Chicken making a smack sound

[ssutterfield]

I'm new at raising chickens and I bought 17 black austrolorps that were suppost to 5 months old, but I know they had to be different ages, some were full feathered and some smaller with chic looking fuzz. I noticed bringing them home I could here some of them making a smack sound along with the usual chicken sounds. I've had them for going on 3 weeks and I've had 3 of the smaller ones to die and now have one quarenteened because its just sleeping and you can hear it breathing with no chicken sounds, its wings are drooped and she just stands there with her eyes closed. The lady I got them from said her chickens were okay and that it might be resperitory and to put some tetracycline in there water, I have done that for 3 days now haven't noticed that sound in others as much, just every now and then, Hate to loose anymore what do I need to do? I also bought 10 brown leghorn from another person (5 months old), put them in the same pen, now I've read that, that was no no, but they seem to be fine as are the older ones the I bought earlier. The chicken I have separated acts like it is having a really hard time breathing and only opens its eves when it hears a loud sound, there is really nothing else except I'm seeing some runny poop every now and then. I'm feeding some grower/finisher and some layer crumbs.

 

[ssutterfield]

The chicken that I put in a cage by herself is much worse, she just stands there with her eyes closed, shes not eating or drinking, her poop was runny and yellow so I feel like she will not make it until morning, I gave her some tetrecycline water in an eye droper, just a few drops but later I checked and she had some liquid that had ran out of her beak. I'm not sure if the other chickens have this but if its a virus I'm not sure which ones I need to remove, I'm giving the medicated water to all of them, is it okay to do that? I really don't know what to do.

 

[mrsjohnson0807]

It make sense to me to treat all of them since they are all together. I wish I could offer more advice, but I just do not have enough experience to be of much help. It is smart to isolate the sick ones from the ones that are not showing any symptoms.

 

[ssutterfield]

Thank you, yours is the only reply I've received.

 

[ssutterfield]

My young chicken died last night and I went out to the coop this morning before I left for work and I can hear another one having a hard time breathing, sounds like fluid in the lungs, I'm wondering if they are taking pneumonia? I'm really afraid I'm going to lose all 20 of them, I guess I'll call the vet today, doesn't seem like the tetrecycline is working, anyone have any other suggestions. I've only been in the chicken business for 3 weeks, I didn't know it was so hard to raise chickens, I'm not sure if where we have them might be part of the problem or because we've has so much rain. Its not just the money that I've put into them but I really hate to see them suffer.

 

[sdsmowen]

I am so sorry your chickens are not doing well. Iam new to chickens and dont have any advise other than what i have seen reccomended if you still have the hen that passed you might have a necropsy done so you know what your dealing with.

 

[De Wet]

it good that the vet is comming it needs some antibiotica injection maybe la200

 

[mrsjohnson0807]

Here is a link that might help you in your quest to see what may be wrong. http://everything-poultry.com/guide-to-keeping-poultry/ I am with you on no being able to watch anything suffer. Maybe you can take one sick one into and avian vet and get a diagnosis for all of them.I do know chickens are susceptible to respiratory issues and there are a few diseases out there that affect it. Are you using pine or straw for bedding? I have heard that adding apple cider vinegar to their water acts like an antiseptic by killing germs in their throat that cause respiratory issues. You don't add it every day, but the ratio is 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. If you are treating with medication in the water you should probably not mix the two.

 

[ssutterfield]

I talked to a vet today, he said he wasn't an expert on chickens although his son has 200, he said he didn't think my chickens had a viral infection but instead a bacterial one, he gave a liquid that I dropped in each ones mouth and put some in there drinking water, he seemed to think that if it were a viral thing the tetracyclene should have worked, I'm not sure what the name of this stuff is and he said I might still lose some if they are too far gone. I've cleaned out there pen and added some new shavings, I bought some none scented oak shavings for part of the floor area and added some fresh dirt in another part, they seem to be happy birds scratching in the new material, I hope this works. Thanks for your help.

 

[mrsjohnson0807]

Good luck . I hope the best for you and keep us posted.