Chicken illness

[peahenry]

We are seeing chickens with oozing right eyes and some wet bills from nasal mucous.
The birds are losing weight and dying at the rate of one or more daily.
They have been treated with antibiotics tetracycline and a dewormer.
Any clues as to what this may be? We are checking on costs for autopsy but it could be prohibitively expensive.
We are in SW Wisconsin - not too far from Plattville.

 

[hennible]

Sorry to hear that, sounds like a nasty respiratory disease. Best wishes.

 

[Folly's place]

"Expensive" is relative; loosing all you birds to a miserable disease isn't good, and risking any future birds to the same disease because there's no diagnosis, is worse, IMO. Check with your state veterinary school / path lab, and find out what's really wrong. So sorry! Mary

 

[peahenry]

I know... We lost some rare birds already. Damage is done.
Learning experience for me, but farm owner has experience and is puzzled too.
Could be so many different diseases.
Another expense could be a problem at this time, but we will check out your recommendations.
Any other ideas... Keep 'em coming!!!

 

[aart]

IMO necropsy is imperative to determine what you are dealing with.

'We'?....'farm owner'?
What kind/size of operation/facility is this?
How many birds...any new ones brought in before deaths started?

 

[peahenry]

I am assisting the farm owner.
There are about 50 chickens, 4 ducks, one goose and 5 or 6 turkeys. Plus 10 Guinea hens.

Chickens are the concern for now. There are some rare ones that we lost and some that are surviving so far but we still lose one or two a day.

In late September, we went to two farm swaps and got some really nice adult birds there. One trio and one pair have been in their own pens. The pair have given us about 6 or 7 eggs. Chicks are fine. These birds are away from the coop. Coop birds are out during the day foraging and come around the two pens. They are not allowed to go in the pens and the roosters keep them away.

We have deep straw bedding but it is in need of a full clean out and/or turning.

We also are in the process of creating a much bigger coop for the winter that will be great in the summer. The birds can freely forage anywhere on this 25 acre farm but stay pretty close. There is lots of grass and weeds. During the summer, there are tons of bugs for them.

Now there is a possibility that a "germ" came in from the swap birds. BUT the source of them has not had problems so we are puzzled as they are. They are experienced poultry people so we can't figure out what is going on.

I think the flock is dying off to the coop size. They have plenty of food and I provide water daily.

Almost all the dead birds were very thin. No breast meat at all. What should have weighed at least a couple of pounds were maybe 3/4 pound.

Thanks for your interest. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Folly's place]

Get some birds necropsied! Also, have fecal checks done. Again, so sorry. Mary