The Poultry Keeper

mark emery · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Cheshire

Hi we are first time chicken owners and have had a bad start. We got three chickens, we lost one within 24hrs, she didn't seem right from when it arrived at it's new home. After having the other two for about 10 days we lost another chicken, which my daughter was really upset about. The company who supplied them and our run have been brilliant, and want put things right and paid for a post mortem!
This showed signs of 'blackhead'. Does anyone know anything about this condition? Is it infectious will our other chuck be affected, could it be a carrier. Are we ok to introduce a new chicken.
I have nicknamed our one remaining chuck 'robo chuck' as she is so robust and plucky (she frightens the cats!), will we be ok introducing another young chicken. How should we do this.
Last query, she is about 24 wks old now, but not laid any eggs. We had one tiny not normal egg earlier this week. Will she lay without other chickens, is this ok?
Yours hopefully, we have had a bad start to keeping chickens but really enjoy our remaining robo chuck!

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Hello and welcome to the forum. I'm really sorry you've had such a bad start to your chicken keeping. I hope your supplier has offered to replace at least the one girl that keeled over within 24 hours?
I had always thought that Blackhead was a turkey illness that could be passed to the chickens and they may not be ill but would carry it and that was why its recommend you don't have both in the same area.

However, I've just googled and found thisit sounds a little scientific to me, but seems to advise that you don't replace your 2 girls just yet as there is an incubation period of 11/21 days.

If I were you I would put apple cider vinegar at 2% ~ 20 mls to 1 litre of water in a non-galvanised drinker in your remaining girl's water, just to boost her immune system a little. You can give this to the chickens 7 days per month on a regular basis.

The soft egg could have been because your chickens were just coming into lay. It can happen but usually sorts itself out in a short time. Does she have access to grit/oyster shell ~ these are good for calcium which is needed for strong shells. Your remaining girl should come into lay or continue laying without the others. It's not ideal to just have the one chicken as they can sometimes get a bit stressed being on their own.

I think if it were me before getting any more chickens I would thoroughly discinfect the house and nest boxes. I don't know if it's needed, but it would make me feel I'd done all I could.

Hopefully your remaining girl will continue to grow and give you lots of eggs

mark emery · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Cheshire

many thanks for responding and for the advice.
The supplier has offered to replace both chicks and do anything to sort out, so have been excellent.
We do not intend to get the new one until after we have been onholiday, so won't be for another three weeks, so should be ok for incubation period.
We disinfected everything the day we lost the chick, we stuff from the vet.

Re egg laying that is comforting, at least we know we are on the right track! Maybe we should try radio 2, there has been quite a bit on a chicken farmer this week whose egg production has gone up since chicks tune in!
We will take your advice. thanks for the help.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

Your welcome, have a nice holiday

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3427 Location: Monmouthshire

Blackhead is rare in fowl but is caused by a parasite carried by the heterakis worm. If the fowl are wormed, the heterakis vector is removed.

(This is paraphrased from Diseases of Freerange Poultry by Victoria Roberts MRCVS)

It would be worth getting some Flubenvet to worm the remaining hen and ask the supplier to worm the new birds before you have them.

mark emery · Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Cheshire

Thank you for the advice, will take this on board and get worming sorted for our one remaining bird and new one.
It is reassuring to know that it is rare and we have been unfortunate.
Thanks for responding.

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

You're welcome

CP · Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:18 pm Post subject:

Such an unlucky start - hope you have better luck with your new additions. Wink