Please help. Poorly chickens. Is it respitary?

[adeletxo]

so I have a flock of 15 hens 2 cockerels.

The other day I noticed one of our chicks from the end of summer wasn't looking that great, one eye was shut and she was off balance. I immediately separated. Next day one of our older hens became the same gloppy eyes, bopping of the head and what sounds like a cough. I've never experienced a cough with my chickens before. But again immediately separated. Then tonight at lock up I noticed another one of our younger hens was by her self away from the rest, head bopping, runny eye. So I separated. She isn't as bad as the other two and is eating and drinking fine.
I've been bathing all there eyes as each have sticky or runny eyes.
The second one is by far the worst. I think we are going to lose her. She's the one with the cough, bopping her head a lot and it's like she's gasping. Her chest also looks like it's sticking out more, is this respitary or gape worm? Both have similar symptoms.

This came on suddenly for all 3.
Any advice would be great x

 

[adeletxo]

I've attached a photo on the worst one xx

 

[ChickNanny13]

I have no clue, is there a feed store you can call for advice, I noticed you posted almost an hour ago and I know waiting for help is torture. Hang in there, someone will advise. @aart @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @casportpony

 

[adeletxo]

I have no clue, is there a feed store you can call for advice, I noticed you posted almost an hour ago and I know waiting for help is torture. Hang in there, someone will advise. @aart @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @casportpony

Thank you for the reply. We do but it's not open until Monday and none of our local vets treat poultry/chickens (we stay in a very small village) we rely on a local farmers vet but haven't been able to reach him as of yet

 

[aart]

Probably respiratory.
Gape worms are pretty rare in the US...where are you located?

Hard to treat effectively without a swab to ID illness.
Separating them is probably moot,
as the rest of the flock has likely already been exposed.

Where did you get these birds and how long have you had them?

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Check crop. Possibly sour or impacted? Maybe Marek's? i wish I could help more! Best wishes!

 

[adeletxo]

Probably respiratory.
Gape worms are pretty rare in the US...where are you located?

Hard to treat effectively without a swab to ID illness.
Separating them is probably moot,
as the rest of the flock has likely already been exposed.

Where did you get these birds and how long have you had them?

I'm in the UK (Scotland).
All my chickens I have got through poultry shows and all hens/cockerels were meant to be checked prior and all fine.
The first 1 that went unwell is a Japanese bantam crossed with a silkie bantam (she was one we had hatched in the summer)
Second one (who is the worst) is a booted bantam who we got last year at the poultry show (when we first got her she came with another 1 but sadly that one died approx 2 weeks after buying)
Third one is a sebright who is one of our newest.
I got her and a cockerel from a poultry show in the summer. I did do the initial keep separated for a few weeks and then for a further 2 weeks after kept them separated but in viewing distance of the other hens.

One of the reasons I asked about gape worms is I read slugs can also be a carrier, near the end of the summer we had a lot more slugs in the garden and going in to the coop than normal so wasn't sure if that could possible be a trigger.

Thinking about it, I just seen someone else's comment about mareks .. I did lose 4 hens between January - April, all went quite suddenly but I wasn't sure if it was age due the fact they were our first hens 4 years ago?

 

[adeletxo]

Check crop. Possibly sour or impacted? Maybe Marek's? i wish I could help more! Best wishes!

Thank you for the reply! Mareks did come in to my mind, I replied more in detail above to a previous poster. I lost 4 hens at the start of the year so makes me wonder if it has been something like that as I know it can lie dormant.

Sadly I don't think she's going to make it through the night, tried to make her as comfortable as possible x

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Thank you for the reply! Mareks did come in to my mind, I replied more in detail above to a previous poster. I lost 4 hens at the start of the year so makes me wonder if it has been something like that as I know it can lie dormant.

Sadly I don't think she's going to make it through the night, tried to make her as comfortable as possible x

I will pray for her.

 

[adeletxo]

I will pray for her.

Thank you! Sadly I think possibly mareks. The third one, the one who became ill today I noticed her lose power of legs/wings (like temporary paralysis) stayed like that for a few mins then regained balance but then it happened again.

Any advice if it is mareks, with my other hens? Any way to prevent them all going the same? X