The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Kitchen Cottage on February 13, 2014, 07:54:07 am
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My Tenant bought 3 birds just before Christmas and I bought her a new coop as a Christmas present. They were fine yesterday EXCEPT I did notice there were some yellow foamy droppings around (rather like beaten/foamed egg yolk. This morning Rose (her Magpie?) is almost dead, unconscious and barely breathing. She couldn't bear to pull her neck so has put her indoors. I had gone to work and had this recounted with a shocked phone call.
From her description (she is a nurse) I expect Rose to be dead tonight but she was eating and fine last night.
My other tenant had 2 of my chickens in about October and, again, they were found dead overnight. (a bit confusing but I have a granny annexe and small bungalow on my smallholding I rent out, so two sets of tenants, 2 different coops, two different parts of the property)
That's 3 rapid unexplained deaths in birds but my flock are all fine.
What could knock a healthy bird over overnight without prior symptoms?
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poison?
Anything about that they might be getting at?
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As Clansman says -only poison could do this. Yellow foamy poos are normal in themselves resulting from excitement. I have noticed they become more frequent with a worm burden but that wouldn't account for sudden death.
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I remember your other post and it was equally puzzling then but I think poison was the only solution then, wasn't it? Were they free ranging yesterday?
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I have just posted about Rose too Kitchen Cottage. Absolutely gutted. Really want to know what took her so quickly
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I remember your other post and it was equally puzzling then but I think poison was the only solution then, wasn't it? Were they free ranging yesterday?
Yes they were free ranging yesterday HesterF (I am the tenant in question!) I am so sad for Rose. She was the feisty one (not the magpie though..that's Myrtle)...and my other 2 were absolutely fine this morning. Can't understand it :(
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It's got to be poison. I've got no rat poison out at the moment. The Hens all hang around the yard and the front and side garden..... We'll have to have a look....
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So sorry to hear about Rosie :bouquet:
Even worse when you don't know why/what exactly has happend, which must make you worried about the remaining chooks. Hope you can get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later - poisoning is horrible, if that's what it is...
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I am convinced it is poison. Could it be food poisoning? I sometimes put rotten food in the ditch to rot down. I haven't for weeks though....
Rose's departure has been duly marked by my tenant on Facebook as I knew it would, together with the outpouring of grief from her connections at Rose's passing..... Facebook really turns adults into children....