Coccidiosis? Secondary infection? Worms?

[Wyorp Rock]

It seems like you are doing everything I would do.
The only thing I would recommend is taking her off cedar bedding - it's too aromatic.

 

[TwoCrows]

It seems like you are doing everything I would do.
The only thing I would recommend is taking her off cedar bedding - it's too aromatic.

I totally agree here, if that is Eastern Cedar bedding, the aroma in closed spaces can irritate the lungs. Western Cedar however is quite mild and has little to no smell, much safer to use.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Peg came to us at about a month old, along with 9 other pullets, and almost immediately started sneezing. We don't cull our backyard flock, so instead isolated her right away to give a round of doxycycline, which we'd learned about after losing several other hens to respiratory illness months prior.

I totally agree here, if that is Eastern Cedar bedding, the aroma in closed spaces can irritate the lungs. Western Cedar however is quite mild and has little to no smell, much safer to use.

I agree the Western Cedar is a better option - but I might still be concerned since it seems these birds have a history of respiratory disease.

 

[TwoCrows]

I agree the Western Cedar is a better option - but I might still be concerned since it seems these birds have a history of respiratory disease.

I agree!

 

[TwoCrows]

@Castlewood I think @Wyorp Rock is on to something...the cedar bedding may very well be the issue here.

 

[Castlewood]

@Castlewood I think @Wyorp Rock is on to something...the cedar bedding may very well be the issue here.

Thanks to both of you! I listened to Peg's heart and lungs earlier and it's good news/bad news: good news is she's got a rattle so we feel pretty confident we've identified our issue as a resurgence of her previous respiratory illness. Bad news, obvs, is she's got a rattle and probably a resurgence of her previous respiratory illness. But the doxy helped for the first round so we're hopeful it'll help now, too.

I'd never thought about the cedar aroma as being irritating to the lungs. Thank you both for pointing it out--we're heading to TSC right now to get some pine shavings.

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks to both of you! I listened to Peg's heart and lungs earlier and it's good news/bad news: good news is she's got a rattle so we feel pretty confident we've identified our issue as a resurgence of her previous respiratory illness. Bad news, obvs, is she's got a rattle and probably a resurgence of her previous respiratory illness. But the doxy helped for the first round so we're hopeful it'll help now, too.

I'd never thought about the cedar aroma as being irritating to the lungs. Thank you both for pointing it out--we're heading to TSC right now to get some pine shavings.

Keep us posted, praying she turns the corner soon!!

 

[TwoCrows]

How is she doing?

 

[Castlewood]

How is she doing?

Sadly, Peg passed Tuesday night right at sunset

We are particularly saddened by her death; she was just so special, a once in a lifetime kinda pet. As a smaller chick, her favorite place to be was safely tucked away tangled in my hair, and as she got older she'd jump onto my arm whenever I'd go near her. She loved to be cuddled and petted...we joked she was our chicken-cat. She's already sorely missed.

The worst part: hours before she died, worms finally OBVIOUSLY showed up in her poop. Looking back at the prior poo pics now, I can see the worms were there but smaller and far less visible. We as new chicken keepers were just ignorant and didn't inspect closely enough to notice. I'll come back to this thread later and post the poo pics from her last day in hopes it might help someone else in the future who may be scrolling through this thread; perhaps a zoom in on some of the "lead up" photos to compare with anything that might be going on with their own chickens might save a life.

We're sending her body to the TX Vet Diagnostic Lab tomorrow for a full necropsy so we can find out all the specifics, as we know she did have some respiratory issues as well.

Thanks for all the help and guidance y'all offered! Experiential learning is the best learning and we are becoming smarter chicken keepers, bit by bit. It just stings that this lesson had to come through losing Peg.

RIP lil' Peggers

 

[TwoCrows]

Sadly, Peg passed Tuesday night right at sunset

We are particularly saddened by her death; she was just so special, a once in a lifetime kinda pet. As a smaller chick, her favorite place to be was safely tucked away tangled in my hair, and as she got older she'd jump onto my arm whenever I'd go near her. She loved to be cuddled and petted...we joked she was our chicken-cat. She's already sorely missed.

The worst part: hours before she died, worms finally OBVIOUSLY showed up in her poop. Looking back at the prior poo pics now, I can see the worms were there but smaller and far less visible. We as new chicken keepers were just ignorant and didn't inspect closely enough to notice. I'll come back to this thread later and post the poo pics from her last day in hopes it might help someone else in the future who may be scrolling through this thread; perhaps a zoom in on some of the "lead up" photos to compare with anything that might be going on with their own chickens might save a life.

We're sending her body to the TX Vet Diagnostic Lab tomorrow for a full necropsy so we can find out all the specifics, as we know she did have some respiratory issues as well.

Thanks for all the help and guidance y'all offered! Experiential learning is the best learning and we are becoming smarter chicken keepers, bit by bit. It just stings that this lesson had to come through losing Peg.

RIP lil' Peggers

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Oh I am so sorry!! Know that you gave her a wonderful life, she knows she was loved and she will always be at your side, or shoulder in spirit. You did the best possible for her and that is all that matters.

On this note, definitely get your birds wormed, when one has them, generally they all do.

I hope your heavy heart heals soon.