Help! Chicken dying, head and neck swollen

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for letting us know of the latest necropsy results. Would it be possible that there could have been an underlying Mareks disease that caused such decreased immunity to coccidiosis and respiratory diseases that cause facial swelling. Mareks can only be tested with a PCR test on feather shafts or tumor tissue in the bird. Just another suggestion to think about, or to ask your vet about, in case they have or have not seen it there. So sorry that your flock was so deccimated by this disease.

 

[Petra Pancake]

@Eggcessive , I guess it's possible. When they died, the second rooster seemed to have paralyzed legs and the hen with the puffy face (who didn't have a necropsy) had a strangely bent neck. They didn't do a PCR for Marek's. Only for Newcastle and AI (negative). But the two chickens that underwent necropsy didn't have any internal tumors - the necropsy resluts describe the findings on internal organs. They both had bleeding lesions on their livers, though, and were found to be anemic and malnourished (that must be disease related - I feed my chickens abundantly with shop-bought layer feed, they always leave feed over), other than the egg peritonitis in one and the coccidiosis in the other.
Weird thing, though - of the 6 adult chickens that died, 5 had single combs.Of the 3 survivors, 2 have rose combs and the surviving chicks of the broody hens that died also have rose combs (though the single combed chicks were killed by predators rather than disease, as far as I could see). Don't know if that's significant somehow.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

@Eggcessive , I guess it's possible. When they died, the second rooster seemed to have paralyzed legs and the hen with the puffy face (who didn't have a necropsy) had a strangely bent neck. They didn't do a PCR for Marek's. Only for Newcastle and AI (negative). But the two chickens that underwent necropsy didn't have any internal tumors - the necropsy resluts describe the findings on internal organs. They both had bleeding lesions on their livers, though, and were found to be anemic and malnourished (that must be disease related - I feed my chickens abundantly with shop-bought layer feed, they always leave feed over), other than the egg peritonitis in one and the coccidiosis in the other.
Weird thing, though - of the 6 adult chickens that died, 5 had single combs.Of the 3 survivors, 2 have rose combs and the surviving chicks of the broody hens that died also have rose combs (though the single combed chicks were killed by predators rather than disease, as far as I could see). Don't know if that's significant somehow.

Thank you for keeping us so well updated! This is so very appreciated! I'm very glad it didn't turn out to be a transmissible disease where you had to cull your entire flock. However it does not help make it easier with the ones you lost.

So it states that your flock was anemic and malnourished, which I'm presuming would be from the damage the coccidiosis where the intestines were not absorbing nutrients? I experienced my first bout with coccidiosis last year and the strain of Eimiera was one that did not show blood in the poop, just like Wyorp Rock mentioned earlier.

Here's two sites that help explain coccidiosis very well.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex4616
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/coccidiosis/index.aspx

I don't understand the bleeding lesions on the liver. Does your report have any additional info on that part? That's unfortunate that they don't test for Mareks. It is entirely possible what Eggcessive mentioned regarding Mareks decreasing immunity to the coccidiosis and the other symptoms.

 

[Petra Pancake]

It didn't explain the bleeding lesions on the liver. Maybe I should try to phone them and find out. The problem is, it's an institute and they don't communicate much, just sent the results by e-mail.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

It didn't explain the bleeding lesions on the liver. Maybe I should try to phone them and find out. The problem is, it's an institute and they don't communicate much, just sent the results by e-mail.

I just found that interesting. And I wasn't sure what to make of it. It must have some significance. If Mareks was the underlying culprit...perhaps it may be that.

 

[henhubble]

Hope the others will be okay

Sorry, it hurts to lose them

 

[MT chicken lady]

I couldn't take photos earlier today (because of Sabbath, we're observant) and now it's dark out there. Also, she's huddled in a way that makes it difficult to get a good view of the head and I don't want to handle her much, to not increase her suffering and also in case it's something that's transmissible to humans. On the other hand, a snake bite or scorpion sting to the head could also be possible - we have both around the back garden occasionally. Actually, this morning I noticed that her sleeping box was knocked over - could have been due to a fight.... Didn't think of that, is there any way to help a chicken in case of snake bites or scorpion stings?
I'll try to get a good photo tomorrow morning first thing, whether she's still alive or dead.

Luke 14:5