HELP, I'M TRYING TO SAVE MY FLOCK! Two birds have died within two weeks, seems to be spreading thru

[KT44]

I live in Atlanta GA, and have/had approx 14 hens and one rooster. Three of our birds are 4 years old and the others are approx 1 1/2 years old. In the past two weeks two of our younger birds started showing symptoms of being sick. I immediately removed from pen when I noticed, but whatever they had seems to be spreading as I noticed one of our older birds seems to be getting symptoms. I have done as much research as possible, but am a little over whelmed with all the info and I am trying to save the rest of the flock.

Here are the symptoms as best as I can describe:
I first notice the bird off to the side, a little lethargic, maybe even looking a little confused.
The back end (not the vent) feathers look "different" droopy
With one of the birds I noticed her comb was a light red (she died)
Although the sick chickens will eat, its almost as they are confused when the food is in front of them, and I have even noticed them pecking themselves
I have also noticed some of the healthy chickens pecking around wings (like they are aggitated by flies or something) I assume this to be normal in hot weather in the south? Read below (have checked for mites and lice)
The rooster eventually steps in and starts pecking them. ( I don't know if he knows they are sick or what?)

Here are all there living conditions:
being that we have coyotes and hawks they are fenced in a 70 square foot (outside space) There inside space has 6 nesting boxes and is approx 10x4 they do have plenty of room per chicken.
-We have had quite a bit of rain and it has been rather difficult to keep the outside pen dry. We have put down many bags of large pine bark abut can not seem to get rid of all puddles. One side of the outside pen has a tarp on it. I am wondering if maybe they are drinking the dirty water and getting sick from that. (on a side note, we have two hanging waterers for them as well)
-The inside stays dry and I try and check it daily. I keep hay and pine bark in the roosting boxes, and pine bark on the floors.
-Although I am learning that not all chicken owners recommend this we do put DE (denatured earth) in the coop to help with mites and other pest) Maybe this is causing problems in chiickens?
-Their food is an organic mix Country Side I think, I also give them scraps from house and sunflower seeds


With all the info out there I thought maybe it was mold, parasites, drinking from the puddles which probably has bacteria. Maybe its a disease, I have no idea at this point.

I have checked the food and I don't really see mold. I took down the their waterers and cleaned them well filled them with fresh water a touch of Apple cider vinegar and a packet with vitamins and electrolytes to try and help immune system.

I have also sprayed apple cider vinegar mixed with H2o in side the coop to try and naturally kill bacteria and parasites? Not so much that I made it damp.

A couple of days ago I cut some fresh herbs (all which I read were ok for chickens and put in layer box and inside coop to try and deter lice, mites. I have checked under feathers to see if I see any mites and lice and I do not. But I'm also not really sure what I am looking for..

Any info would be helpful... I have not wormed them recently and I am willing try whatever to save flock. Thank You in advance.

 

[dawg53]

I recommend that you contact the University of Georgia poultry lab and find out how to get a necropsy performed on one or two of your chickens. I suspect you have several things going on in your flock and you need to find out exactly what you're dealing with. Here's a link with phone number "contact us" on the right side of the page: Good luck.
http://vet.uga.edu/avian/diagnostic

 

[KT44]

Thank you. I also went out to the pen after writing the post because I am looking for more signs. After inspecting our older bird who's back end feathers look quite fluffy (droopy) abnormal. It seems that we may have a major problem with lice. Has anyone else had a bad lice break out and has it made your birds so sick that they died? I am now reading up on how to treat chickens with lice and how to disinfect coop.

 

[emmaie892000]

Only an extremely bad lice outbreak can kill a bird, unless there are other illnesses weakening them. Lice may have made the birds weaker, but I still think something else killed them. I would definitely recommend a necropsy since it seems to be spreading.
A battle against lice and mites is hard, but worth it.

 

[KT44]

Thank you both for the necropsy advice. I had thought of doing that when the first bird died, but thought it was maybe a random death. After this last one died I had my husband keep the bird but I went out there and wasn't exactly sure what to do and how to ship it, and she was getting quite stinky. I am going to be prepared in case a 3rd one dies. Thanks again for info. And the lice outbreak does seem to be extremely bad, atleast on the one bird. I am off to the tractor supply tomorrow morning to get some stuff to try and fight it. I had heard of bathing the birds, but mine do not seem as calm as the people showing the pictures.

 

[emmaie892000]

I used Sevin dust on the birds themselves, as well as the ENTIRE coop for mine, and repeated frequently for a couple weeks. You have to repeat, because if you kill one life cycle, there still may be eggs living in the bedding. They can survive for quite a while off the birds as well, hence why you treat the coop.

 

[KT44]

Going to dust all birds and see how bad problem is..I will continue to do for the next month..Did you sprinkle seven dust in the coop, roost, and floor? I have read about Neem oil, and other methods and I know people are very much against seven dust..But I am in a desperate situation as I am loosing birds, which I cry every time. We have had birds for 4 years and this is the first time we have ever had a problem. I really appreciate info. Thank you

 

[dawg53]

Going to dust all birds and see how bad problem is..I will continue to do for the next month..Did you sprinkle seven dust in the coop, roost, and floor? I have read about Neem oil, and other methods and I know people are very much against seven dust..But I am in a desperate situation as I am loosing birds, which I cry every time. We have had birds for 4 years and this is the first time we have ever had a problem. I really appreciate info. Thank you

I've been using sevin dust for years, still here typing. Sevin dust will kill lice on contact, but not the eggs. Make sure you redust again in 7-10 days. You'll also have dust inside the coop as mentioned by Emmaie. Eggs will be attached to feather shafts, cant miss them. If you see eggs, people have used coconut oil to successfully remove them. Lice are more of an irritant than anything else and birds will be dust bathing alot, scratching themselves and losing alot of feathers. Mites are killers. They suck blood and cause anemia, then death.

 

[ryanhodapp]

Call UGA tomorrow and ask them how to keep a bird for necropsy. I have been told to cover the bird in Dawn dish soap and keep in the refrigerator, not freezer. You are close enough to drive it over if need be.

 

[casportpony]

This is how I ship mine:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

-Kathy