HELP !! My whole flock might be sick!

[mankatogirls]

Hello to all you Chicken Lovers! I need some much needed advise to save my girls. My flock is slowly decreasing is size and I can't figure out what's happening. I have had a variety of girls over the past three years....my husband buys his work boots from Tractor Supply. They have always been housed in a shed until this fall we moved the shed to our home and attached it to an out building on out property. They are fenced in and very safe and I have not problems with them outside. However, winter in Minnesota is cold and they hate walking in snow so they don't get out every when 25 and below. The girls have a wood burning stove all day and if it gets to cold, a nib-co kicks in at 40 degrees.

My first girl I put down was "Scabby", a two year old leg horn that basically stopped eating and drinking. She spent the last four days in the house with us and she did start to make a few sounds and eat some. When I brought her in, I started giving her a sulfur antibiotic thinking Coccidiosis, but after more research, I think she had fluid in her, I just couldn't autopsy her, uck.

Earlier this week I found the same bright green poop from "Grandma" a three year old RR. Now my remaining girls are on antibiotics and two are showing similar signs as Scabby: lethargic, not eating/drinking, shoulders hunched up and feathers puffed a little and SLEEPING ALL THE TIME.

WHAT SHOULD I DO? I just want them healthy and to go out side.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would give them a 5 day course of Corid, since it will treat more strains of coccidiosis, and the symptoms sound like that. If you lose another, I would get a necropsy done by your state vet to find a cause.

 

[Eggcessive]

If you haven't wormed your flock, I would also worm them with Valbazen or SafeGuard goat wormer. Check their skin all over and especially under the vent for signs of lice or mites and their eggs.

 

[mankatogirls]

How often should I be deworming them? I have never done that but since I bought them from Tractor Suppy I thought they would have done that.

I will go right now to check for mites or lice, I don't remember seeing any, I usually hold some of them throughout the day.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

How often should I be deworming them? I have never done that but since I bought them from Tractor Suppy I thought they would have done that.

I will go right now to check for mites or lice, I don't remember seeing any, I usually hold some of them throughout the day.

I deworm twice a year otherwise I start losing chickens from worms.

 

[Sonya9]

Is the wood stove something new? The "sleeping all the time" part makes me wonder if it could be carbon monoxide or something in the air?

 

[mankatogirls]

I did think about the wood stove and nib-co (runs on diesel fluid if it gets to cold). The shed is block with plywood doors so there are holes for air exchange. I did buy deworming liquid from my local farm supply store and am starting that.

Does anyone know if walnut trees are bad for chickens? My girls love to climb all over the wood pile and scratch to see what they find.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I did think about the wood stove and nib-co (runs on diesel fluid if it gets to cold). The shed is block with plywood doors so there are holes for air exchange. I did buy deworming liquid from my local farm supply store and am starting that.

Does anyone know if walnut trees are bad for chickens? My girls love to climb all over the wood pile and scratch to see what they find.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/671317/black-walnut-tree

I don't know about walnut trees and chickens personally but thought you may find this thread helpful.

 

[mankatogirls]

Ok I've started deworming day one. Let's hope that's what it is but I've not seen any indication in there poo.