I HAVE SYMPTOMS!!!! (icky pics...)...UPDATE...post #35

[mypicklebird]

Looks like wet pox, but other things can cause that cheesy discharge in the mouth. Trichomoniasis looks like that (canker), it can affect chickens- though it is usually in wild bird and especially pigeons/doves. Do you have these around? Trich is easy to diagnose, but you need a vet or someone experienced with a microscope. Take an ill bird to a vet who knows chickens- or I would get your state poultry extension involved- you are in FL? Your University of Florida has a poultry extension- call them. If is Coryza, you can treat with several antibiotics, but recovered birds are usually carriers that will infect incoming birds- as well as a risk to all of your neighbors's birds. If coryza is confirmed (this is why you want to get them tested for a hard result, not just a guess)- most people will depopulate, sanitize, wait 30 or more days before getting more birds. Any idea where this came from? Have you brought any new birds in, in the last month?

 

[crystalchik]

Mypicklebird, I do have pigeons, but they dont seem to be bothered at all, and dont seem to have been touched by this whole mess. As far as new birds, the most recent ones were some that I had shipped in from CA about 6 months ago. One developed a watery/crusty looking eye about a month after arriving (and after quarentine).
Come to think of it, about a month ago or longer i had an outbreak of something similar with the congestion/upper resp. symptoms that I thought almost resembled Newcastle's with the twisted neck, but it was only one and i think he just had an injured its neck or maybe had a stiff neck due to the virus because he did recover fine. I put everyone on injectable Duramycin (im assuming it was viral because the biotics didnt touch it), but still lost about 4 adults, and I still have one that has an infected eye from it...she is quarentined. The rest who had it seemed to recover relatively quickly, but it seems like a select few still have residual watery eyes. Do you think the two incidences have any correlation?

As for wet pox, thats what I thought at first, but it doesnt seem like it is "built up" like a pox usually is. I have had both wet and dry pox and it doesnt cover the whole mouth like this. And there arent any other symptoms associated with pox, esp upper resp. The other odd thing was that I checked the rest of the birds and this was the only one that had that plaque.

Thank you once again for your support honeydoll

 

[crystalchik]

Just checked my pigeons (who are in with the chickens) for the possibility of canker, and they are all fine.

 

[mypicklebird]

If you actually have pigeons in with the chickens- IMO it is canker until proven otherwise. Supposedly 50% or more of pigeons harbor this organism, they don't have to have obvious symptoms. Did you open all of the pigeon's mouths and look down their throats for plaques? This is an EASY diagnosis- but you need to have someone get swabs of the plaques to see the organisms. Get a vet to swab some of your pigeons and the chicken with yellow plaques- rule it in or out, then you at least know. It can be hard to get rid of, but I would rather have canker (trichomoniasis) than coryza... I could be totally wrong- but it looks like classic canker IF that was a pigeon mouth, and chickens CAN get canker. Still could be wet pox, but I would expect you to see dry pox lesions on some of the birds as well. The ill chicks with diarrhea may be totally different- coccidia or something else.

 

[Pine Grove]

Quote:
I think you are dead on..And with the chicks having pasty butts I think crystalchik is dealing with both the upper and lower forms of Trich..

 

[HLAC]

If you've been giving antibiotics and they haven't been getting better (and only the oxine gave any improvement) I would consider that your birds might be suffering from some wicked candidiasis. (yeast infection)

You really need to get them tested.

 

[crystalchik]

I checked every bird in the worst infected coop, and a few of the chickens seemed to have at least one small "cheesy" area on the back of the throat and those that did had bad breath, but most did not have any signs of illness. However, I also checked every pigeon in the coop and all of them were completely normal and showed no signs of any throat abstructions or illness. I have the chickens that I thought might have something separated so I can check them tomorrow to make sure it wasnt just food.
I have several sick birds that are showing symptoms, but their throats are clear.

Does this make sense?

 

[crystalchik]

Any other input ??? Please, Im still looking for answers or anyone with experience with something like this?

 

[mypicklebird]

Get one tested, then you will know. Canker, wet pox, coryza or something else. Each has a different treatment (or no treatment). Internet photo posting can only go so far. You have a decent differential list- go get some help and see what you have. Have you called your local FL poultry extension yet?

 

[Oven Ready]

The mouth cheese (for want of a better word) looks like canker.
From what I understand it is rare to get symptomatic canker (in chickens) but happens when the birds immune system is already compromised so canker is usually a secondary co-morbid condition.

Metronidazole (Flagyl) is an effective solution. If you can't buy it over the counter you need to have some disease like gardiasis or vaginitis for the doctor to prescribe it.
Carnidazole (don't know the common name) is a one shot treatment for pigeons, you should be able to buy this at a vet / pigeon specialist. You'll need to figure out the dosage based on weight but I don't think it's possible to overdose (within reason).

We gave one of our birds 50mg Metronidazole(quarter a 200mg tab) once per day and the canker had cleared within five days. Unfortunately the real cause of the sickness in the bird was an unnoticed infection, probably due to a dog bite near the tail and it died, but a home necropsy confirmed that the canker had completely gone.

eta : made it clearer we gave 50mg Metronidazole, not Carnidazole