Could there be poison (mouse ect.) that they could have gotten into?
Sunflower Seeds to Increase Egg Production
I don't think so. They all look OK this morning so far. They are eating and drinking and we have one sitting on the nest laying an egg. I just hope cleaning everything up helps. We have had some hot weather but they've always had shade and fresh water to drink etc.
I have a 2 year old hen that is showing signs of Mereck's... It is strange at her age... She is in severe distress, and I can't understand.. She is not posturing, but is obviously weaker on one side.. It was all in one day. I hope she is okay..
It's my belief that IF they contracted something that is killing them, there is no way to disinfect enough to stop the spread. Never hurts to keep things sanitary, but if it's a disease, (which there are hundreds) there is not much you can do to stop it... I'm so sorry that happened to you and your girls. I hope it has stopped.. :(
There isn't really much you can do. I'm no vet. I know my hens are raised better than the commercial hens who are cooped up in cages all their life. We have a large fenced in run off the back of the barn that is shaded. I have two big ladders out there for them to roost on. They go through a doggy door to an indoor coop with perches all around and we keep a lot of pine shavings on the floor. They free range for four or five hours each afternoon/evening. At least they have had a good life and were treated well. I give them lots of treats from the garden. They loved broocoli and cabbage leaves etc.
If they keep dying I won't replace them. If they all wind up dying we're out of the chicken hobby. It is too hard.
You are so right Loon.. it's very hard to raise chickens.. It is very painful at times, but overall, it's been my experience that life without them is.. well... not as nice as life with them. There isn't anything I've found that gives me the joy I get from having them... and the awesome meals they provide me.. (most of the time)
You do give them a good life.. sounds like an excellent life! I hope you don't stop giving birds, even just a few, a chance at a good life, regardless of how short it is.
My Serama hen didn't make it.. I'm okay with it.. She sure didn't suffer long. And I'm comfortable with the life she had, I sure couldn't have done much more..
Sorry about your Serama hen not making it. My hens died pretty quick too. So far, no more deaths and everyone else is out running about eating and drinking. We're keeping an eye on them. We are getting about 4-5 eggs a day from 9 hens. The babies are too young to lay. They are 11 weeks old I think. They are funny to watch. I do enjoy the birds but feel so lacking in knowlege in how to handle certain health situations. I have learned a lot from this forum though and keep reading and learning. I'm glad others share their experiences and that is how we all learn.
Really Loon, there are so many things the chickens can catch.. they often have a short life.. no matter what you do or how much you know.. It is really hard sometimes.. I sure know that... :) As much as I hate loosing one, I handle it much better now than I did.. I've not gotten cold, or heartless... Just realize that it happens..
Right now, my teens are getting a little bigger and my favorite thing ever is when they put their heads down and stretch out to run.. cracks me up every single time!! Also some of the crazy sounds the teens make.. My son was holding one and he said "Look mom, a duck" LOL It really sounded like one too!!
Chickens running always strike me as funny. They must get tired of me laughing at them!
We love sitting and watching our chickens in the yard...it's the best cheap entertainment around. Better than any movie. It makes me smile just thinking about it!: )
One of our 11 week old chickens picked up a dead mouse that the barn cats had dropped. The other little chickens wanted that mouse and were chasing her. She finally dropped it, pecked at it then somehow managed to swallow the whole thing. Hubby thought he was going to have to do the Heimlieck manuever on her but she got it down and kept it down. We were amazed. We've seen them fighting over frogs too. They seem to really love meat. :)
Loon, so true! I love watching them when one of them find something special and they all chase her around waiting for her to stop to take a bite. What a pleasure it is to watch these facinating creatures!
Sunflower oil in the seeds is a powerhouse of nutrition. We have been lied to for the past 40 years about fats. Butter, lards, eggs, raw milk, etc are what our bodies need to heal and function, our brain cells are mainly fat. So when these girls are getting that extra fat/micro nutrients in their diet in a straight unprocessed format, they put it to good use.
We throw handfuls of seeds out to ours when we are rounding them up to put them away at night. Works every time.
But this thread also timed with summer. It is very common for egg production to drop during heat or cold..different breeds do better than others..and same with age..if a chicken is over 2 years..you can expect drop off.
I thought I'd post an update on my birds. We stopped feeding them anything other than their layer mash a bit of corn they have to hunt and peck for and whatever kitchen scraps I have. They are all laying great now. I have ten hens and get anywhere from 8 to 10 eggs a day. This morning there were three hens sharing one nest. That was funny. :) They are big birds too. Not sure how they do that but they do. I think with my birds it just took time for them to mature. I noticed them laying good at around 30-32 weeks of age. I think some breeds lay earlier than others is all. We're having a mild winter so far here in mid-Michigan and we increase their light an extra 4 hours and it's working.
Some of mine started laying,I have orpintons and they start laying later thatn some breeds.My silkies are laying up a storm,last year they stopped in the winter.I have 14 new babies and 16 adults.