Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[FluffyButt789]

I'm not a vet, but I've read that ocular mareks disease can cause misshapen iris in the eyes, and may also cause the other symptoms you're describing. You may want to post this on the diseases forum to get more input.

I looked it up and that might be what he has. Are my other chickens at risk of catching it?

 

[FluffyButt789]

Ugh my favorite rooster died tonight. Randomly started convulsing and died. It wasn't the one with messed up eyes. But I just feel so sick now. When that happens, I just question if owning chickens is even worth all the death we deal with. I may just stop picking favorites. Just let them grow and butcher the roosters and leave the hens alone to do their business and lay me some eggs.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Ugh my favorite rooster died tonight. Randomly started convulsing and died. It wasn't the one with messed up eyes. But I just feel so sick now. When that happens, I just question if owning chickens is even worth all the death we deal with. I may just stop picking favorites. Just let them grow and butcher the roosters and leave the hens alone to do their business and lay me some eggs.

Sorry, it is so hard sometimes. Especially when you get attached. I don't know if you were around for this, but when we were int the process of selling our house and buying our current one, I found someone who was willing to take my chicken in for several weeks. Unfortunately, about two weeks before I was due to get them back, she had a massive predator attack and all were lost. They were my original flock, and very friendly. It was very hard, but it is worth it to keep going. I'm glad your Roo I didn't suffer. That's the thing I hate most, when they suffer.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Well that escalated quickly! Within two hours, we have two turkey chicks out of the eggs! Hopefully there will be a few more tomorrow.

@Auroradream26

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Ugh my favorite rooster died tonight. Randomly started convulsing and died. It wasn't the one with messed up eyes. But I just feel so sick now. When that happens, I just question if owning chickens is even worth all the death we deal with. I may just stop picking favorites. Just let them grow and butcher the roosters and leave the hens alone to do their business and lay me some eggs.

I'm so very sorry for your loss I know how you feel, I just lost my favorite turkey last week. It's always hard but the happiness they bring us while they are with us is what makes it worth it to keep going.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

View attachment 557267 Well that escalated quickly! Within two hours, we have two turkey chicks out of the eggs! Hopefully there will be a few more tomorrow.

@Auroradream26

Awesome! Congratulations! They look like little mottled blacks BUT there is a chance that you could get a tri colored mottled black out of them. Though you wouldn't really know until they grow up lol

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Ana has left the nest! She now has her babies tucked in with her on the coop floor. I'm site it'll be another day or two till she takes them outside but she's moving and has them on more comfortable and steady ground. My last chicken hatch is due tomorrow. I'm going to try to graft any CCL boys to Angel, my silkie hen. We'll see if she takes them.

 

[FluffyButt789]

Sorry, it is so hard sometimes. Especially when you get attached. I don't know if you were around for this, but when we were int the process of selling our house and buying our current one, I found someone who was willing to take my chicken in for several weeks. Unfortunately, about two weeks before I was due to get them back, she had a massive predator attack and all were lost. They were my original flock, and very friendly. It was very hard, but it is worth it to keep going. I'm glad your Roo I didn't suffer. That's the thing I hate most, when they suffer.

I'm so very sorry for your loss I know how you feel, I just lost my favorite turkey last week. It's always hard but the happiness they bring us while they are with us is what makes it worth it to keep going.

Thank you both, it was a rough day... I'm sorry for your losses too. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better about it and move on. I'll add the two Barred Rocks from Yoopergirl to my flock then I think I'll be done for the year. I hope there will be no more losses, for any of us!

 

[FluffyButt789]

Okay so for my second chicken that has health issues... it's quite a story. We got her and 3 others from a neighbor who keeps chickens in pretty crappy and cramped quarters. My hubby just had to have this one chicken that wouldn't leave his side. She has no feathers on her tail, and we thought it was from a molt because that's what the neighbor said. We've had her for almost a year and she never grew the feathers. She also has issues with runny poop and we have tried a few worming medicines but that didn't help. She lays nearly every day and it's a pale green/olive egg with wrinkles every time. A few months ago a friend came by and he has experience with chickens and saw her and told us that her butt looked strange, that he believes she has a tail bone sticking out of all that mess. She also has some missing toes, which I'm not sure how that happened, it was before we bought her. Poor thing has had such a rough life, I'm not sure if she may be sick, in pain, or what, because she has not improved at all. My hubby mentioned maybe we should cull her. Here are some pictures of her if you can please help me figure out what breed she is, why her toes are messed up, and what the heck is up with her butt.

 

[fisherlady]

I don't know what caused it, probably an untreated infection from a plucked tail feathers or infected oil gland... if she were mine I would get her cleaned up with a nice warm soak in an Epsom salt bath followed by a major trimming of butt feathers to reduced skin irritations caused by the poop build up, then coat her but with blu-KOTE and some triple antibiotic or petroleum jelly to reduce further sticking.
The diarrhea may be caused by the infection which you may be able to treat with a round of injectable penicillin. I would supplement her diet with some yogurt and scrambled eggs. She actually looks pretty good for general feather condition and alertness, so you are obviously feeding her well.
The Epsom salt soaks should reduced the build up around her sore and may loosen the scab. After each bath I would dry her off and put a good smear of triple antibiotic around the base of the scab, this will help avoid further scabbing and reduce new contamination to the area. Eventually you will need to get the scab size down so you can see what you are dealing with...and it probably won't be pretty but you would be amazed at chickens ability to heal. She is having trouble because her housing conditions were poor where she was at before so the contamination/infection got a foothold.
If she is friendly, and in good enough condition to lay regularly I would try to give her a chance. With some patience and cleaner environment she should show improvement.
And BTW, I never fail to be pleasantly surprised at how well our birds tolerate baths, they seem to actually relax during long soaks and ours even stand unrestrained for a blow dryer afterwards!