Hens w/ respiratory issues and it's not in their lungs

[TheSpiceGirls]

I really need some advice here.

I have 5 hens and I know them quite well as they are pets. A few weeks back, I noticed that one was off. Smaller poop piles under the roost but still eating and drinking and laying eggs. She's a 6 month old BO and has two sisters from the same shipment to the feed store. Not sure if they are blood line related.

About a week after I noticed she was a tad off, I caught her panting in the afternoons when no one else was. I dismissed it as her getting use to our warmer days and all her feathers. She'd be fine in the mornings.

So this went on for about a week and I finally thought, this isn't right. It's only 80 degrees. So I picked her up and set her facing me and her breath was hot and she was really wheezing.

I tried Duramycian-10 in the water for three days with no improvement so I took her to the vet. Who took xrays and found she was full of fluid that was compressing her lungs. She drained quite a bit of fluid which looked more like egg white material to me than regular fluid. She also put her on an anti-inflamatory and a stronger antibiotic. So all 5 hens are getting the 10 day course of Baytril.

Interestingly, the culture comes back negative for respiratory infection. Maybe because I put Duramycin in their water for 3 days? Dunno. I was happy that we didn't have anything bad so I dismissed it.

I thought she was getting better but three days into treatment and she's really wheezing again so we take her back to the vet. She xrays her again and she's full of fluid but this time, the vet can't drain it off. It's like it's solidified inside of her. Crop is full of food. she's pooping just fine. Continued to lay eggs through all this and you can see the next egg in side of her on the xray.

She offers to do surgery but I say no. I can't bear to watch her struggle like this so we put her down. I'm heartbroken. The vet offers to do a necropsy but I decline. Figured she just wasn't right from the beginning and since it's not contagious, I'm not worried.

This afternoon, one of the other 6 month old BO's is panting hard. Oh boy, here we go again. I pick her up and hold her up to me and she's wheezing.

What on earth is causing this? I have plants in my yard that are toxic but I don't see them eating them, tomatoes, Hydrangeas, etc. I do have some bulbs and I know those are toxic and occasionally they did those up and I either toss them in the trash or replant them.

I'll definitely call the vet on Monday and if this hen goes down, we'll necropsy her.

But can you think of anything else that would cause them to fill up with fluid like this?

It's HEARTBREAKING. I just have the 4 now and they are pets. They have names and we go out there every day to visit w/ them. We hold them in our laps, etc. If they all go down one by one, then I'm done with chickens. I can't deal w/ this kind of heartbreak.

 

[coloradogal]

I don't know a thing about respiratory infections as until tonight, I have never had a furrkid come down with one. I just know how disheartening it is to post something and not have a response. The vet would be the best source but when you find out, please let us know.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Thanks. I appreciate the reply.

I knew it was a long shot.

I know many on this group have larger flocks and if a hen is ill, they can just put her down. I just don't have that in me. I'm a city girl and these hens quickly became very special pets.

I'm just trying to gather up any info I can before I call the vet on Monday.

I'm now suspicious that they are possibly eating something in my garden that is poisoning them. There's just no way that two hens that are only 6 months old can die from their bodies filling with fluid and have that be a coincidence.

 

[kelar]

Do a search on ascites and see if you think this is what your hen might have. I've never had this in my flock so have no direct experience, but the fluid build up is typical of this problem.

 

[kelar]

Sorry, reread your first post and see that you euthanized the first hen. Wheezing is very typical of respiratory problems and even though the symptoms seem similar, the first hen may have had ascites, exacerbated by a respiratory infection. Unfortunately, respiratory problems are extremely common in backyard flocks, but usually not fatal. Some people euthanize, many others treat symptomatically if necessary. It is estimated that more than 90% of backyard flocks carry one of the mycoplasma infections.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Yea, I've had some respiratory issues before. Sneezing, runny noses. They've all resolved themselves without intervention.

This is totally different.

Someone suggested Ascites. Maybe. I dunno. The vet offered to necropsy her and I declined. Now I'm wishing I had. Certainly if this next hen goes the same direction as the first, we'll have her opened up to see what's going on and see if we can't get to the bottom of this and prevent the remaining three from getting it.

 

[sherylreno]

What are you feeding them? What type of treats? Ascites is the fluid that builds up but the disease is fatty liver disease from too much protein and fats. Some say BOSS helps this disease so and they say you shouldn't feed too much BOSS. If you are already feeding them high protein then you wouldn't need to feed more to them and watch the fat content of what you're feeding them. This sounds exactly what's going on.

 

[kelar]

Actually, you are confusing Ascites with Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome. Ascites starts with pulmonary hypertension thought to possibly be caused by the metabolic demands associated with fast growth, especially in broiler birds. The fluid accumulating in the abdominal cavity is plasma leakage through the surface of the liver, occurring as a result of congestive heart failure. Fatty Liver disease can occur when hens are fed high amounts of dietary energy such as corn. The build up of fat can cause internal hemorrhage that is often fatal.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Wow, this is all very interesting.

I do feed them a sprinkler of BOSS every afternoon. It's what I use to get them back into their run.

I didn't realize that you could give them too much protein.

I will certainly back off the BOSS for now.

 

[kelar]

Treats are fine in moderation. Too much of a good thing is not because it upsets the balance of nutrients and they tend to eat the treats and ignore their balanced layer ration. As with most animals, too much fat, combined with lack of exercise, can be fatal.