My chickens keep on dying :( One after another

[claremariefield]

...

Claremariefield, I am so sorry that your chickens seem to be showing the same symptoms. It really is horrible.   One of my favourite chickens "Gobbles" has recently gotten sick, the same symptoms as our other ones who have died. I'm literally devastated. What's strange, is that only one chicken is sick at a time. Once one dies, about a month or two passes, and another one gets sick. And Gobbles crop is SO inflated, like a water balloon. She drank excessively and then stopped eating and drinking altogether, I brought her outside the chicken coop and tossed her some pieces of bread. When she bent down to eat it, liquid poured out of her mouth.

Mine haven't had fluid in their crop, but the last chicken I lost had an impacted crop which I treated the first time by feeding white fishing maggots (worked brilliantly) but then the second time it did not work.

I hope you find a solution soon

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Crop issues are usually a symptom of something else.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Coccidiosis is everywhere. Unfortunately there are 9 strains of cocci. Moving chickens to another run,will not guarantee that another overload/outbreak of cocci will occur. Cocci can be spread by birds,bringing in a new strain into your area on your hands/clothes/shoes etc. All chickens keepers should know the symptoms of cocci and keep Amprolium in their chicken first aid kit. Treat all chickens immediately if any show symptoms,this is the way to deal with this parasite.

And that's just chicken coccidia, turkeys get get 7 and all other species have their own types.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I've just looked this up and I agree. I think this is my problem too. Unfortunately the hen I was concerned about died this evening

Having seen this website: http://mikethechickenvet.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/spring-is-coming-so-is-coccidiosis/ the photo looks just like my poorly chicken.

Hope this helps others looking for solutions to this problem. I've purchased coxoid to treat my remaining hen just in case. I will also be resiting the run as I believe I have cocciodisis in the soil.

Sorry for your loss.

-Kathy

 

[claremariefield]

Sorry for your loss.

-Kathy

Thank you Kathy, do you know, could crop issues be a side effect of cocciodisis?

 

[casportpony]

Thank you Kathy, do you know, could crop issues be a side effect of cocciodisis?

I'm no expert, but I think it's possible... If the intestines are inflamed enough that they can't pass poop, I could see that causing crop statis.

FWIW, this morning I found a hen sitting on the perch looking off with a full crop, but I don't know if that's from last night or this morning. I took her down, tubed 60ml of water and massaged her crop, we'll see how she is tonight.

-Kathy

 

[claremariefield]

I'm no expert, but I think it's possible... If the intestines are inflamed enough that they can't pass poop, I could see that causing crop statis.

FWIW, this morning I found a hen sitting on the perch looking off with a full crop, but I don't know if that's from last night or this morning. I took her down, tubed 60ml of water and massaged her crop, we'll see how she is tonight.

-Kathy

Oh dear. Let's hope she is better later! The white fishing maggots really worked as long as it's grain not fluid.

 

[sdm111]

Is it possible to separate the birds from their coops and runs and disinfect throughy? I recommend this it pretty much kills anything just read the precautions.

 

[HudokFarm]

Virkon will not be effective killing coccidia. Neither will bleach or soaps. I have researched a lot in the past week since I lost five of my adult hens to this. I was hoping to make my run safer for my flock. Based on what I have read, only flame (or prolonged exposure to steam) or 10% ammonia solution will actually kill them; and then only on the surface of the area treated. The ammonia will not complete a kill unless exposure is at least 24 hours.

It is in the soil and I really don't think there is a way to prevent them from being exposed to it completely unless they never come into contact with soil or feces. My plan is to do a preventative Corid dosing once or twice per year to keep my flock safe from now on. If you halve the treatment dosage of Corid (2 tsp) you have a preventative dosage.

Incidentally, most of the hens I lost had few symptoms other than a pale comb in a few followed pretty quickly by death. One had a pale comb for a few days, but acted fairly normal otherwise. No bloody stools. Two of the hens I lost had big crops a day or two before they died so perhaps near the end their crops were peripherally affected by the damage done by the coccidiosis. One had post-mortem drainage from her beak and nose and the two I had necropsied had "turbid fluid" in their crops per the vet's report.

 

[sdm111]

As per the enclosed pamphlet it will. And will kill mereks which is why I purchased it in the first place along wil a long list of others.