# Fell over dead



## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I have had chickens for a long time and haven't had any problems. Until two days ago one of my chickens were acting drunk and couldn't walk and just a few hours later was deceased. Then the next day I walk out to my chicken coop and a big rhode island red hen that I was very proud of had like a heart attack then fell over dead. She was just laying on the ground with no movement in her head but flapping her wings wildly. Then two seconds later she was dead. Does anyone have any advice. I haven't introduced new feed or new chickens in 3-4 months.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

If I had to guess I'd say virus or poison. Can you get them necropsied at a state lab or vet school near by?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Ive been giving them all antibiotics. Lost one today so now a total of three with similar symptoms. If it was poison wouldn't they all die?


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

So they are in a coop and run?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I have two separate pens that separate my laying chickens from my game chickens. And I have some free range that never come inside. These chickens have no contact with eachother but have lost one of each.


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

It does sound like a poison ... Anyone put out any rat/mouse poison. (that you know of?)


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Not that I know of. I do have a neighbor that doesn't like the crowing. But my coops aren't near where she could get to them. I pray it isn't true but someone told me there's a report of west Nile in my area. And I looked up the symptoms. They are similar to what I have. Except for the crazy flapping of the wings before death. Idk Wut to do and I'm not rich. But my birds are taken care of.


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Wish I could be more help ... sorry.

On a side note: I was not thinking about the folks next door putting out rat/mouse poison for the chickens but that they may have put it out in a building where they may be having a problem and the mouse ate the poison and the chicken ate the mouse ... (I have heard of this a few times, and the reason I ask the question.)


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Yes. West Nile will present with those symptoms. Might just have to work its way through the flock. Good husbandry is your best defense. Antibiotics will be useless in light of a virus. Good food, clean water, clean environment with enough room (no crowding) is the best thing you can do. If its a poison than it's a matter of dose. Who got how much.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm just distraught. I love my chickens and I have another one that's acting kinda down. A big Buff hen. I can't just keep losing them. There's nothing I can do?? A lot of money down the drain. I cleaned out the coop. Sterilized the feeders and waterers. Put up mosquito catchers. Bought antibiotics. Grrrrrrrr


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## BigECart (Jul 12, 2012)

I don't have chickens yet but I do live in an area with WNV. After reading this thread, I became concerned about the threat of WNV to my future flock. From what I read on-line, chickens don't typically show visible signs of infection from WNV. 

Given that you have had two losses and one more with symptoms, and with them being different breeds, it seems unlikely to me that WNV is your culprit. 

Could it be Mareks?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

To be honest I don't even know what that is. But I have to say when I came home today after seeing my buff hen this morning I thought she would be dead. But she was scratching around and ran up to the feed tray this evening. So she might be turning around.


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## jjwilson72000 (Jun 21, 2012)

We had something similar a few years ago when a group of chicks got sick and were walking around drunk-like. The wife used a dropper and fed them yogurt and water every 4 hours. Regardless 3 out of 5 of them died. One of the survivors is now our rooster, because he doesn't crow. He still walks around slowly and acts like he is drunk, but he eats, drinks and mates. I have no idea what the sickness was as the chicks had no contact with adult birds, and were in a cage in the house. It also might be Coccidiosis.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

But it's only one chicken at a time. I'm going to lose another tomorrow I can see that buff hen getting worse. I haven't had two sick at the same time. This buff hen has been sick for almost a week now and today was the first day she didn't come up to the feed. She couldn't even walk. I tried to help her and even put feed right next to her but she showed no interest. I have done everything I kno to do. I'm tired of this.


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## jjwilson72000 (Jun 21, 2012)

If it is Coccidios I don't know if there is much you can do besides segregate the sick and disenfect as much as possible.
If another dies you might try autopsying her and seeing if there are worms in the intestine or spots on the liver.
Is the water clean that they get? Like it's not from an obscure well that hasn't been tested or anything?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Ok it's been almost a month since I had any sick chickens so I thought Wutever it was had ran its course. Today I walk out to my month old Americaunas and I have one that's just leaning up against a post in the corner with his head drooped down. I rush in an pick him up, set him down and he just fell over. I feed them twice a day and this morning he was fine. They are all well fed but I picked him up and he has no meat or fat on his breast. All I can feel is his breast bone. And he's so light compared to the other two. And he's been eating cuz I spend time with my Americaunas. I know he is probly goin to die. He's pretty pitiful lookin. I just don't know what it could be.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Make sure he's hydrated. Then see if he'll eat for you. Might loose him anyway, unfortunately. Could be so many things but it sounds like its been going on for a while and they're just hiding their symptoms. That's what birds do or they are someone's lunch. Sorry it's not over.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I tried to hand feed him and he won't eat.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I just went and locked everybody up for the night. The Americauna is dead. that was fast. What could kill him that fast? My wife said She checked the chicks around lunch and they were all fine. So in 4-5 hours he went from fine to dead.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

He wasn't fine if he was that thin. You can't get that skinny overnight. If you could, I'd be on that diet. He was compensating until he couldn't compensate anymore and then he died. Birds mask their symptoms. This was going on for likely a week or more. So what's going on.


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## BootedBantam (Aug 31, 2012)

Did the one who flew over to cop callers house die? Hope you don't lose anymore.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

They get fed twice a day and they get to range supervised. No the one who went next door is fine. Idk what the problem is. They had constant water and chick starter. I just feel bad.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

No doubt you feel bad. And sad. I feel that way too just listening to your story. Something is going on. You need to be very observant and solve your mystery. These are all clues. Again, what is going on?


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## cogburn (Jul 16, 2012)

Damn man.. Hate to hear that.. Sounds weird but I'd open him up, check his plumbing.. He may have ingested something foreign, a rusty piece of metal, a staple, piece of glass, by pure accident.. And if you do find something it will put your mind at ease for the rest of them.. That's me. Just my 2 cents..


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Excellent idea, Cogburn. But would you know normal from abnormal ?


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

I'm not cutting him open. I can't do that. But where he was pinned at the ground is clean besides grass. I did have trash out here when we moved here but I ran the whole property with a magnet.


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Glass won't come up with a magnet. Nor fishing line. Just saying.


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## earlyt89 (Aug 2, 2012)

Yea true. .....


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## kejmack (Sep 3, 2012)

jjwilson72000 said:


> We had something similar a few years ago when a group of chicks got sick and were walking around drunk-like. The wife used a dropper and fed them yogurt and water every 4 hours. Regardless 3 out of 5 of them died. One of the survivors is now our rooster, because he doesn't crow. He still walks around slowly and acts like he is drunk, but he eats, drinks and mates. I have no idea what the sickness was as the chicks had no contact with adult birds, and were in a cage in the house. It also might be Coccidiosis.


Drunk birds is usually West Nile. You can take them to your state ag lab and get a necropsy if you want to know for sure.


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