Whole flock is going downhill

[TurkenMomma]

A couple of weeks ago, I traded my roosters for two hens from a large chicken breeder. It appears that our two nearly acquired hens have brought something with them, which has started affecting my whole flock, even though I quarantined them both. The first hen, Ellie Mae, died after a couple of days, while being quarantined. Then, the other, Gertrude, started showing symptoms and has quit laying. And now the depressing news:
Gertrude: sick- gasping, rattly
Annaballs: sick- gasping, rattly
Francis: sick- barking cough, gasping, rattly
Houdini: sick- near death, gasping, rattly
Opal: broody, not laying
Nutmeg: eye injury, not laying
Maude: appears ok
Norah: appears ok
Henrietta: appears ok
My big girls won't hardly come out of their coop. Overall, they are all pretty lethargic. I'm terrified that my whole flock will have to be culled. I've disinfected, I've kept them quarantined, I'm doing what I can but I honestly have no idea what to do from this point on. I'm running out of places to put the sick ones individually. And my one-eyed chicken- I have no idea what happened as my flock is really sweet to each other. I'm flushing it (there's no gunk or swelling) but she's not opening it.

I don't know if I should quarantine the healthy ones? Are any of them healthy? Treat for gape worm? Any ideas?

I've got them some electrolytes and treating with VetRX, cleaning out bedding daily. It's been really rainy here and now muggy.

I am one hot-chicken-momma mess! This is also the first time I have had to deal with sickness. And it all started with those two traded hens. I tried hard to not even share air space and to change clothes, etc, when going back and forth.... I don't know what's going wrong...

 

[RodNTN]

Sounds like a respiratory illness My hen had a respiratory illness and she died a few months ago. You should probably Private message Eggcessive. Your chicken Opal is just broody. They stop laying when their broody. The two new hens you got probably brought something in that didn't show symptoms. I'm soo sorry about all this.

 

[FridayYet]

If you are running out of space, quarantine some of the sick ones together. They probably have the same illness and it might make them feel better to be together.

So sorry you are going through this.

 

[Birdydeb]

Ugh....hate this for you since you put in such a good effort to quarantine. I made arrangements to do the same exact thing: trade two roosters for two hens but have been dragging my feet. I am a newbie but agree with above posters, put all sick chickens together and keep symptom less chickens to themselves. I would do everything possible to boost their immune systems by adding probiotic also. PM an experienced member. What is the weather where you are? Here, the infernal rain just won't stop and that is one reason why I haven't made the trade yet. I just don't see the weather being a healthy situation for anyone's flock and am trying to wait it out. My chickens have gotten soaked a couple times and hers have been flooded. Of course if the opposite is true where you are and you are totally dry, aspergillosis and other things can come into play. Just throwing that out as something to think about because it does seem from your post that the two new hens brought something with them. Hoping you can get a handle on this...good luck!

 

[casportpony]

Does sound like a respiratory disease, which you could try treating with antibiotic, but choosing an antibiotic without the guidance of a vet can be tricky and expensive because many bacteria are resistant to the medications available at feed stores. If they were mine I would treat with Baytril, but Baytril is banned for use in poultry, so that is something to read up on.

Can you take one to a vet?

-Kathy

 

[TurkenMomma]

Does sound like a respiratory disease, which you could try treating with antibiotic, but choosing an antibiotic without the guidance of a vet can be tricky and expensive because many bacteria are resistant to the medications available at feed stores. If they were mine I would treat with Baytril, but Baytril is banned for use in poultry, so that is something to read up on.

Can you take one to a vet?

-Kathy

I've spent the last hour calling all kinds of vets in our area and within an hour radius and no one will treat chickens... Which is odd and frustrating because I live in a pretty rural area. For now, I've got my sick ones together and my healthier seeming ones in another coop. The sun is out today so I've got everything opened up but for two of them, it doesn't look good.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Here are two links:

• http://www.aav.org/search/custom.asp?id=1803
• http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/vetfinder.htm

-Kathy

 

[TurkenMomma]

I captured these this afternoon. Any thoughts?

 

[TurkenMomma]

 

[TurkenMomma]