HI,
I have a 4&5 week-old flock of 30 chicks that seem to have developed...something... first one was sneezing and wheezing. Then one different chick died and had a swollen head/eyes. I thought coryza, but all the literature I am seeing says that although incubation is 1-3 days, it takes 4-6 weeks to build it up to the potentially lethal point? these chicks are too young for that. What else could it be? More than one thing going on? Initially I thought it was a respiratory infection, as my favorite chick sat on my lap and sneezed and wheezed, so I started them on tetracycline. Then the one died and it had a puffed out head and eyes, so I then added the sulfa-met thinking "coryza" 10 hours after I started the tetracycline, so now they are getting both. But the age doesn't seem right. See details below. What else could it be? I'm in California. I've never had a sick chick before, let alone 30, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.
1) What type of bird age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) All birds 4-6 weeks old, eating, drinking, scratching, chasing--seem normal. BUT after the first one died, within 24 hours many showed with puffy eyes, heads somewhat swollen.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. somewhat lethargic, but all will come for treats, scratch around, eat, drink, etc.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Less than 36-48 hours. I put them on the meds above 24 hours ago, and am seeming some marked improvement. All are now acting normally. But which med is helping??
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? YES. Only three were sneezing. The worst one died. The second improved overnight to almost no wheeze!
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. NOPE
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Multiple factors at work. I have never had a respiratory infection before. These chicks are separated from my adult flock. Some were hatched by a friend, some added from two breeders. NOTES: 1. My adult rooster was at a local show and started sneezing within 2 days. Chicks were inside a brooder and 0-1 week old at that same time. BUT he is not near these chicks. 2. I received sick chicks from another person and added them to my newly hatched chicks. 1 died, 3 culled. Results of necropsy were fairly inconclusive due to UPS losing the sample for a DAY!, but they posted it as not infectious, per the paperwork. Some e.coli. 3. Received other breeder chicks one week after the hatched and sick chicks. One failure to thrive, but otherwise fine (15 birds). All same ages w/in two weeks.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. All chicks have been on medicated chick starter since hatch, with vitamins/electrolites in water as needed. Recently added big chunks of grass with dirt from the garden for scratching around in.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. NORMAL
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? 36 hours of tetracycline, 24 hours of sulfamet, 4 days of chick vitamins/electrolytes
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Am already treating; want opinions so I can decide a course of further action. If another dies, I will send it for necropsy, but all seem to be improving this morning and even better tonight.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use 8 x 10 foot shed, two brooder lamps, ventilation, 3-4 inches of pine shavings, 3 feeding/watering stations, branches, dust bathing area, whole kale/chard plants, chick grit. This is chick camp!
If anyone thinks it can't be coryza due to the age of the chicks, please let me know. I am stumped. Here is a photo of the one that died. I was actually photographing the bird in front of it, but caught it in back, so edited. This chick died w/in 10 hours. It was an Ameraucana, so it is a bit hard to see that the face is poofed out, but you can see the eye starting to swell.
This chick was just starting to get the bulging lower eyelid and cheek bulge... Now appears mostly resolved.
I have a 4&5 week-old flock of 30 chicks that seem to have developed...something... first one was sneezing and wheezing. Then one different chick died and had a swollen head/eyes. I thought coryza, but all the literature I am seeing says that although incubation is 1-3 days, it takes 4-6 weeks to build it up to the potentially lethal point? these chicks are too young for that. What else could it be? More than one thing going on? Initially I thought it was a respiratory infection, as my favorite chick sat on my lap and sneezed and wheezed, so I started them on tetracycline. Then the one died and it had a puffed out head and eyes, so I then added the sulfa-met thinking "coryza" 10 hours after I started the tetracycline, so now they are getting both. But the age doesn't seem right. See details below. What else could it be? I'm in California. I've never had a sick chick before, let alone 30, so any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.
1) What type of bird age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.) All birds 4-6 weeks old, eating, drinking, scratching, chasing--seem normal. BUT after the first one died, within 24 hours many showed with puffy eyes, heads somewhat swollen.
2) What is the behavior, exactly. somewhat lethargic, but all will come for treats, scratch around, eat, drink, etc.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms? Less than 36-48 hours. I put them on the meds above 24 hours ago, and am seeming some marked improvement. All are now acting normally. But which med is helping??
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms? YES. Only three were sneezing. The worst one died. The second improved overnight to almost no wheeze!
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma. NOPE
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation. Multiple factors at work. I have never had a respiratory infection before. These chicks are separated from my adult flock. Some were hatched by a friend, some added from two breeders. NOTES: 1. My adult rooster was at a local show and started sneezing within 2 days. Chicks were inside a brooder and 0-1 week old at that same time. BUT he is not near these chicks. 2. I received sick chicks from another person and added them to my newly hatched chicks. 1 died, 3 culled. Results of necropsy were fairly inconclusive due to UPS losing the sample for a DAY!, but they posted it as not infectious, per the paperwork. Some e.coli. 3. Received other breeder chicks one week after the hatched and sick chicks. One failure to thrive, but otherwise fine (15 birds). All same ages w/in two weeks.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all. All chicks have been on medicated chick starter since hatch, with vitamins/electrolites in water as needed. Recently added big chunks of grass with dirt from the garden for scratching around in.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc. NORMAL
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far? 36 hours of tetracycline, 24 hours of sulfamet, 4 days of chick vitamins/electrolytes
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet? Am already treating; want opinions so I can decide a course of further action. If another dies, I will send it for necropsy, but all seem to be improving this morning and even better tonight.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use 8 x 10 foot shed, two brooder lamps, ventilation, 3-4 inches of pine shavings, 3 feeding/watering stations, branches, dust bathing area, whole kale/chard plants, chick grit. This is chick camp!
If anyone thinks it can't be coryza due to the age of the chicks, please let me know. I am stumped. Here is a photo of the one that died. I was actually photographing the bird in front of it, but caught it in back, so edited. This chick died w/in 10 hours. It was an Ameraucana, so it is a bit hard to see that the face is poofed out, but you can see the eye starting to swell.
This chick was just starting to get the bulging lower eyelid and cheek bulge... Now appears mostly resolved.
