Diarrhea, Lethargy, Sudden Death?

[sierra123]

Hi,

I have 11 golden comets (4 years old) and know that they're on borrowed time now. I just have a hunch something contagious and possibly preventable/treatable is going on. They are really healthy birds and were doing fine up until the last few weeks.

Things I've noticed and deemed normal due to age:
-Decreased egg production
-Thinner shells
-Someone has been laying an egg with calcium deposits daily (see pics attached). I know this breed is prone to issues at this age so it didn't raise too many alarms.
-Feather loss only around butt and the oil gland on back (multiple have this pattern, we don't have a rooster)

They have plenty of grit/oyster shells, eat a layer feed, & were
wormed and treated with corrid in Nov 2023 (after a float test and the appropriate meds for that type of worm).

I've chalked most of this up to old age but they're now getting the SAME symptoms one-by-one in the matter of days and I want to save them if I can.

I had one die recently after slowing down over 3 days. I brought her to the vet, X ray showed calcium/inflammation around reproductive tract. Lungs and respiratory system looked good, GI tract normal, no mites/lice despite feather loss. I was given Bactrim to give her but she died that day. Vet said unlikely to be avian flu and probably nothing contagious based on the X-Ray. She thought maybe an egg had dropped outside the tract and become infected. There was no clear egg formed on the X-Ray. She said the grayness in the X-Ray could also be an inflamed liver, as it was in the same area and hard to tell. So liver problems weren't ruled out. I thought the egg thing sounded most likely since she'd been straining that area in her last few days. I initially thought she was egg bound but took her to the vet when she didn't respond to epsom soaks.

The next day, another hen started with the same thing. Stopped eating, diarrhea, straining/pushing but no egg. I figured I had these meds, symptoms look the same, they're all the same breed/lifestyle/age so maybe she's having the same issue? I started giving her the antibiotics 2 days ago knowing shes old and may go anyways, so this is a last ditch. She hasn't improved.

A third hen started with the same symptoms today. She has had diarrhea for about a week. But now she's losing her appetite, etc.

I sent a fecal test to the lab today and should hear back in 48 hours. I started corrid two days ago since there's no egg withdrawal and I figured just incase, with the diarrhea.

What is weird is there's clearly this inflammation going on near the lower half but we dont know what the cause is. It almost looks like the inflammation is spreading from the inside of that area and outwards to the skin hence the feather loss. And if vet's diagnosis is correct, why are they all getting sick at the same time if this was a one-off egg rupture situation? What am I missing?

Thank you!!

 

[Lillith37]

High production layers will usually have a level of persistent inflammation in their reproductive tracts.

What protein % is their feed? Is there any bullying going on?

Some mites live in the coop structure and come out late at night to feed. Are your hens losing feathers or are they broken off? Any red skin? Go out with a flashlight as late as you possibly can and check each hen around their bellies and vents. Check under the roosts as well, around any cracks or crevasses.

 

[triciayoung]

I love my golden comets so much. I never knew I would enjoy them as much as I do. Please read this: https://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/lymphoid-leukosis

 

[Lillith37]

I love my golden comets so much. I never knew I would enjoy them as much as I do. Please read this: https://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/lymphoid-leukosis

I had an avian lymphoid leukosis scare recently. It can only be confirmed upon autopsy and is similar to Mareks.

 

[sierra123]

High production layers will usually have a level of persistent inflammation in their reproductive tracts.

What protein % is their feed? Is there any bullying going on?

Some mites live in the coop structure and come out late at night to feed. Are your hens losing feathers or are they broken off? Any red skin? Go out with a flashlight as late as you possibly can and check each hen around their bellies and vents. Check under the roosts as well, around any cracks or crevasses.

Thanks so much for this info and your reply. They eat a 16% layer feed. There's definitely some bullying and feather-eating so I do have a smaller feeder of grower feed (18%-20% protein) available when I notice this kind of feather loss or during molts. I don't give them much grower feed and it's not always an option, just a smaller amount set out in addition to their regular feed when they may need additional protein. It's genuine feather loss vs bullying. No redness and some breakage but mostly just... feather loss and bald spots. All in the same area on their backs and accompanied by diarrhea/very poopy butts.

Any idea if what I'm describing could be related to the egg pictured?

 

[sierra123]

I love my golden comets so much. I never knew I would enjoy them as much as I do. Please read this: https://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/lymphoid-leukosis

I love them so much too. Thanks for sharing. That's very good info to have on hand. This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, but also unfortunate that it seems on point. I wasn't familiar with this but felt like there MUST be a sort of poultry virus that can cause these clinical symptoms vs respiratory ones. I hope this isn't what it is but we'll see how she responds in the next couple days to the antibiotics.

I love the herbal treatments listed there and I'll def look into adding them to the regimen

 

[Lillith37]

Definitely check for mites.

Also check all their crops at night to make sure everyone has eaten and then check again first thing in the morning to make sure they are empty.

Cut out treats for the time being and let them eat their regular feed. I would personally give them the grower over the layer right now or mix both together so that all feeders have the same food.

What size space do they have? Make sure there are enough feeding and watering stations for everyone to eat without getting hassled. Also make sure there are plenty of enrichment objects so they can get away when chased and no one is getting backed into any corners.

You can bathe or trim messy bottom feathers.

There is no treatment or cure for lymphoid leukosis and can only be diagnosed at necropsy so if you lose any you may consider sending the body in to see if that’s the case.

 

[sierra123]

Definitely check for mites.

Also check all their crops at night to make sure everyone has eaten and then check again first thing in the morning to make sure they are empty.

Cut out treats for the time being and let them eat their regular feed. I would personally give them the grower over the layer right now or mix both together so that all feeders have the same food.

What size space do they have? Make sure there are enough feeding and watering stations for everyone to eat without getting hassled. Also make sure there are plenty of enrichment objects so they can get away when chased and no one is getting backed into any corners.

You can bathe or trim messy bottom feathers.

There is no treatment or cure for lymphoid leukosis and can only be diagnosed at necropsy so if you lose any you may consider sending the body in to see if that’s the case.

Thank you so much. I will check tomorrow for mites. I see everyone eating throughout the day except for the two in question, but I'll try a crop check before food comes out in the morning to make sure I'm not missing anything and crops are emptying.

After reading up on it more, LL seems highly likely. Unfortunately. The vet initially thought it was a neurological thing but said Mareks was unlikely due to age, and then the Xray showed all the weirdness in the liver. Still hoping the antibiotics do something in the chance it's bacterial and not LL. I do think she looked a little better this evening and its been about 48 hours since her first dose. I agree the necropsy would be appropriate now that 3 have gotten symptoms within a week. I feel so bad.

They have a very large run but admittedly not enough enrichment. Keeping everything clean is hard enough I never have the chance to build out the things I want to for them. This is a wake up call to make it a priority. They used to free range but we're in such a high predator area. Just one of those things that always gets away.

Many thanks from my girls to you for your help, this is a big part of keeping the rest safe. Thank you!

 

[Lillith37]

I wonder if the ill ones are succumbing to LL and then the others are sensing the weakness and that’s where the bullying and feather plucking are coming into play.

Keep a closed flock for now — no newbies coming in and none of yours going out — until you can confirm the diagnosis. It’s not always a death sentence and LL carrying chickens can still live well.

 

[sierra123]

I wonder if the ill ones are succumbing to LL and then the others are sensing the weakness and that’s where the bullying and feather plucking are coming into play.

Keep a closed flock for now — no newbies coming in and none of yours going out — until you can confirm the diagnosis. It’s not always a death sentence and LL carrying chickens can still live well.

Thanks so much. Bullying and feather-plucking are definitely coming into play with the weak ones. I did check last night and there's lice or mites, can't tell which. They were REALLY tiny, little beige creatures on the skin. I could see them with with a flashlight where the feather patches were missing. I've been struggling with a rat/mouse problem so I'm worried this is where they've come from.

I also think this explains the diarrhea and vent issues we've been having. I got a 10ml bottle of Elector PSP (this stuff is expensive but the hype about it seems worth it).

Looking forward to treating each bird & coop and still pending results from the fecal test. Other sick girls have started eating but I'm still tube feeding one 2x/day, and she's hanging in there but isn't showing an appetite on her own yet. I'm hopeful with mite/lice treatment and potentially worming if that's an issue, she can start to bounce back since antibiotics clearly weren't the right treatment. Now we're on the right track.

Thank you so much for pointing this out. I specifically asked the vet when we were in there and she said no to mites or lice this forum is so much more helpful honestly.