Whole pen of chickens acting lethargic. Please help!!!

MissLavender

Songster
5 Years
Sep 21, 2018
311
502
206
Clarkdale, Arizona
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Most of the chickens in this pen are Hmongs, with a few Easter Eggers. They are mixes ages. Two roosters, 6 adult hens and a dozen chicks of varying ages between 8 weeks and 4 months old that were raised by the hens. Some of the hens feel thinner than usual.

2) What is the behavior, exactly.
They are lethargic, falling asleep while standing. Their combs are starting to collapse. The adults seem to be affected more than the chicks.

3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? This all started about a week ago.

4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? All of the adult birds and a few of the chicks.

5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. No

6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
My irrigation sprung a leak and flooded the chicken run about two weeks ago. I shoveled out what I could of the mucky mess and put lime powder, sand and topsoil in the run to help dry it out. One 5 month old pullet from that pen developed bubbles in her eye last week, then a couple of chicks had facial swelling and watery, bubbly eyes a couple days later. I immediately separated all birds showing symptoms and gave each bird with symptoms VetRx and a drop of oregano oil in their beaks twice a day for 2 days while I waited for the antibiotics to come in the mail. The bubbles and swelling had been gone for a full day before I started them on antibiotics. It seemed like MG to me, so I treated the whole flock even though the symptoms had been gone for 24 hours plus by the time the antibiotics arrived. I started everyone on tiamulin in their water as soon as it came in the mail at the dose for treatment. Today is day 5 on antibiotics, and as of yesterday all of the adults and some of the younger birds are acting lethargic. It IS very dusty in there from the new bedding, so I wonder if that is a big part of the problem, since the chicks that are in isolation (the ones that had facial swelling and bubbly eyes) in a different enclosure with just pine bedding aren't lethargic AT ALL even though they'reon antibiotics too.

7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Nutrena all flock since all birds are over 8 weeks old mixed with oregano oil, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon (to help with upper respiratory support), free choice oyster shell, antibiotics in their water.

8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Some have normal poops, others have watery poops. I assumed at first that the runny poops and lethargy were from the antibiotics but now I'm not sure.

9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? Tiamulin in water, oregano oil, VetRx, turmeric, black pepper and cinnamon in their food.

10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I am treating myself, as I cannot afford a vet.

11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
I'll take some and post in comments.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pine shavings in coop and a thin sprinkling of lime powder, a 3 inch thick layer of sand and a 2 inch layer of topsoil. I think it is too dusty. Any suggestions would be welcome. I do NOT want to lose my birds. 😭
 
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So this is what I'm talking about...they're just...droopy.
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Yikes!

If a majority of your flock is affected, then that narrows it down a little bit. Either its an environmental factor (is it super hot?), diet (check food for mold) or something easy to contract (worms, coccidiosis etc).

Are they eating/drinking? Stumbling or sleeping a lot?
 
Yikes!

If a majority of your flock is affected, then that narrows it down a little bit. Either its an environmental factor (is it super hot?), diet (check food for mold) or something easy to contract (worms, coccidiosis etc).

Are they eating/drinking? Stumbling or sleeping a lot?
They are eating and drinking, and ARE kinda stumbly and yes, sleeping a lot. The chicks I removed from that pen 5 days ago are not affected. They have all been on antibiotics for 5 days now. It has been hot, but the heat doesn't usually phase these guys much. They aren't panting like they usually would.
After the ground was wet for several days I had them on Corid as a preventative measure and I'm not seeing odd stools from the lethargic birds at all.
 
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How soon did this start after you put new soil/sand in the run? It seems that was the big change which is very suspicious.

Where did you get the top soil and sand and lime? Did you layer them or mix them or what? I assume you used garden lime?
 
How soon did this start after you put new soil/sand in the run? It seems that was the big change which is very suspicious.

Where did you get the top soil and sand and lime? Did you layer them or mix them or what? I assume you used garden lime?
I did use garden lime. That was the first layer. Second was play sand and third was organic topsoil.
 
I did use garden lime. That was the first layer. Second was play sand and third was organic topsoil.

If possible pull a couple of more birds out of that run for 2-3 days and see if they improve. If they do and the birds in the run do NOT improve then you can assume it may be the run environment.
 

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