Hi everyone, Today we bought 6 orpingtons from one person, two are from a reputable breeder. There is two splash, two blue, one blue buff and a project colour. At the first look, they appeared healthy. On the way home the splash hen was making clicking/squeaking sounds. We later on noticed that she has a 'puffed' breastbone area... It looks as though there is large sacs of air on either side on the bone, she also has green smelly poops (does this mean air sac mite?). All of them are one to two years old. Tonight I heard the project colour wheezing and shaking her head, when I picked her up she was a good weight but she bobbed her head like she was off balanced. The other four look healthy still. The condition of their previous pens before we bought them were not clean, it was very dusty and they were on dirt. Also, there was a major rat infestation so the birds must have gotten sick from bad conditions. They are all in quarantine from my other chooks and the Air sac mite one is in a hospital cage, I'll give her Cydectin in the morning. The other five have Oxymav 100 in their water. Does anyone know what is wrong with these hens and what I should do about it?
Do you feel air underneath the puffy breast? That could be a leaking air sac, and from my experience, can be accompanied by clicking with each breath. A leaking air sac, also called subcutaneous emphysema, can be deflated by inserting a 18 gauge needle just under the skin, and then pressing the air out. Sometimes more than one stick may be needed, and the air can reappear. Keep in mind that a chicken's crop may look puffy, and is located on the chickens's right upper chest. Respiratory diseases, such as mycoplasma (MG,) infectious bronchitis, coryza, and others can cause wheezing and head shaking. Droppings can change colors and from runny to solid, depending on diet and whether it is a cecal dropping or a normal one. There may be green droppings with not eating well, and runny ones with a resp. infection.
