Creamy white/pale comb, extreme & rapid weight loss, lethargy, death. What happened?

[Thumper51]

I have 6 red sex links ("Golden Comet") and 2 black sex links, 1 1/2 yrs old, in a coop/run big enough for 24 hens. Within a period of about 5 days one of my Golden Comet girls experienced the above symptoms and then died. My other hens, so far, seem OK - but it's hard to tell since they seem to be good at hiding problems until they're serious. However egg production has been cut in half over the last month or 6 weeks. Two changes - 3 weeks ago I cleaned their coop & used pine bedding instead of straw & used Sweet PDZ stall refresher for the first time. And I added a hen 2 weeks ago who appeared then and still appears very healthy. No other changes. I have ordered Corid just in case it's coccidiosis, I should be able to start treatment tomorrow. Does anyone have an idea of what may have happened and how to protect the rest of my girls? And can anyone give advice/experience on how to administer the Corid? I really enjoy my girls and don't want to lose any more. Please and thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Thumper51 Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry to hear about your loss
Unfortunately it's very hard to know the cause of death without further investigation (necropsy/testing). If you do happen to lose another hen in a short period of time, make arrangements to send the body to your state lab. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

There are many reasons for egg production to go down - a few are weather, age of hens, changes within the flock (adding new birds/loss of birds), time of year (starting to molt), external and internal parasites.

The Corid won't hurt them if you choose to treat them dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water.
Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

AFTER you finish the course of treatment with Corid, offer probiotics and poultry vitamins for a few days.

 

[Thumper51]

Hi @Thumper51 Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry to hear about your loss
Unfortunately it's very hard to know the cause of death without further investigation (necropsy/testing). If you do happen to lose another hen in a short period of time, make arrangements to send the body to your state lab. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

There are many reasons for egg production to go down - a few are weather, age of hens, changes within the flock (adding new birds/loss of birds), time of year (starting to molt), external and internal parasites.

The Corid won't hurt them if you choose to treat them dosage is 1 1/2 teaspoons Corid powder or 2 teaspoons of 9.6% Corid liquid per gallon of water.
Give for 5-7 days - make sure this is the ONLY water available during that time period. Mix a fresh batch at least once a day.

AFTER you finish the course of treatment with Corid, offer probiotics and poultry vitamins for a few days.

Thanks for the information!

 

[aart]

And I added a hen 2 weeks ago who appeared then and still appears very healthy.

Hmmm....just because she appears healthy,
doesn't mean she not carrying some disease asymptomatically.

Ditto the lab work....hopefully you won't need it.

 

[Thumper51]

Hmmm....just because she appears healthy,
doesn't mean she not carrying some disease asymptomatically.

Ditto the lab work....hopefully you won't need it.

Aart, unfortunately I thought of that after the fact. I only quarantined her for a couple days, next time I'll quarantine longer. Thanks.

 

[aart]

Aart, unfortunately I thought of that after the fact. I only quarantined her for a couple days, next time I'll quarantine longer. Thanks.

Even if you had quarantined longer, stuff doesn't always show up...the idea is to isolate them from your flock and the stress of moving can bring out latent disease symptoms.
The GC's death may not have anything to do with the new birds, but it's always a possibility.

How did you integrate the single new bird...was she easily accepted by the flock?

Just FYI for the future:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

 

[keeper 1960]

could be mites?

 

[Thumper51]

could be mites?

Good thought, I'm starting the permethrin treatment tomorrow and started the corcid today.

 

[Thumper51]

Even if you had quarantined longer, stuff doesn't always show up...the idea is to isolate them from your flock and the stress of moving can bring out latent disease symptoms.
The GC's death may not have anything to do with the new birds, but it's always a possibility.

How did you integrate the single new bird...was she easily accepted by the flock?

Just FYI for the future:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article

It took about 2 days to find her place in the pecking order, all in all not too bad. No one was injured.

 

[aart]

I'm starting the permethrin treatment tomorrow

Did you see mites...or lice?
I would not treat unless you're sure she has them.