Greetings, Chicken Oracles,
We have this ongoing thing with a poorly hen and can't figure what's going on. Grateful, as always, for any insight and guidance.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Buckeye hen, 5 months, lighter than other hens but not miserably thin
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
A couple weeks back she had a little bit of foam in one eye and was occasionally breathing with a gaping mouth and croaking noise. Eye swelled shut for a day. Pale comb. Stays separate from other birds because they pick on her. Now, she's got one eye that's looking bumpy/saggy/weird. The other eye looks pretty normal. I don't have photos of the other birds for comparison, but the difference in this one eye is marked. She's very sweet and tolerates our handling and treating her.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
3 weeks or so
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
None of the birds in her flock have any of the same symptoms. We isolated her for a while. Some hens in a separate flock had mild breathing symptoms earlier in the summer. We try to keep the old and new flocks isolated, but it's hard on a small farm.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
We've been worried for months that we brought pullets with MG onto the farm. We got rid of them within 24 hours. Why on earth did we bring anything older than 1 day onto our farm? We know better! We just wanted some birds at point of lay during COVID. Full of regret.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Eats well, drinks well.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Pretty normal. Occasionally yellow and foamy but more often well-formed.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Doxycycline, which seems to have helped the breathing issue. Terramycin opthalmic ointment, which seems to have opened the eye but still hasn't resolved the swelling around the eye.
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?
We'll treat her on our own for as long as it's humane.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Below.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pasture pen with straw and grass floor.
We have this ongoing thing with a poorly hen and can't figure what's going on. Grateful, as always, for any insight and guidance.
1) What type of bird , age and weight (does the chicken seem or feel lighter or thinner than the others.)
Buckeye hen, 5 months, lighter than other hens but not miserably thin
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
A couple weeks back she had a little bit of foam in one eye and was occasionally breathing with a gaping mouth and croaking noise. Eye swelled shut for a day. Pale comb. Stays separate from other birds because they pick on her. Now, she's got one eye that's looking bumpy/saggy/weird. The other eye looks pretty normal. I don't have photos of the other birds for comparison, but the difference in this one eye is marked. She's very sweet and tolerates our handling and treating her.
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
3 weeks or so
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
None of the birds in her flock have any of the same symptoms. We isolated her for a while. Some hens in a separate flock had mild breathing symptoms earlier in the summer. We try to keep the old and new flocks isolated, but it's hard on a small farm.
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
No.
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
We've been worried for months that we brought pullets with MG onto the farm. We got rid of them within 24 hours. Why on earth did we bring anything older than 1 day onto our farm? We know better! We just wanted some birds at point of lay during COVID. Full of regret.
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
Eats well, drinks well.
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
Pretty normal. Occasionally yellow and foamy but more often well-formed.
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
Doxycycline, which seems to have helped the breathing issue. Terramycin opthalmic ointment, which seems to have opened the eye but still hasn't resolved the swelling around the eye.
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?
We'll treat her on our own for as long as it's humane.
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
Below.
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
Pasture pen with straw and grass floor.
