HELP!! Wheezing, big abdomen and vent gleet

[fatimastic]

I cannot offer much help. It seems you have a respiratory disease that has affected your flock. Infectious bronchitis virus is one, and survivors carry it for up to a year after they recover. IBV can cause some later reproductive disorders, affect egg laying, and many may stop laying prematurely or die of reproductive diseases. A full lower belly sounds like possible ascites (water belly) or internal laying. Once all of the birds you have have died, you could start over with healthy chicks. But there probably is not a lot you can do for birds already having reproductive disorders on top of respiratory disease, other than supportive care.

Thank you for your input...
It's sad, honestly ,because they were my first flock. You can never forget your first love, can you? Its painful for me to see all them go away at such young age with pain.
Do you recommend I cull my hen in this thread, or try to take water out and give her 2 more days with the antibiotics?

 

[Eggcessive]

You can try the antibiotics for a few more days. There is no guarantee that antibiotics will help. With ascites, some people may withdraw fluid occasionally to relieve pressure and breathing. It has the risk of infection and death, so not totally without risk. Culling is up to you. It is just when there is a respiratory disease in the flock, those just keep on affecting any birds added to the flock. Close your flock, and once all birds are gone for a month or two, you can add new birds. It may take years to do that.

 

[fatimastic]

You can try the antibiotics for a few more days. There is no guarantee that antibiotics will help. With ascites, some people may withdraw fluid occasionally to relieve pressure and breathing. It has the risk of infection and death, so not totally without risk. Culling is up to you. It is just when there is a respiratory disease in the flock, those just keep on affecting any birds added to the flock. Close your flock, and once all birds are gone for a month or two, you can add new birds. It may take years to do that.

When I woke up, she was eating scrambled eggs on her own. But her wheezing is still there. I'll try to relieve pressure I suppose. And I'm not going to be adding anyone new to them. Her crop did empty up a bit. Mayhaps I should try epsom salt water to clear you the passage again.

 

[fatimastic]

You can try the antibiotics for a few more days. There is no guarantee that antibiotics will help. With ascites, some people may withdraw fluid occasionally to relieve pressure and breathing. It has the risk of infection and death, so not totally without risk. Culling is up to you. It is just when there is a respiratory disease in the flock, those just keep on affecting any birds added to the flock. Close your flock, and once all birds are gone for a month or two, you can add new birds. It may take years to do that.

What do you think about these droppings?

 

[fatimastic]

I'll tag in some people who can help you more then what I can.

@azygous

@Wyorp Rock

@Eggcessive

Her wheezing has gotten a lot better after the antibiotics. She is more alert now but her comb is still down. Maybe because she isn't getting enough nutrients. I've given her egg yolks with rice and apples. She loves the eat the egg yolks. She only pecks at other food a bit but is not showing much interest. Im still confused whether to cull her or not. Her droppings look like this. I tried getting water out of her belly once, but I accidentally pecked at her egg yolks even though she is not laying. Should I try taking out water again?

She is active enough that I can't catch her in an open field, but not as much as she is usually. These are her droppings. They don't look too good to me but her getting her energy back is making me confused about what to do...

 

[Eggcessive]

What is in all of the droppings? Maggots or worms? Does she have any maggots on her vent area? Do you have a balanced chicken feed? If she has ascites (water belly) the draining is only temporary since it is not curable.

 

[fatimastic]

What is in all of the droppings? Maggots or worms? Does she have any maggots on her vent area? Do you have a balanced chicken feed? If she has ascites (water belly) the draining is only temporary since it is not curable.

That's just rice she spread around. They aren't maggots. She hasn't been eating normal feed so I am giving her easy soft food to eat.
I'm leaning more towards internal laying if it also causes a squishy and watery belly. Have you taken a look at her vent?

 

[fatimastic]

That's just rice she spread around. They aren't maggots. She hasn't been eating normal feed so I am giving her easy soft food to eat.
I'm leaning more towards internal laying if it also causes a squishy and watery belly. Have you taken a look at her vent?

I left her out to free range with her friends. She is showing some interest in her surroundings, but she certainly is lethargic and not back to her usual self. Her breathing has gone normal after 5 days of antibiotics.
But her diarrhea still remains. What do you think @Eggcessive ? Can I do something else?

 

[Eggcessive]

The vent just looks messy, from droppings not clearing the bottom. Diarrhea could be that she needs probiotics after the antibiotic treatment. But chickens with reproductive can have loose droppings. Plain unsweetened yogurt or buttermilk can be good for probiotics. Just a bit of cooked rice can be added to those.

 

[ThaliaGrace]

My hen has been really sick a lot of time. She will turn 2 in a few months. She got impacted crop back in September and barely came out alive. She hasn't been laying eggs and her abdomen is really big. It not hard, but watery and squishy. My flock got infectious bronchitis when they were young and she has always had respiratory issues. I've given them, on and off, on different antibiotics. Her tail is currently down and she is wheezing really loudly. Breathing with her mouth open. She also has vent gleet and her vent is looking really dry. I've lost 3 hens from reproductive issues. 2 in under a week in the last week of this February. I have no idea what to do... should I just cull her because it's really hard for me to see their health deteriorate over time. Her droppings are also not healthy. Im giving here electrolyte water because her crop is nearly empty.

This sounds like ascitites, although it typically presents in older chickens.