Avian Cholera?

[coop coop]

Our group has 21 hens (RIRs and 2 bantams) a year old this month. We had 22. One died last Wednesday. Apparently with some blood coming out of her vent. Today, Monday, another hen was on perch with a bloody behind.

When I saw the flock mid-day none of them were particularly down or out. I saw the eggs for the day. One was well shelled but covered in blood.

One of our crew called a couple vets this morning. One vet thought it might be Avian Cholera, and said to go find some extension service that might have some vaccine laying around. Sounds a little backwards. The other saner vet made an appointment for Wednesday.

Since winter about 5 of the hens have lost the feathers on their lower back. And, yes, some are inflamed. No broken skin, but red rather than white. We weren't sure if it was the rooster. Had 3. Let go of 2 last fall, and the last one in late winter. We're in an 'illegal' city, otherwise I'd still be enjoying the rooster's crow. But the feather loss hangs on. Low immunity? Leading to the issues of the last few days?

Avian Cholera?
Any suggestions for the symptoms described at the top? Bottom symptoms, too, but less pressing at the moment.

2 waterer cans, 1 'pool' lid changed 2x/day, pellets, a more natural feed, oyster shell, greens (more in summer than winter).

 

[coop coop]

Bloody egg y-day, and 1 died week ago with bloody vent. Any ideas? Suggestions?

From this post mentioning Avian Cholera https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...big-welts-on-her-head-mucus-bubbling-from-eye I don't think the vet's phone suggestion is near the mark. All symptoms seem to be around the head.

Would the bloody egg and bloody vent be a bacteria moving through the flock? One hen was seen with blood on her vent y-day. And then found the bloody egg.

How to treat this?

 

[coop coop]

Went to the vet appointment ($44) as planned. He examined one hen that was brought in, and said our flock is healthy. The one that died it was probably a stuck egg, not a disease. If another one dies, an autopsy would be $40. Elsewhere on these pages, someone mentioned she had spent $400 at the vet, and they wanted to do more tests. Someone else mentioned an autopsy is free in CA. Maybe it's true in other states.

The vet said the feather loss on the lower back was "social anxiety." IE: not mites or something else. He was savvy enough to say, "Some people use cortisone, and some people prefer not to use it." In other words, a medication is not necessary. Cortisone (steroids) does not treat the root of a problem. It covers up the problem's symptoms.

The bloody egg 5 days after our first one died was responded to by someone here - they've seen a number of bloody eggs over time with no further problems.

After reading here so many people losing their young chicks, it seems we are doing pretty well. At one year we lost one hen of 22. We haven't seen our first molt yet. They were too young last fall - 5 months and just barely laying.

We're starting to get 5 out at a time in a chicken tractor. Maybe that will help with the "social anxiety."