Help? Coyza? Fungus? What is wrong with these birds?
- Thread starter ForTheLoveofHEN
- Start date
The leg crust may be scaly leg mites. Try soaking in Epsom salt, then dip the legs and feet in castor oil, really slathering it on. If it's leg mites, you will see improvement within a week.
It may be a hair on your camera lens, but I see what appears to be an eye worm on the black one on the right. To be sure, apply a little pressure on the swelling at the corner of the eye. If there are worms behind the eye, they will be exposed. They are slightly thicker than a hair and maybe half inch long.
I would not incubate any eggs until you figure out what diseases, if any, these hens are carrying as some are transmitted vertically through the egg.
Ivermectin is a good worm medicine that will also work on scaly leg mites. I would worm these hens as a matter of covering all the bases.
It may be a hair on your camera lens, but I see what appears to be an eye worm on the black one on the right. To be sure, apply a little pressure on the swelling at the corner of the eye. If there are worms behind the eye, they will be exposed. They are slightly thicker than a hair and maybe half inch long.
I would not incubate any eggs until you figure out what diseases, if any, these hens are carrying as some are transmitted vertically through the egg.
Ivermectin is a good worm medicine that will also work on scaly leg mites. I would worm these hens as a matter of covering all the bases.
- Thread starter
- #3
ForTheLoveofHEN
In the Brooder
So I gave all of the hens a look again tonight and treated with vetrx. I'm not doing antibiotics because I want to see if this gets worse or clears up with a little work. When I prested the top of there mouths where sinus are I noticed blood on the qtip. I didn't press too hard and there was blood.
Second thing I noticed is they have weird crops. I withheld food for half of the day to see if their crops eptied and they mostly did but we're a little squishy. When I squished them the hens burped and truly foul smells came from their crops. The large white one was very bad.
Would eye worms make their noses and eyes water a bit? The noses were not that drippy today but did have crust and one hen had a white booger in her nose. No cough or sneeze but slightly wet and a bubble or 2 in corner of eyes. I assumed the thing on the black hens lashes was a feather. Would worms make her eye goop shut in the corner?
I am treating the legs like scale leg mites and treated all of the hens for lice. Will treat again in 7 days for eggs. I am just really hoping that this is a combo of small curable things and not a permanent illness that can spread.
Can I use the invermectin I have for pigs and cows or do I need to buy a different one? Do I worm once a week for 2 weeks like pigs?
Could they have sour crops and that be the smell? Or do they likely have croyza since they have bubbled eyes and snot. Are there any respatory issues that are not carried for life? The older girls are laying like crazy so no egg production issues, but they look so bad to me.
Second thing I noticed is they have weird crops. I withheld food for half of the day to see if their crops eptied and they mostly did but we're a little squishy. When I squished them the hens burped and truly foul smells came from their crops. The large white one was very bad.
Would eye worms make their noses and eyes water a bit? The noses were not that drippy today but did have crust and one hen had a white booger in her nose. No cough or sneeze but slightly wet and a bubble or 2 in corner of eyes. I assumed the thing on the black hens lashes was a feather. Would worms make her eye goop shut in the corner?
I am treating the legs like scale leg mites and treated all of the hens for lice. Will treat again in 7 days for eggs. I am just really hoping that this is a combo of small curable things and not a permanent illness that can spread.
Can I use the invermectin I have for pigs and cows or do I need to buy a different one? Do I worm once a week for 2 weeks like pigs?
Could they have sour crops and that be the smell? Or do they likely have croyza since they have bubbled eyes and snot. Are there any respatory issues that are not carried for life? The older girls are laying like crazy so no egg production issues, but they look so bad to me.
Look inside their beaks for any plaques or lesions.
The bad smell could be from sour crop, respiratory infection or canker.
Since you are in CA it would be a good idea to have some testing performed to see what type of illness you are dealing with. Here's a link to your state lab http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/lab_services/index.cfm
I understand you are wanting to use these birds for breeding, but it's best to start with stock that is as disease free as possible. Even if a bird gets better from a respiratory illness, it remains a carrier of the disease. Certain diseases like Mycoplasma are also passed along in the egg to the embryo. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
I agree with @azygous the one bird has scaly leg mites. Since it was housed with the others, it wouldn't be a bad idea to apply oil to all their legs.
Getting a fecal float to check for worms is a good idea. While Ivermectin is a good choice for treating SLM, it's not as effective a wormer as something like Praziquantel, Fenbendazole or Valbazen.
For the birds that have discharge, try to keep the nostrils cleared. Antibiotics may help with secondary infections, but I believe your location, you will need a prescription. VetRx won't hurt to try and may make them more comfortable.
I hope you have good quarantine and bio-security measures in place to help reduce the spread of illness to your existing flock.
The bad smell could be from sour crop, respiratory infection or canker.
Since you are in CA it would be a good idea to have some testing performed to see what type of illness you are dealing with. Here's a link to your state lab http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/lab_services/index.cfm
I understand you are wanting to use these birds for breeding, but it's best to start with stock that is as disease free as possible. Even if a bird gets better from a respiratory illness, it remains a carrier of the disease. Certain diseases like Mycoplasma are also passed along in the egg to the embryo. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
I agree with @azygous the one bird has scaly leg mites. Since it was housed with the others, it wouldn't be a bad idea to apply oil to all their legs.
Getting a fecal float to check for worms is a good idea. While Ivermectin is a good choice for treating SLM, it's not as effective a wormer as something like Praziquantel, Fenbendazole or Valbazen.
For the birds that have discharge, try to keep the nostrils cleared. Antibiotics may help with secondary infections, but I believe your location, you will need a prescription. VetRx won't hurt to try and may make them more comfortable.
I hope you have good quarantine and bio-security measures in place to help reduce the spread of illness to your existing flock.
Ivermectin, as with other wormers, is not specifically for chickens. Safeguard is the wormer I like best as it affects all worms and you just give it once.
I doubt your hens have eye worms, though. It's usually a thing in the tropics, not the desert where you live.
Where did you get these sad little girls? They have more health issues than I've seen in one place in quite a while. You'll be running a chicken infirmary for a good while to get these hens back to good health.
You need to locate an agricultural lab and have some tests done so you know what you're dealing with, and then it will be easier to treat it effectively. You won't know if you are looking at a virus that will colonize the cells permanently without tests.
Here're my treatment plans for sour and impacted crops. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
I doubt your hens have eye worms, though. It's usually a thing in the tropics, not the desert where you live.
Where did you get these sad little girls? They have more health issues than I've seen in one place in quite a while. You'll be running a chicken infirmary for a good while to get these hens back to good health.
You need to locate an agricultural lab and have some tests done so you know what you're dealing with, and then it will be easier to treat it effectively. You won't know if you are looking at a virus that will colonize the cells permanently without tests.
Here're my treatment plans for sour and impacted crops. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
- Thread starter
- #6
ForTheLoveofHEN
In the Brooder
I'm not going to breed them now. I'm going to fix them up and rehome them. The guy I bought them from has cl adds all the time and sells chick so I thought his hens would be fine. He said he wanted to meet somewhere for biosucurity reasons, but now I'm sure he just has his hens sitting in filth and didn't want me to see. Was a complete ass about how I was getting a deal in them too. My lasson learned. I'm sure I know someone who wouldn't mind a little flock of silkies as egg laying pets so I'll fix them up and find a friend who wants them, knowing that they can't be bread. I just bought some chicks from an NPIP breeder for an arm and a leg so I will just wait and let them keep my roos company. Right now they have plenty of other hens to keep them busy.
I am very tempted to post this on cl so this guy can't do this to someone else, and my husband wants me to send him some very mean texts but I'm not going to. I'm bought them because I thought I could help, I have awsome quarinteen coops and time to give so I will help and try to stay positive. Thanks for the info on testing. I have had sickly hens before because I take in rescue birds and patch them up now and then... but I have never seen any that were this bad. So many of their issues are easy fixes too... or could have been prevented.
I am very tempted to post this on cl so this guy can't do this to someone else, and my husband wants me to send him some very mean texts but I'm not going to. I'm bought them because I thought I could help, I have awsome quarinteen coops and time to give so I will help and try to stay positive. Thanks for the info on testing. I have had sickly hens before because I take in rescue birds and patch them up now and then... but I have never seen any that were this bad. So many of their issues are easy fixes too... or could have been prevented.
We hear stories like yours here from time to time, and it's a real shame these breeders exist and get away with what they do. The last story had the breeder claim they were "organic" and therefore could not treat the chickens for parasites. The human brain can sure warp into an unrecognizable piece of useless matter in some people. But the chickens suffer.
If there is any oversight in your county that regulates breeders, you might be able to file a report and have him shut down, especially if the hens you bought test positive for viruses. Unfortunately, the cheapest testing is on a dead bird. Live testing involves DNA markers and is more expensive.
If there is any oversight in your county that regulates breeders, you might be able to file a report and have him shut down, especially if the hens you bought test positive for viruses. Unfortunately, the cheapest testing is on a dead bird. Live testing involves DNA markers and is more expensive.
How sad.
I hope you are able to bring them back to health. You may also want to disclose to anyone who takes them off your hands that they were ill and had troubles. There are people who will probably take them for pets and enjoy them very much.
Good luck!
- Thread starter
- #9
ForTheLoveofHEN
In the Brooder
I would never pass off a sick animal as healthy. Thet would make beautiful pets with a little TLC. I breed pigs and that world can be very shady, but I try to do my best to inform people about any animal I sell or rehome. For the new owner and the animals sake. I have many rescue animals that came to me because no one wanted them, but thes are the worst chickens I have seen. I think necropsies (sure I spelled that wrong) can be done for the price of shipping but i dont want to do that unless one passes. Ill call the UC tomarrow about testing and see if I can find an avian vet.
In the mean time I'll try the monostat thing. And I already started them on probiotics and the vet rx has almost cleared up their noses.
In the mean time I'll try the monostat thing. And I already started them on probiotics and the vet rx has almost cleared up their noses.
- Thread starter
- #10
ForTheLoveofHEN
In the Brooder
I would never pass off a sick animal as healthy. Thet would make beautiful pets with a little TLC. I breed pigs and that world can be very shady, but I try to do my best to inform people about any animal I sell or rehome. For the new owner and the animals sake. I have many rescue animals that came to me because no one wanted them, but thes are the worst chickens I have seen. I think necropsies (sure I spelled that wrong) can be done for the price of shipping but i dont want to do that unless one passes. Ill call the UC tomarrow about testing and see if I can find an avian vet.
In the mean time I'll try the monostat thing. And I already started them on probiotics and the vet rx has almost cleared up their noses.
In the mean time I'll try the monostat thing. And I already started them on probiotics and the vet rx has almost cleared up their noses.
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