help! losing a hen a day,

[traceyj]

i found a 9 month old easter egger had foamy eyes and was sneezing. i immediately isolated her and watched her for a day but she was gone next morning. i cleaned out my coop and disinfected with acv. i gave the remaining 14 hens probiotic yoghurt and acv in their water

next day nothing.
day after maran was suddenly dead, fine in the morning when i let them out and then gone by lunch when i went to check.
next day an orpington dead in the morning when i opened up the coop. olive egger sneezing
next day barred rock 3yr old sneezing
next day different hen dead, barred rock puffed up - expected the worst
today fine in the morning, and lunchtime my last green egger just dead. mouth open

ive checked all for mites, nothing. ive just turned off my winter lighting but surely that cant be taking them out one by one. theres no sign of predator entry to the coop

what can i do? its almost time for the spring worming but if they are already fighting off something i dont want to stress them more. theres no evidence of worms ive stood int he coop for an hour and examined the poop of all 9 left.

the barred rock is now fine but another marans is acting weird. the olive eggar has also recovered ( she was the second to have bubbly eyes, none of the others have had that)

any ideas what it could be and how i can stop it. i dont want to lose all my hens. i also have three baby chicks in the house brooding, 4 weeks old, but i practice bio security procedures and they all appear healthy.

worried also as i have friends with coops and i dont want to carry anything courageous to their area so have been avoiding them.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

This soounds like the Bird Flu.Has lots of symptoms,deaths out of know where,sneezing/coughing.The best thing to do is to find a vet,confirm the sickness,and put them down (If the case has gotten full throttle).

 

[TheTwoRoos]

But,here is a secret to stopping it. Oxytetracycline,or Tetracycline. Usually at farm stores.

 

[traceyj]

thank you will try and get some tomorrow everythings closed now. so the ones who have recovered should be ok?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos?

It could be a respiratory infection like Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or MG. Flush the eyes with saline and apply some Vetericyn eye gel or Terramycin eye ointment to the eyes a couple of times a day.
If you have lost several birds you may want to send one in for necropsy to confirm exactly what it is.

TREATMENT IS SUGGESTED IN POST #2 OF THIS THREAD
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1086681/is-this-the-flu-or-a-serious-disease


http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...tion-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Do you have photos?

It could be a respiratory infection like Mycoplasma Gallisepticum or MG. Flush the eyes with saline and apply some Vetericyn eye gel or Terramycin eye ointment to the eyes a couple of times a day.
If you have lost several birds you may want to send one in for necropsy to confirm exactly what it is.

TREATMENT IS SUGGESTED IN POST #2 OF THIS THREAD
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1086681/is-this-the-flu-or-a-serious-disease


http://www.thepoultrysite.com/disea...tion-mg-chronic-respiratory-disease-chickens/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

That is what my hens have,Mycoplasma-Gallispticum.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

thank you will try and get some tomorrow everythings closed now. so the ones who have recovered should be ok?

Watch them closely.Besure there is no sneezing/coughing,watery eyes etc.I would take them to the vet to be sure.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like MG, but it could be MG with secondary diseases or air sacculitis, because of so many deaths. A necropsy is definitely recommended, or testing by a vet or agricultural ministry. All surviving birds should be considered carriers for life, so adding new birds would not be wise until these birds are all gone. Here is a good link for common diseases, and read about MG, ILT, infectious bronchitis, and infectious coryza, since those are the most common respiratory diseases.: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044


Make sure that your overhead ventilation in your coop is good, and bedding is dry and free of mold. Sick birds need to be kept warm. Some diseases are viral or fungal, and won't respond to antibiotics, but bacterial and mycoplasmal diseases may respond to Tylan (tylosin), tetracyclines, Baytril, Erythromycin, or Denagard (tiamulin.)

 

[TheTwoRoos]

While i'm here I had a question.I have a few birds who are like not sneezing acting healthy but do make these sounds once done talking,one hen can't even cackle,should I probably bring her off?

 

[traceyj]

Ok, thanks all for the information. We don't have chicken vet in town but ill call the ministry tomorrow for advice on testing if I lose any more. Have a long list now of possible treatment options and will try and find that here in town.
Assuming I can't vaccinate them against it as I not sure which it is, any advice what to do to keep my 4wk olds safe? I've ramped up my bio security and wear coveralls when tending to them now, muck boots stay outdoors so nothing comes into contact with outdoor birds