt carry valbazen, you can order it online:
> http://www.wholesalekennel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=29
> Lice/mites can be treated using poultry dust. Inspect their vent area closely for external parasites.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Worm monthly after initial worming.As for the dust,you can pick that up at the feed store.I don't dust my chickens.I use Permectrin II spray.I get it at a better price on Amazon.I use the spray because you have more control where the product goes and it has a 30 day residual effect.They can't shake it off.With the powders,the product goes every where.In the chickens eyes/mouth and all over you and you breathe it in.The spray is much better and a bottle lasts a long time.Plus,you can use it on other animals,even dogs but not cats.


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## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

Great information. Thank you! I am about to get some baby chicks. What do I do for them in terms of worming and dusting?



chickenqueen said:


> Worm monthly after initial worming.As for the dust,you can pick that up at the feed store.I don't dust my chickens.I use Permectrin II spray.I get it at a better price on Amazon.I use the spray because you have more control where the product goes and it has a 30 day residual effect.They can't shake it off.With the powders,the product goes every where.In the chickens eyes/mouth and all over you and you breathe it in.The spray is much better and a bottle lasts a long time.Plus,you can use it on other animals,even dogs but not cats.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

You dont need to worm chicks until 6 weeks old IF they are on soil. As far as dusts or sprays go, you dont have to use anything unless you actually see lice or mites on them no matter what age they are. If dust or spray is used, inside the hen house must be treated including roosts and nests. I remove all bedding and burn it if there's a parasite problem. In a pinch, bleach water can be sprayed inside the hen house to kill external parasites but it has no residual effect.
It's best to use dust in cold temps if there's an external parasite issue, especially if there are freezing temps. Sprays can freeze, chilling birds and may cause respiratory issues. It seems external parasite infestations are at their worst during the winter. It's probably due to the huddling of birds in the coop, bugs easily spreading from one bird to another.
I have used permethrin spray in warm/hot temps as well as the dust. It has a 30 day residual.
I forgot to add that I have used Advantage for dogs on adult chickens only, eliminating dusting or spraying birds. One drop on bare skin on the back of the neck is all that is needed, good for 30 days.
Keep in mind that bugs will still be inside the hen house and will need to be eliminated.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Hi Crocboy! Aside from worming and lice, I would invest in a bottle of Corid for coccidiosis and have it on hand. Young chickens/chicks will stand alone fluffed up and looking sick. 

Sorry about your hens.


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## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

Thanks for the info! Where can I get some Corid? Thanks again.



seminolewind said:


> Hi Crocboy! Aside from worming and lice, I would invest in a bottle of Corid for coccidiosis and have it on hand. Young chickens/chicks will stand alone fluffed up and looking sick.
> 
> Sorry about your hens.


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## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

Great info! Thank you. Reading this, I think I may have found my problem. This all started when I cut a hole into a shed that I have right beside the pen. I took everything out of the shed and put in Hay and built shelves for them to roost on. That is when my first hen got sick not too long after that. I know mice have been there too eating their food sometimes. I bet that is the problem.... 
think it could be?

thanks



dawg53 said:


> You dont need to worm chicks until 6 weeks old IF they are on soil. As far as dusts or sprays go, you dont have to use anything unless you actually see lice or mites on them no matter what age they are. If dust or spray is used, inside the hen house must be treated including roosts and nests. I remove all bedding and burn it if there's a parasite problem. In a pinch, bleach water can be sprayed inside the hen house to kill external parasites but it has no residual effect.
> It's best to use dust in cold temps if there's an external parasite issue, especially if there are freezing temps. Sprays can freeze, chilling birds and may cause respiratory issues. It seems external parasite infestations are at their worst during the winter. It's probably due to the huddling of birds in the coop, bugs easily spreading from one bird to another.
> I have used permethrin spray in warm/hot temps as well as the dust. It has a 30 day residual.
> I forgot to add that I have used Advantage for dogs on adult chickens only, eliminating dusting or spraying birds. One drop on bare skin on the back of the neck is all that is needed, good for 30 days.
> Keep in mind that bugs will still be inside the hen house and will need to be eliminated.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Mice can cause all kinds of problems. Here's a link for you. 
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/06/15-tips-to-control-rodents-around.html
I still recommend worming your birds.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

If you loose any more,send a dead chicken to your states agriculture department and have a necropsy done to determine cause of death.Then go from there.The Dept. of Agriculture is a good source for information and help if you need it.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

I also think having a necropsy done is a good idea.

State vet
http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

Necropsy labs:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

Or you can try to do your own:
View attachment Poultry-necropsy-Manual.pdf


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Thanks, Kathy. I'm glad you have all those links.


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## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

Good idea. We have already eaten the others that died but if another one dies we will send them in for tests.

Thanks



casportpony said:


> I also think having a necropsy done is a good idea.
> 
> State vet
> http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf
> ...


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

I don't think it's a good idea to eat birds that died of an unknown illness.


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## Crocboy25 (Feb 27, 2017)

We cooked them though. wouldn't that kill any germs?



chickenqueen said:


> I don't think it's a good idea to eat birds that died of an unknown illness.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

It depends on what killed them. But you are still here talking about it, so it must have been unharmful to humans.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

If it was ok to eat diseased birds,thousands wouldn't be killed each year due to diseases like Avian Flu.They would be butchered and sold instead of killed and destroyed.Unless I was starving,I wouldn't eat a diseased bird.....


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