Help! Lost one hen and others exhibiting signs!

[BF2014]

We orig had 4 hens, all approx 1 year old and all laying pretty regularly ( 1 Barred Rock, 1 Americauna, & 2 black Ostrolorps).
We decided introduced 4 new hens to our 4 orig girls (the new ones are 2 buff Orpington and 2 Lavender Orpington, all approx 7mnth to 1 yr old).
Two weeks after intoducing new birds, our Barred Rock hen seemed to have become more approachable which is not the norm for this shy girl!
My young son who usually feeds them didn't realize her behavior as a sign of concern. He told me today she was sitting down and she let him pick her up without issue. Asking him more questions, he said he set her in the nesting box...... I ran out to find her still in the box and near death! She was gasping for air, barely holding her head up, eyes closed and mucus in beak. She died just 30 minutes later............

I immediately started looking over the other girls. I don't hear any obvious breathing issues but I have noticed the buffs shaking their heads, flicking heads quickly as if they had flies bothering them but they don't. One of the Ostrolorps seems like she is keeping one eye closed every once in a while. Also the egg production has completely shut down from all our birds over the last 2-3 days! They seem to be wanting to us their coop during day more often than normal too.

I immediately ran to my local farm supply stores only to find VetRx, some electrolyte water supplements and some terramycin ointment that the store rep said I could try to feed sick birds......feed ointment to birds I asked and the reply was yes....i purchased thw terramycin and evwryrhing they had on shelf but not going to do feed the ointment until I have evidence it's ok to do.

Any suggestions on how to proceed?? Local feed and farm suppliers don't seem to have antibiotics, either injectable or oral....and I've never approached a veterinarian about chicken illnesses...not even sure how to go about that..do I bring a chicken to the vet or just call to advise them the issues? All rookie questions I'm sure but for the last year, we never had any issues and thought we were doing well for newbies.
They are in a 40x40 electric poultry net fenced area with a decent sized coop and two nesting boxes. They get fresh water every hour, 24/7 via a timer.
Not sure where to go or what to do at this point. I've added the VetRx to a water bowl I placed at the door of their coop (I shut off the fresh supplied hourly water for now).any suggestions please, before I start loosing more girls......

 

[BF2014]

I just went out in the dark to check on the girls in their coop. Im unsure but the Americauna might sound like she is breathing a bit raspy (almost like a purring) or maybe just startled by my night time presence...
My son and I added vitamins / electolytes to their water, also added a few drops of VetRX to the water. We then removed each girl, one by one and rubbed VetRX under their wings, along their combs and beaks before returning them to the coop.
What I did find was a TON of mosquitos inside the coop! I mean a lot of them! Is this an issue with chickens? I've read that they will eat the mosquitos if they can see them...but what about when their sleeping???...any poultry illness issues with mosquitos? We live in hot humid central Florida.
I'm going to call our local vet in the morning to see what they suggest.
I'm afraid, either the new birds have brought something into the flock or maybe the stress of new roommates has caused immune systems to be jeapordized, making them more susceptible to illness..im not sure. Never had any issues with our 4 original girls which we've had for a year now until the new birds arrived 2 weeks ago.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.

It sounds like you are dealing with a respiratory disease. There are several that have similar symptoms, so without testing, it can be hard to tell which one. Infectious Bronchitis, Mycoplasma, ILT and Infectious Coryza are some of the most common.

Antibiotics will only treat secondary infections associated with respiratory illness.
Personally I would not feed them the Terramycin. If what you got at the feed store, it is a topical ophthalmic ointment for use in the eyes. It has other ingredients besides oxytetracycline HCL. The amount of the drug in it would not be effective. I'm sorry, but, imho, the feed store employee was incorrect.

Most feed stores like Tractor Supply carry injectable Tylan50 - this is commonly used for birds with respiratory illness. Tylan50 can be given orally or by injection.

Some vets will see chickens - it won't hurt to call and ask.

Mosquitoes can transmit Fowl Pox, so if you have a way to get rid of them in the coop, that would be good. I use a fan to keep air stirring in the coop at night.

Try to keep them drinking, clear any mucous you see, if they develop bubbles/pus in the eyes clear that away the best you can. The Terramycin can be used in the eyes if they develop facial swelling/discharge from the eyes.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
https://www.drugs.com/vet/terramycin-ophthalmic-ointment.html

 

[BYC910]

I'm sorry for your loss .It sounds like an upper respiratory infection . Calling a vet is the best move here . They may want you to bring the sickest one in if they treat chickens that is .Antibiotics should be the course of treatment but is hard to say . And only lab work will tell you for sure what your dealing with .Quarantine the new hens is what you should have done . But it's to late for that now . At least you would know if the new girls are the carriers . Call the supplier of the new chickens and see if they are having the same problem. Thing about chickens there are so many diseases that can come out of thin air . Mosquitos can spread disease and will find a way to bite anything. Chickens are pretty good about keeping them away . Good luck with the vet call . I hope they can help you . Post the results of what you find out. If all else fails and you get no help from the vet . See if you can get some Tylan 50 and give them on quarter cc injection in the breast mussel for three days . Use the smallest needle you can find . A 20gage will do but a 22 gage is better .

 

[BF2014]

Ok I located Tylan50 locally but have decided to take in the 2 sickest birds to our vet this morning for treatment and get a plan together for the rest of the birds.

BYC910 your exactly right on quarantining new birds! I guess I let my guard down when the new girls seemed so healthy & full of energy

Not sure if the new birds brought something to my flock but sure is odd that my birds have been healthy for a year and two weeks after the new birds show up, disaster strikes...
I did speak with the gentleman I received the birds from who offered some advice on how to proceed but nothing on any possible issues with his flock.

I'm learning as I go.....I just don't want to do it at the expense of killing off any birds and vet bills. "When & if" we decide down the road to find a replacement hen; what's the best way to quarantine new birds? Will my birds now be carriers of a virus that new birds will always be subseptable to? Will I now always have issues with my birds and viruses?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

"When & if" we decide down the road to find a replacement hen; what's the best way to quarantine new birds? Will my birds now be carriers of a virus that new birds will always be subseptable to? Will I now always have issues with my birds and viruses?

Without testing, there's no way to know for sure what you are dealing with, if you or your vet have some samples tested this will give you the best information.

As a "general rule" respiratory diseases make birds carriers for life. This includes birds that are exposed and have never showed any symptoms. It's very possible that any new birds you bring in will become symptomatic and need to be treated. Most people that have a contagious illness keep a "closed flock", they do bring in new birds and either treat them on an individual basis or cull the ones that get sick. Birds never leave the property, so no selling/giving away hatching eggs, chicks, started pullets or showing birds.

Quarantine and Bio-Security:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/12/quarantine-of-backyard-chickens-why-and.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2016/08/biosecurity-for-backyard-chickens.html

Florida State Lab Info:
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Div...on-Animal-Disease-Diagnostic-Laboratory-BADDL

 

[BYC910]

Ok I located Tylan50 locally but have decided to take in the 2 sickest birds to our vet this morning for treatment and get a plan together for the rest of the birds.

BYC910 your exactly right on quarantining new birds! I guess I let my guard down when the new girls seemed so healthy & full of energy

Not sure if the new birds brought something to my flock but sure is odd that my birds have been healthy for a year and two weeks after the new birds show up, disaster strikes...
I did speak with the gentleman I received the birds from who offered some advice on how to proceed but nothing on any possible issues with his flock.

I'm learning as I go.....I just don't want to do it at the expense of killing off any birds and vet bills. "When & if" we decide down the road to find a replacement hen; what's the best way to quarantine new birds? Will my birds now be carriers of a virus that new birds will always be subseptable to? Will I now always have issues with my birds and viruses?

You will always have problems with diseases and virus's there is no avoiding it . You can not control wild birds or the wind . Showing any farm animal or any animal for that matter opens you up to every disease on the planet . I use the down wind method and small cages to quarantine I can bleach those . But as Wyorp Rock said you can bring in a carrier that looks healthy and quarantine for a month and put them together and spread the disease to your flock. If that is they don't have natural antibodies for which ever disease the new chickens carry . Really the best course of auction is to hatch your own replacement chickens . In my opinion there is no such thing as a disease free flock of chickens . And every living thing that has antibodies will shed them by some method . Citified flocks are only citified not to have the virus or disease they were tested for . And this may sound hard but vet bills are costly and from a monetary stand point it not worth the cost treat a single sick chicken unless your in danger of loosing the whole flock or it is a cherished pet . And so the bottom line is if your going to have and or raise chickens your going to lose chickens . There is no way around it . But don't let that scare you or stop you never has me or most of the members of the BYC . It's a part of chicken farming . Good luck with your flock .I Hope it all goes well and they get well .

 

[BF2014]

Update on our flock illnesses.
I have lost all of my original chickens to whatever respiratory illness they're dealing with. The four that I purchased recently which are suspected of bringing in this illness all seem fine. Two of the four new birds which are lavenders seem to have what I'm reading as sour crop. I haven't tried to get them to regurgitate anything as of yet but there is a foul smell coming from them when I was giving everyone antibiotics. None of the four NEW chickens are showing any signs of respiratory issues. My family is sickened by losing all our original hens which we had become very attached to seeing as we had raised them since day one. My wife is questioning on whether she even wants to eat any eggs from any of the new carrier chickens, which by the way we have not received any eggs since this illness has showed itself. She's at the point that she doesn't even want to have these chickens on the property, especially after being told by many and doing our own research, that any new chickens we bring in may become sick due to the carrier chickens. It seems like a lot of headache and heartache two raise new chickens, which takes many months, and then introduce them to the four carriers, only to have them all come down sick too. At this point I have no idea what to do. It took us seven months of raising our originals before they were of age to start laying. Now that they're all gone; it almost seems like introducing new chickens to these 4 carriers wpuld be like shooting ourselves in the foot. What do people do when they get down to a handful of birds that are all suspect of being carriers? I can't give them away nor can I sell them because I would feel horrible if they infected somebody else's flock. I contacted the seller of these 4 birds and explain to him what's going on and that our entire original flock has passed. I also explained to him that our vet said that these birds are more than likely carriers and we will always have issues with future birds. This was all communicated to him via text message and I was told that he would call me back...... ......nothing but Cricket's!.
I'm sorry to unload emotion on the forum here but I'm just sick to my stomach over all this.

 

[BF2014]

Also, is there a concern with eating any eggs we get from the hens we still have seeing as they are probably "carriers"?
What's the probability of new pullets or hens being added to the existing birds, and them coming down sick too?
I can't be the only one who has been in this same position, loosing a handful of birds after the introduction of a few new birds.
Once we lost the first bird and realized something was wrong, my vet gave the original flock shots and antibiotics that we administered twice a day for 5 days. These birds lasted a little while but eventually fell victim to the virus anyways.
I understand loosing a bird here or there but to loose an entire small flock in a few weeks is more than my kids and wife can handle.......
Its hard to move forward with new birds when it seems like there's doom & gloom waiting just around the corner

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry you are feeling so overwhelmed by the sad situation you find yourself in.
It should be fine to eat the eggs from your remaining birds, as and when they start producing. I would just try to consolidate your situation at the moment and see how you go with the four you have left. After all you had 4 for a year before you added any more, so I would give these 4 a year and see how things go. Many viruses have peaks and then seem to tail off...I have one in my flock that kills juvenile birds and my flock must now all be considered carriers. Since the initial outbreak, I get two or 3 a year with it. I hatched 56 chicks last year, so losing 3 to this disease was not so desperate although each individual loss is heart breaking. There are many deadly viruses that affect chickens so your situation is certainly not unique... I too learned the valuable lesson of quarantine the hard way! Give yourself and your family time to get over this bad spell and hopefully something will change one day. Maybe one of your girls will go broody next year and you will give her some eggs to hatch and increase your flock that way. You are going through a bad patch but it will pass.