My hens are dying, vets says 2.5 years is old? true

[NovaAman]

The bacterial that caused the continuous pnemonia can be passed thru the egg... She can give a much better description of what had happened. I think all she was trying to tell the OP was that, it sounds like what she had dealt with on the basic pnuemonia front, and if its the type she had, can be passed thru, and culling is sometime necessary.

If it looks like may be cocci, Albon is great. Not only that, Albon is also a great broad spectrum antibotic.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Most vets that have chicken training get that from large commercial operations where the birds are either slaughtered at 7 weeks or are played out as layers by 2 1/2. I doubt he's had any backyard chickens of his own.

Do you have a vet school near you?
When birds start dying in succession, it's best to get a necropsy or at least a fecal sample to quickly get to the root of the problem rather than indiscriminately throwing wormers and antibiotics at them.

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics is a problem creating immune pathogens. In many cases, humans use the same antibiotics. It's a slippery slope.

 

[oesdog]

Your Vet doesn't know what he is talking about!!!!!!!
Chickens depending on the breed can live as long as 12yrs!!!!! Not saying that they would lay well but they can last a good long time.
A lot of Vets wont treat hens at all - one of my Vets didn;t even know the difference bettween a rare breed cream crested legbar and a run of the mill Leghorn and he was supposed to be a chicken expert. Told me to cull one bird that made a full recovery when I treated it with BYC help!!!!! A lot of Vets and even avian vets simply don;t get chicken love!!!!!!!!

It has to be something else

Oesdog - best of luck.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, it could be several different things. I suggest you call your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government, and see what it would take to get a necropsy or a fecal sample tested. In some states this is prety easy and inexpensive, but in some it is neither easy nor inexpensive. But at least you would know what you are dealing with.

When I first got chickens in this location, I called my county extension agent, who connected me with a professor at the University of Arkansas that teaches chicken diseases among other things. He also is a chicken breeder and has won some nice prizes from showing chickens. He is also on the regional task force that investigates chicken disease outbreaks. Some people on this forum know who I am talking about. I consider him as qualified as anybody to give advice on chicken diseases, whether a backyard flock or a commercial operation.

In our discussions about chicken diseases in this area and how I manage my chickens, I mentioned that I planned to eat all my chickens before they reached 3 years of age. His comment was something like, then there are some diseases we won't need to discuss. I was not intelligent enough or quick enough to ask why and I don't know which diseases he was thinking about. I could make guesses but I won't. I just don't know why. But it does sound like older chickens might be more susceptible to some diseases than younger chickens.

But 3 years old is not that old for a chicken. That should not be happening happening to yours. To me, it sounds more like a disease than worms or lice, but I try to never totally rule anything out. Check them for mites after dark in case it is roost mites. It is possible that mites, lice, or worms are weakening them enough for something else that would normally not bother them to now kill them. And I would not rule out Coccidiosis. Older chickens often get hit pretty hard by a new strain of of the protozoa that causes Cocci, and all it takes is for a wild bird that is infected to void itself in their area for them to get it.

 

[bairo]

Quote:
No, she meant exactly what she said. MSU vet did all the work on her hen, then the 2 other pullets that she had gotten to keep the original hen company. E. coli bacteria that contiued to stay in the system causing continuous pneumonia reaccurances.

The vet at MSU may have found E. Coli in the system and I would hope that he did since all chickens carry gram negative organisms in their gut as normal. E. Coli though did not cause Pneumonia !! Sorry, but it does not work that way. Even in very chronic cases of an over abundance of E.Coli and subsequent infection.... it causes abscesses in and around the gut /intestines. Not pneumonia. The birds could have gotten an upper respiratory infection due to a low immunity from the E.Coli and that secondarily caused pneumonia perhaps. But E.Coli did not cause pneumonia. I am happy to see people that have a basic medical knowledge of chickens as I believe it is very helpful. You must be careful though because sometimes people have just enough knowledge to cause harm from misinformation. This includes vets that have not had training with fowl. There are several on here that are extremely knowledgeable with diseases and injuries involving chickens, "speckled hen" included. Please do not spread misinformation nor be argumentive with people with much more experience than yourself. This is not beneficial to the community.

 

[britany]

I fill like my older hens are starting to ack slugesh and two in the last month in and a half have past but it look nachrull thay fell asleep and never wack up but is this mein thare could be a problem I changed the bedding bouth times and I have nodes a nuther hen acking slow I'm nuves is thare eney Ida about what to look out for if it's normal my flock command mostly older um a roo at 8 yares and then hen are 3 or more of age but this yare bouth a few chicks only 4 months at the most

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In what country are you located?

 

[britany]

In what country are you located?

. I'm in Maine

 

[ozarkmomma]

I fill like my older hens are starting to ack slugesh and two in the last month in and a half have past but it look nachrull thay fell asleep and never wack up but is this mein thare could be a problem I changed the bedding bouth times and I have nodes a nuther hen acking slow I'm nuves is thare eney Ida about what to look out for if it's normal my flock command mostly older um a roo at 8 yares and then hen are 3 or more of age but this yare bouth a few chicks only 4 months at the most

you need to start your own post instead of hijacking someone else's post. You will get more help .

 

[britany]

you need to start your own post instead of hijacking someone else's post.  You will get more help .

o I'm sorry I thought I wen I clicked on this is was mine own post I'm varry sorry