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    Hello All,
    This is my first post, I've just registered. We've also had a problem with our chickens just dying on us. This week 2 have gone within days of each other. Gertie was well into a moult but overall in good health. Hubby found her in the coop on Tuesday. Then on Thursday I went to let them out early morning and Henrietta was dead on the nest, having laid her last but soft shelled egg.

    Last year we lost 2 chickens within months of each other. Henrietta Mk1 went down hill fast and died within a few days. Then a few months later, Scroby appeared to have just fallen of her perch..dead!


    Our girls are free range.. allowed to roam the garden from morning to late afternoon or until they take themselves to bed. They have layers mash, plenty of water, occasional treats of corn, mashed potato,greens etc. Regular worming. They seem happy and content then bam!

    The odd thing is, our nephew acquired 6 girls at about the same time as we got our first ones (April 2012). We had a Speckledy, Black Nera, Goldline and a Coral, all from a reputable breeder. Our nephew had his 6 Goldline from a breeder but whereas ours looked perfect, some of his had crossed beaks and strange malformed claws. Ours are very much free range, his are mostly confined to their very adequate living quarters and only allowed to roam free occasionally. His are still going strong although prone to egg eating while ours keep dying. Any thoughts, please.

  • #2
    Sorry to hear about your chickens. I've kept chickens for 17 years, and some have lived for seven or eight years, while others don't last a single year. Like you, I allow my chickens to free range. I have also lost two this year, one about 5 and one 3 years old. All I can say is, it happens! Chickens that free-range do get exposed to diseases carried by wild birds, but I don't know if that really makes a difference. I wouldn't want to shut my chickens up during the day, though.

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    • #3
      Welcome,

      I suppose you can rule out any poisonous substances, mouse or rat bait, slug pellets etc? Were they sneezing or producing any discharges? Do any other chickens look iffy?
      There are a lot of diseases but you would need a post mortem to pinpoint them, have they been vaccinated? As landgirl said sometimes they just die, but two in such a short time is worrying.
      photo album of my garden in my profile http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...my+garden.html

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      • #4
        Were they sneezing or snuffling at all? Autumn weather plus moulting is usually quite a stressful time for birds and this can expose dormant illnesses. Had they been losing weight? Birds hide illness very well for a long time and it is only the experienced eye that can pick it out. Sometimes birds appear to die suddenly when in fact they have been ill for a while and the owner has not noticed.

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