For what reasons do domestic chickens die and what to do about it?

Raising chickens comes with some challenges. The owners expect an increase in numbers and a constant replenishment of nests with eggs, but expectations are not always met. When keeping chickens, infections of all laying hens and diseases of some individuals are possible. If the number of chickens is declining, then it is important to quickly understand why laying hens are beginning to die. After determining the cause, they plan how to help them, what to do to avoid a similar situation.

Main reasons

When a laying hen has died, they analyze the current situation and find out the reason that became the basis for the outcome. The loss of one chicken can be either one-time or regular.

There are the main reasons why the number of chickens in the chicken coop is decreasing:

• lack of vitamins, minerals, poor nutrition;
• insufficient care, characterized by freezing or overheating of the bird;
• poor living conditions (insufficiently reinforced chicken coop);
• rodent attacks;
• infection with various diseases.

Poor nutrition

Poor diet is one of the most common care mistakes. For growth and development, chickens need a supply of vitamins. The cause of death can be poor-quality, dirty food, lack of drinking in sufficient quantities, as well as irregular feeding.

Experienced poultry farmers purchase feed from trusted buyers, control the quality and plan the diet in advance.

Chickens need a balanced diet with sufficient minerals and organic matter.

Unsuitable conditions of detention

The chicken coop is equipped with light, conducts heat, and takes into account the ventilation system. To heat the chicken coop, special heating devices are used, and stationary lamps are distributed for lighting. If the chicken coop is not insulated enough, then in winter the chickens may freeze, weaken, and then die.

A poorly constructed shed can be damp in the summer. The growth of mold in corners often increases the risk of developing diseases. Chickens become lethargic, weak, and lose their appetite.

Diseases

The main reason for the death of chickens is infection with infectious diseases.Infections are spread by rats, mice, and insects. Laying hens are susceptible to certain pathologies that develop in the presence of risk factors. The danger of infection is that after the death of one chicken, the death of the next may follow.

If chickens die en masse

Mass mortality of chickens begins after the appearance of one infected individual and its subsequent death. At this stage, owners try to quickly find out what disease caused the death of the individual in order to take preventative and therapeutic measures.

Pasteurellosis

The infection, called avian cholera, is caused by bacilli. The risk group is young individuals with undeveloped immunity. The cause of cholera development is often temperature fluctuations and high humidity.

Infection occurs in one of the following ways:

• through drinking, eating;
• after contact with a sick bird;
• after an insect bite.

Sick birds are destroyed, healthy birds are given antibiotics for a general course of at least 14 days.

Newcastle disease

A viral disease that is characterized by concomitant pneumonia and damage to internal organs. The virus is especially active in autumn and summer, it is transmitted from a sick individual, spreads through the clothing of the person caring for chickens, through food and drink. Symptoms:

• temperature rise to + 43 degrees;
• lethargy, decreased activity;
• the appearance of conjunctivitis;
• diarrhea;
• the appearance of tremor, developing into paralysis.

Only strong individuals with well-developed immunity survive. According to statistics, 90% of sick chickens die. Newcastle disease develops rapidly, reaching its peak in 3-5 days.

Coccidiosis

Without appropriate measures, this disease can completely destroy all chickens in 7 days. This is a parasitic disease that affects the intestines.Provocateurs for the appearance of the parasite can be violation of care rules, feeding with low-quality contaminated feed. Severe forms of the disease cannot be treated.

First, sick chickens are separated from healthy ones, then therapy is carried out. If you start treatment in a timely manner, the likelihood of recovery increases.

Ascariasis

The causative agent of the disease is a parasite that affects the intestines. Within a few days, chicken mortality increases 3 times. Worms are the most common type of pathogen.

After infection, the first symptoms appear only on the 7-8th day. When chickens are affected, a characteristic sign of ascariasis is stunted growth. Treatment begins with the resettlement of the sick, disinfection, and administration of antibiotics and probiotics.

If the birds die one by one

There are diseases that chickens that are at risk are susceptible to. Young birds under 3 months of age are considered at risk. The death of chickens one by one can reduce the number and lead to the development of other diseases.

Information! Sick birds are immediately removed from the common chicken coop.

Abdominal dropsy

Some birds begin to experience difficulties with the development of internal organs. An enlarged abdominal cavity indicates the development of dropsy. This means that the abdominal cavity is filled with fluid due to problems with the kidneys or liver. The situation is corrected by inserting a sterile needle and then pumping out the fluid.

Bronchopneumonia

After hypothermia, the chickens one by one develop bronchopneumonia. The disease is diagnosed by wheezing, breathing problems, and the inability to consume food. The disease leads to the death of the bird only if therapeutic measures are not taken. You can relieve a chicken of its symptoms with a course of antibiotics.

Salpingitis

Laying hens are susceptible to inflammation of the oviduct. The reasons are various factors:

• violation of conditions of detention;
• avitaminosis;
• past infections.

If the oviduct falls out of the cloaca, the chicken cannot be saved. But, if treatment is started early, the hen will recover after a course of antibiotics and the use of local medications.

Information! One of the signs of salpingitis is obesity in laying hens.

For what reason can chickens die?

Newborn chicks are sensitive to changes in temperature, react to changes in lighting and need fortified supplements. If they die 1-5 days after hatching, the reason may be non-compliance with the temperature regime.

In addition, there are other causes of death that can be corrected in advance:

• too sudden change in air temperature, as well as increased air temperature;
• indigestion due to dietary errors;
• atrophy of the stomach muscles due to a lack of solid components in food;
• lack of vitamins;
• pathology of internal organs;
• poisoning;
• contagious diseases transmitted from sick birds if chickens are kept together with adults.

Poultry farmers identify the most dangerous periods during which chickens may die:

• from 1 to 5 days of existence;
• from 20 to 25 days;
• from 35 to 40 days.

How to Diagnose the Problem

The cause of death of several chickens or one bird can be determined by characteristic signs. Despite the fact that each disease has distinctive features, the general symptoms are expressed in the same way:

• refusal to eat, lack of appetite;
• refusal to drink or excessive drinking, greedy;
• lethargy, lameness, enlargement of some parts of the body;
• loss of coordination of movements, tremors of some parts of the body.

Some diseases provoke an increase in body temperature, a change in the shade of the integument, and the condition of the comb: its blueness or whiteness.

To determine the cause, chicken droppings are taken and taken for diagnosis to laboratory technicians from a veterinary clinic. If a bird dies for no apparent reason, it is sent for autopsy to prevent disease in the entire flock.

Treatment and prevention of death

Therapeutic measures begin after determining the cause. Many diseases require a course of antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs. They are added to drinks, mixed with food:

• antibiotics (Tetracycline, Biomycin, Levomycin);
• antiparasitic agents (Levomizol, Mustang insecto).

Many owners carry out therapy using folk remedies. A weak solution of manganese is added to drinking water. Bunches of tansy and chamomile are hung around the perimeter of the chicken coop.

Vaccination helps minimize the risk of developing certain diseases. Vaccination is carried out by invited veterinarians. Add liquid solutions to food or drink yourself.

Disinfection of the chicken coop is considered a mandatory condition for caring for infected birds. They change the bedding, clean the feeders, and destroy the nests of infected laying hens.

Preventive measures are measures aimed at preventing diseases and the development of conditions that can provoke the appearance of parasites:

• monitor the cleanliness and quality of food and drink;
• use clean feeders and drinking bowls;
• natural vitamins are added to food: herbs, some berries;
• regularly clean the chicken coop and change bedding;
• When walking, they make sure that the chickens are away from chemicals and do not come into contact with domestic animals.

Chickens die for various reasons. To carry out competent treatment, the cause of the disease is determined and risk factors are eliminated.