New Birds from Breeder have Lice & Coryza

[Me & Jack]

OMG! I think it's sour crop. I'm hoping that's all it is/was. Got some advice from several poultry people who suggested sour crop stinks and could explain the smell I noticed, as well as the discharge. Also, he was sort of spitting up water after he would drink, which someone stated was common with sour crop or impacted crop. Going to check his crop in the morning and try a few home remedies, as recommended. He seems so normal today, with no more discharge, although I could still smell that same smell.

 

[chickened]

I have seen birds with Coryza and there is no doubt on the smell. Sour crop is no comparison. Culling is the ONLY option unfortunately. A friend spent 25,000.00 on getting in the chicken business and lost everything to coryza and Infectious laryngotracheitis (spelling?) She had to cull all the birds. I would kill the birds if you are sure it is Coryza and tell the breeder. I would be very mad at someone that intentionally sold me sick birds and any good breeder (not backyard type) should know his birds well enough to know if they are carriers of transmittable diseases. I would post his name if they did it knowingly and I was sure of it.

 

[Me & Jack]

That's enough. The only symptoms I noticed with this bird were a discharge around his nostrils and a terrible smell. He had no other symptoms of coryza -- in fact, he was energetic, feisty, and strutting around his little pullet proudly. When someone suggested it could be sour crop, and I read about the symptoms, it confirmed exactly what I had noted with this bird. So, based on this information, would you cull because the symptoms matched sour crop more than they matched coryza?

I'm starting to wonder if people have culled birds that had sour crop only because the information they found online (from websites and threads on forums) made them initially think it was something that it was not (like me relying on the opinions of those who haven't even seen the bird in question). I'm not going to cull an otherwise healthy bird if all he has is some impaction or overgrowth of yeast in his crop. Tomorrow he's going to the vet and I'm going to get to the bottom of this one way or another. Let the real expert tell me what the right thing to do is. For those who mete out advice based on what they think they know I would just like to say, culling is an easy answer when it's not your bird or your bird's life at stake. For those who feel inclined to solicit or follow the advice of people they've never met, beware -- trust your own instincts.

 

[Me & Jack]

BTW, I would not post this breeder's name just because I thought the breeder sold me a sick chicken -- unless I had some kind of evidence they knew it. Otherwise, it's called libel, and they could sue me. Besides, I'd rather give this person -- who is actually a very nice and helpful person -- the benefit of the doubt. I believe they deserve it.

 

[kari_dawn]

Me & Jack :

OMG! I think it's sour crop. I'm hoping that's all it is/was. Got some advice from several poultry people who suggested sour crop stinks and could explain the smell I noticed, as well as the discharge. Also, he was sort of spitting up water after he would drink, which someone stated was common with sour crop or impacted crop. Going to check his crop in the morning and try a few home remedies, as recommended. He seems so normal today, with no more discharge, although I could still smell that same smell.

That's great news! I truely hope that is what it is! I think people are automatically jumping to the coryza diagnosis because it is in the title of your thread, and the initial symptoms matched. I have seen people post pictures of birds with coryza, and it is noticable, and awful looking...Maybe if you post a picture of your bird, people can have a visual of the bird's symptoms, rather than just jumping on the coryza band wagon...sour crop is a much better diagnosis from what I understand, and people have had good sucess treating it. Please keep us updated on the little guy and post picture! (I just want some eye candy

)​

 

[dawg53]

Me & Jack :

That's enough. The only symptoms I noticed with this bird were a discharge around his nostrils and a terrible smell. He had no other symptoms of coryza -- in fact, he was energetic, feisty, and strutting around his little pullet proudly. When someone suggested it could be sour crop, and I read about the symptoms, it confirmed exactly what I had noted with this bird. So, based on this information, would you cull because the symptoms matched sour crop more than they matched coryza?

I'm starting to wonder if people have culled birds that had sour crop only because the information they found online (from websites and threads on forums) made them initially think it was something that it was not (like me relying on the opinions of those who haven't even seen the bird in question). I'm not going to cull an otherwise healthy bird if all he has is some impaction or overgrowth of yeast in his crop. Tomorrow he's going to the vet and I'm going to get to the bottom of this one way or another. Let the real expert tell me what the right thing to do is. For those who mete out advice based on what they think they know I would just like to say, culling is an easy answer when it's not your bird or your bird's life at stake. For those who feel inclined to solicit or follow the advice of people they've never met, beware -- trust your own instincts.

Easy Me & Jack. Your first post in this thread you suggested it was coryza. You had alot of people agreeing with your description of the symptoms and offering advice and suggestions, nothing more. If you noticed in the forums lately the two main diseases discussed that seems prevelent in flocks lately are coryza and MG. No one that I know here are an expert on ALL poultry diseases or afflictions. We all rely on personal experience or do alot of reading to increase the knowledge base. I agree that you should see a vet and have testing done and hopefully it's sour crop instead of coryza. I wish you the best and good luck.​

 

[Me & Jack]

That's great news! I truely hope that is what it is!

Thanks kari_dawn, and Dawg. You're right; I realize that I was the one who suggested it might be coryza, but that's because the only info I found online pointed to that symptom of smelly discharge. But I said early on that he showed no other symptoms and seemed happy and healthy. There were a few people who were sympathetic to the dilemma of trying to figure out what it was for sure or who kindly explained why culling might be the most responsible option for the sake of others in my flock (and the flock's of friends, etc.), and I understood that -- begrudgingly.

But when I found an alternative explanation for what might be going on, and it's a fairly innocuous yeast/fungal infection, and the symptoms better match what I see on my bird, I would kind of assume that people would agree that a watch and wait situation might be warranted instead of informing me that culling is the ONLY option, and I would be irresponsible if I didn't cull the birds ASAP, really offended me. I couldn't help but infer a kind of holier-than-thou glee about culling, and the suggestion that I should try to "out" the breeder (whom I consider a friend of sorts) seemed mean-spirited at best.

I may very well post a pic today so that folks can see the bird has no swelling and doesn't appear sick in any way or that he doesn't even have the discharge, maybe people will feel more comfortable about considering the sour crop option. Either way, it doesn't matter. I have an appointment with the vet at 10:15am. I'll share the results at that point.

I truly appreciate others' input, but not when people suggest I'm not doing the "right" thing -- I've done nothing but try to do the right thing for these birds since the moment I opened the shipping box on Thursday. I love my animals and all animals for that matter (except snakes).

 

[Tracy the chick]

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[speckledhen]

All we can go on is what you tell us.

We realize this is stressful, but let's step back a bit. With sour crop, the crop will be big, bloaty and gassy feeling, plus a fermented smell--he won't just spit up water. It doesn't cause a nasal discharge. Coryza causes almost a dead animal smell, I'm told, not a soured smell.

Check the crop for that bloaty, gassy feeling--if that isn't the case, if it just feels full of food, then you don't have sour crop, most likely.

 

[donnavee]

Me and Jack, what vet do you use? I just looked at your website and see you are in Hurdle Mills - we live in Cedar Grove which is very close to you. Haven't had to deal with any serious illnesses but would like to know of a vet in the area that treats chickens. Thanks and hope you chickens pull through this.