I feel awful, We are culling...

[lupinfarm]

Our red hens, our first chickens who turned 1 on July 15th. Over the last 6 or so months their health has no been great IMO. They have lost feather condition, and although some are going through a molt it does not explain the others. They have been dusted, the coop scoured, feed changed but nothing is changing in them and since we had one die of what I think was internal laying we have decided after worming them today that if we don't see any improvement in their overall health in anyway this week, they will be culled. They didn't lay well at all over the summer, and they don't seem that happy. The EE's mind you, are doing fine. I have checked for mites, lice, everything and nothing is coming back. No one is feather picking and yet half them are bald on their heads. I think, really, its partly to blame from being from a large hatchery and I won't be buying hatchery/co-op birds again. My EE's lay really well, and are healthy as can be but with winter approaching I can't be pouring feed into birds who aren't healthy and aren't producing even a little (I know, no light/no eggs but this started well before and Its' not getting any better for them or me). It upsets me, but we will start new with a different breed (keeping the 5 EE's). All our animals are here for a reason, and unforunately when they cease to be useful (with the exception of the dogs and horses) they have to either be rehomed or be culled humanely.

Am I an awful chicken momma for having to do this? I feel awful

How you think I should cull them? We have a killing cone and chicken killing knife for the meat birds. They've been wormed so I don't/can't keep the meat but I could bury them could I not?

 

[mully]

Have you checked for mites.... just a thought but this might be the problem. You could dust them with DE and if you can not find that Sevin would work and so would pyrethrins I see you said you checked for mites but some need a microscope to see and it could be a scabies mite and you won't see it.

 

[lupinfarm]

We can't get sevin here but they have been dusted multiple times with both DE and Dri-kill as well as their coop. We have changed bedding types from shavings (which we had a case of mites in them with our puppies once) to pellets, no difference. They are free ranged and get all the food they can eat. They get BOSS every now and then and have oyster shells/grit.

It's just them though, not the EE's who surely would have caught whatever it is they have in the 2 months they've been cohabiting.

We have already lost 2 hens, 1 to internal laying the other just dropped dead one day for whatever reason, she wasn't laying or anything. I just don't think they're healthy and I'm at a loss. With winter coming, I can't afford to be feeding 14 hens who may or may not be sick, who aren't laying regularly even in the summer, and who could infect the healthy hens. By the way, somehow nearly all the big hens ended up with bumblefoot, and I don't have the facilities to deal with 14 cases of it right now, especially not with freezing weather coming.

I'm at a loss, I've been trying to figure this out since May and have gone through numerous treatments with nothing working.

 

[mully]

Sorry you have to face this but I know you will do what is best. Some diseases are difficult to diagnose and treat... especially birds. May be for the best if you cull and disinfect and start over in the spring.
God Bless !!

 

[lupinfarm]

Okay I think we're going to cull 9 of the sickest looking red hens and keep the best 5.

 

[fadetopurple]

I'm not sure what you mean by "red" hens, but I had a hatchery "RIR" (way too light-colored to be an actual RIR) that just never looked right. I only have a handful of chickens at a time and I have never really had the heart to cull/euth unless the animal is actively suffering, so I watched her lifespan from beginning to end. She stopped laying after a year or so and looked raggedy till the day she died at about 3. The rest of my hens have always been glossy, happy layers. I have no idea what was wrong with her, but she received the exact same care as my other chickens and never did well. This summer I went to pick out some some full grown hens from a person who had about 50 of them, and it was the same story. The majority of their chickens looked fine, but the "RIRs" were all ragged and sad looking. Every single one of them. I would not buy another RIR unless it was from a private breeder.

Sorry for the rambling. Long story short, I think you are doing the right thing.

 

[FarmerChick]

Culling is you being nature in a controlled flock.

You are doing the right thing definitely.

 

[ksalvagno]

This is the unfortunate part about owning animals. Sometimes we have to make the hard decisions. Just because it is the right decision, doesn't necessarily mean you feel better about making that decision. We just have to do what is right and put our feelings aside. You are doing the right thing.

 

[nightshade]

I hate that part too. Hubby says we have to cut down to just who I refuse to part with and then I can have new girls in the spring if I want. After losing my ducks last week in the attack I counted 12 birds ( hens, roosters, gobbler and my last duck) that I want to keep over winter. He says that sounds okay. But damn it is hard to choose some times.

 

[lupinfarm]

Well, mum has decided to give them a last chance. I wormed with Ivermectin cattle drench last night, all of them, and this morning when I checked on them before heading to the hospital, none were shaking their heads anymore. I'll also be giving them a round of Tetracycline to see if antibiotics might help at all, and they will get wormed a couple more times. I'll update you on what happens, but for now I must be off to write a stupid letter to a university because based on my age alone (the only criteria of a mature student that applies to me) I am considered a mature student.