From coop cough to pox! What to do?

[jproctor]

I live in ks. This past summer my chickens started wheezing,cough, noses ran. I bout the vet RX from loCal feed store. Treated them all with it. Mad a spray with it & treated each daily orally & spray mist every eve as the roosted. That was in June. Did not lose any, but some still cough & wheeze! I got SMZ-Med 454 and have been Givin it to them in their water, but still some yuk going on. The vet said it could take up to 3 wks for them to get over it but if not there's another. Picking it up tomorrow! Any other suggestions are very welcome! Then, to make matters worse, I went out this morn to gather eggs, found a hen sitting behind a post & almost appeared dead. Picked her up to check her out. She's not dead. No wheezing or coughing but lethargic & after examining her again, I found 1 black dot on her comb. Could this be the start over Avian pox? If so, what should I do?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that you have been dealing with a chronic respiratory disease since Summer. Can you post a picture of the black dot? It might be a peck wound rather than fowl pox. It sounds like she may have been bullied or pecked because she is ill. How old is she? Give her a thorough exam, feeling for weight loss, checking for a swollen lower belly, a large puffy or hard crop, mites and lice, and you can insert a finger into her vent for 2 inches to check for a stuck egg. Here is a link about fowl pox:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-graphic-pictures-under-construction.47704/

Respiratory diseases may be viral, bacterial, or fungal, and can be complicated by secondary infections. Viruses can clear up in weeks, while bacterial diseases may be treated by an antibiotic specifically for that disease. Fungal diseases may occur when there are wet or moldy conditions. Some viruses and some bacteria may make them carriers for life. Here is a good link that gives symptoms of infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma (MG,) infectious coryza, ILT, and aspergillosis which are the more common diseases:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[EggSighted4Life]

. I bout the vet RX from loCal feed store. Treated them all with it. Mad a spray with it & treated each daily orally & spray mist every eve as the roosted

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry you face this.

I completely agree with eggcessive...

I would NOT spend my money on Vet rx... it's essentially vicks vapor rub that smells a bunch but does not much else. It will not TREAT an infection of any kind.

A black dot doesn't make me think pox right off... more likely injury, but pics can help to see if you should be concerned about the dot itself. How old is your gal? Does she lay?

I personally would choose to support with some probiotics and vitamins... I'm testing the rooster booster Poultry Cell, but nothing to report yet.

During your exam... did you check her vent and her crop for any slowness, sourness, or binding? What are you feeding including treats and supplements?

 

[jproctor]

Sorry to take so long to get back with you all. During that time. The chicken with what I was calling pox died. She was a last spring baby. She was a Buff Orpington. I did not get a picture of the spot. My daughter came home & said that same chicken stayed off to herself for the past few dsys. She slept all the time. She was very light, nothing in her craw. We also found a black spot on her neck. No mites. No eggs bound up. I'm really miffed. Thanks for the help though. I will be watching them all closely.
Thanks again!
Jproctor

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. If you have not disposed of the body, you can do a necropsy by opening her abdomen to look at her organs. Also if the body is refrigerated, it can be shipped to your state vet for a professional necropsy. If you do one your self, take a lot of pictures of her organs, especially when you first open her belly. I would suspect that she might have been suffering from an internal laying problem, but crop problems can also be common.

 

[jproctor]

Thank you!

 

[jproctor]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry you face this.

I completely agree with eggcessive...

I would NOT spend my money on Vet rx... it's essentially vicks vapor rub that smells a bunch but does not much else. It will not TREAT an infection of any kind.

A black dot doesn't make me think pox right off... more likely injury, but pics can help to see if you should be concerned about the dot itself. How old is your gal? Does she lay?

I personally would choose to support with some probiotics and vitamins... I'm testing the rooster booster Poultry Cell, but nothing to report yet.

During your exam... did you check her vent and her crop for any slowness, sourness, or binding? What are you feeding including treats and supplements?

Thank you. It really seemed to help at first, but then they all got worse. That's when I called the vet !

 

[jproctor]

Thanks for the input. It seemed to be working bUT then some did good & some just never got overy the hump. That's when I called the vet!

 

[jproctor]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry you face this.

I completely agree with eggcessive...

I would NOT spend my money on Vet rx... it's essentially vicks vapor rub that smells a bunch but does not much else. It will not TREAT an infection of any kind.

A black dot doesn't make me think pox right off... more likely injury, but pics can help to see if you should be concerned about the dot itself. How old is your gal? Does she lay?

I personally would choose to support with some probiotics and vitamins... I'm testing the rooster booster Poultry Cell, but nothing to report yet.

During your exam... did you check her vent and her crop for any slowness, sourness, or binding? What are you feeding including treats and supplements?

 

[jproctor]

They get scratch grain, laying pellets, oyster shell, & nite crawlers. They come out at nite here so I keep a bunch on hand!