Hen hides in corner of coop

[casportpony]

I suspected it was a respiratory disease like I mentioned in post #15. I highly recommend that you cull her immediately and bury far away from your coop or incinerate her. You're risking the chance that it will spread to your other birds.

We put her down today and will be sending her for a necropsy on Monday. I really wanted her to get better but it was finally clear that she wasn't going to.

Would treating the others with the Duramycin as a preventative do more harm than good - build up a resistance?

I would not treat the others if they they don't have symptoms.

-Kathy

 

[Toddrick]

A bacterial infection can also cause what looks like wry neck.

-Kathy

I had a lot of misconceptions about wry neck (can be caused by about anything I am learning) and respiratory diseasses (apparently all can have nearly the same symptoms). I am very curious to find out what actually caused this. Like was wry neck a primary symptom of secondary? Was primary disease Coryza, MG, weird type of New Castle, or Mareks? Vets (and human doctors) have consistently let me down as far as using taking the time to actually identify diseases, but a necropsy should tell all.

 

[Meggie44]

I had a lot of misconceptions about wry neck (can be caused by about anything I am learning) and respiratory diseasses (apparently all can have nearly the same symptoms). I am very curious to find out what actually caused this. Like was wry neck a primary symptom of secondary? Was primary disease Coryza, MG, weird type of New Castle, or Mareks? Vets (and human doctors) have consistently let me down as far as using taking the time to actually identify diseases, but a necropsy should tell all.

I will definitely let you all know what it was. I can't thank you all enough for your help. I feel much more prepared for anything that may come up with this flock, and any in the future.

 

[casportpony]

I had a lot of misconceptions about wry neck (can be caused by about anything I am learning) and respiratory diseasses (apparently all can have nearly the same symptoms). I am very curious to find out what actually caused this. Like was wry neck a primary symptom of secondary? Was primary disease Coryza, MG, weird type of New Castle, or Mareks? Vets (and human doctors) have consistently let me down as far as using taking the time to actually identify diseases, but a necropsy should tell all.

I will definitely let you all know what it was. I can't thank you all enough for your help. I feel much more prepared for anything that may come up with this flock, and any in the future.

Which lab will you be sending to? I use the one in Tulare.

-Kathy

 

[Meggie44]

Which lab will you be sending to? I use the one in Tulare.

-Kathy

That's the one I went to. There were some complications with the packaging so I ended up driving it there myself. They said I should have a report within a couple days - are they really that fast?

 

[Meggie44]

I wouldn't do it in this case because a respiratory disease is suspected, and the antibiotic might mask their symptoms, making you think they were never infected.

I don't believe antibiotic resistence occurs from infrequent doses, but is more of a long term thing caused by frivolous use (like putting antibiotics in feed regularly or dosing every time one sneezes or gets a scratch). Many would disagree, but I have no hesitation dosing when something serious is detected. But again, in your case I'd wait for the necropsy before doing anything.

I think you did the right thing, that bird was suffering. I'm so glad you are doing the necropsy. Please let us know what they find.

So, the main thing she had was MG. The report also listed enterococcus (which is strep essentially), tracheitis, e.coli but no salmonella, and the results are still pending for laryngo.

 

[dawg53]

Quote: So, the main thing she had was MG. The report also listed enterococcus (which is strep essentially), tracheitis, e.coli but no salmonella, and the results are still pending for laryngo.
One of the symptoms of ILT aka Infectious Laryngotracheitis is that birds produce bloody mucus in the trachea. In order to breathe, they shake their head and neck in order to get rid of the bloody mucus in order to breathe. The bloody mucus is slung everywhere; walls, floors, roosts etc...ILT is another very contageous disease just like MG, and it's possible for birds to have one or more diseases at the same time.

 

[Meggie44]

One of the symptoms of ILT aka Infectious Laryngotracheitis is that birds produce bloody mucus in the trachea. In order to breathe, they shake their head and neck in order to get rid of the bloody mucus in order to breathe. The bloody mucus is slung everywhere; walls, floors, roosts etc...ILT is another very contageous disease just like MG, and it's possible for birds to have one or more diseases at the same time.

I thought that's what it was going to be, honestly. She did shake her head a lot but I never saw stuff fly everywhere. Here's a couple lines from the report that makes me think she had that too: "ILT testing is pending and though I did not see lesions typical of this disease, the chronic form often does not have classic lesions. " and "Upper respiratory: Marked gray green slightly bloody mucoid material filling nasal cavity and obscuring turbinates. Sinuses appeared normal. Mild white mucoid discharge in larynx."

I can't believe how many diseases she had! Poor thing.

 

[Toddrick]

Thanks for the update. What a terrible place she must've come from. Looks like you'll need to cull them all, and start new in a couple months or so, right?

 

[Meggie44]

Thanks for the update. What a terrible place she must've come from. Looks like you'll need to cull them all, and start new in a couple months or so, right?

The others haven't shown any symptoms yet, and it's past the incubation period. They were obviously exposed to her though. Is that what you would do? And if so, is 2 months enough time or does it need to be in the 6 month range?...