My Chickens are very sick and I need some advice please!

[LW]

I have four layers. This morning when I went down to the coop two were fine but two were lying on the ground not moving their eyes are sort of shut but covered in white looking film.
I have let the healthy two out and shut the sick two inside. They are not really moving and look near death.
Is there anything I can do?
These are my first chickens they are about 10 months old. I have no idea what breed they are just standard brown feathered hens?
Any advice would be really appreciated
Thank you

 

[Kittymomma]

Look for the sticky at the top of this section and post as much of the information that it asks for as you can. The more information about your girls the better the chances are that someone can help you. In the meantime I'd bring the two sick ones in so they can be kept warm and you can better monitor what they are doing.

 

[KittyKelly]

Here is the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3569

Give us the following information. The more you tell us, the better we will be able to help you.

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
>>>3) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
>>>4) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
>>>5) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
>>>6) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
>>>7) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
>>>8 ) 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?
>>>9) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
>>>10) Describe the housing/bedding in use

 

[LW]

Thanks for your responses,

They have a 1m by 1m wooden coop with a 3m by 1m wire run. But I let them out during the day and only lock them in at night for their protection.
They are 10 months, they have been really healthy up till now and started laying about 5 months ago and lay everyday like clockwork.

Unfortunately while I was up here on the computer googling and registering here and posting my query. I went back down and one has expired.
The other is looking like following.

No signs of any odd behaivour, poop all normal, no marks on chickens at all.

We do not have access to a vet where we live - so its only what I can do. I have just seperated the healthy chooks from the sick ones.
Now I dont know what to do with the one that expired?

My husband just rang me from work and tells me he thinks it is Botulism.
We live in Solomon Islands and rainy season is just starting - aparantly they can get this from eating wet food, wet or rotting vegetation and pecking at rotten food scraps.

Their run is exposed perhaps I need to ensure the feeder is completely safe from rain and only put the vege scraps in when its dry?

 

[PortageGirl]

Oh I'm sorry for your loss and problems and worry.

Botulism usually has signs like very stinky poo, and feathers coming out in clumps very easily. go to the 'Emergencies/Diseases/injuries and cures' header and there's a long thread about several instances stickied about it.

It is of course a possibility, but there is a difference between 'wet' food, and 'rotten' food. If their feed has gotten rotten or spoiled, then yeah, if it just got wet and they ate it before spoilage started, then not such a problem.

Is it possible they got into something toxic? Botulism usually is a little slower to affect actually, of course I say 'usually'

ARe there other chicken keepers around you? Sometimes there can be something common in the area. Try asking around.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

So sorry for you loss. Hope you can learn more. They do become our dear friends.

 

[chickenzoo]

Also have they ever been wormed? Lice & mites can wear them down also and make them anemic etc...

 

[AHappychick]

had they lost weight? do you see any bugs on them, check their poo, any worms? you should check the healthy ones too. more info would be helpful to try to figure it out. If you are up for trying to do a home necropsy there are a few threads on just that going on right now.

 

[sammi]

if feed has gotten wet it can go moldy especially in tropical temps..and cause a form of botulism.
all kitchen type foods..veggies, fruits, etc..should only be given in small amounts that they will eat quickly and not left to sit in heat and rain..

what all do you feed?
sounds like you might be giving them too much veggies, etc..
have you ever wormed them?
treated for mites/lice?
what bedding do you use?
do they always have access to fresh water? does the water go green?
what are the temps there? is it hot and humid enough to cause heat stroke?

if you can get some plain active culture yogurt, try giving it to them...the healthy ones..or mix with oatmeal and cooked egg yolk..

as to the sick ones..describe their droppings..color and consistency..(runny, foamy, mucus, ..etc..and color)..whatever you see that might have been there's..
and also droppings from the other ones.
please describe their condition is detail..
try bringing the sick one in a cool area and see if it will take some water..by drops on beak..
is it conscious?
limp? etc..