Please Help

[las]

I have 5 three month old chicks that were hatched by a surrogate broody hen. They had all done so good until a few days ago. I noticed one of the pullets seemed to have a little cough/sneeze, shaking her head, and then occasionally would stretch its neck out and make a loud screech. She also doesn't seem to be eating and drinking as much as the others. I researched and treated for gapeworm but she doesn't seem to be getting better. Today I picked her up and she had a nasty smell that I think was coming from her beak. What do I need to do? Can treating one for worms cause sour crop?

 

[ChicNmom]

Look in her beak to see if there are any yellowish lesions. I'm not an expert on lots of chicken illnesses but just went through this with a small rooster that had Canker.
https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/07/06/avian-trichomonosis-canker/

He also did the neck stretch and motion with a little cough or screech as you would see in gapeworm. The nasty breath smell was really bad, like something rotting.

Not yeasty and sour like I have smelled in sour crop.


I hope you get it figured out.

 

[Aapomp831]

If the smell is coming from the face, it could be coryza - which is a respiratory illness and could explain the sneezing. If the smell is coming from inside the mouth from the crop, then you have sour crop. Treating for gapeworm would not cause this; gapeworm is extremely rare assuming you’re in the US. To check for sour crop, the smell is usually a dead giveaway but to be sure withhold food and water overnight and check the crop first thing in the morning before offering food or water - it should be flat and empty. Crops empty completely overnight (granted your chickens are in the dark and aren’t eating or drinking at night). If it’s squishy and still full, I would assume sour crop is your issue. Sour crop can be a secondary issue - but in the meantime I would separate this bird so you can check the crop and get an overall assessment. Check the crop, check her poops and see if you can observe and provide anymore symptoms in the meantime.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Where are you located and tell us about your ventilation.

 

[las]

Thank you all. I am in northern middle TN. Although we don't normally have severe winters it has been colder than normal with a lot of cold wind. I turned part of a tool shed into a coop and this is where my babies are. There is good ventilation through the coop. I use hay on the floor and clean and change it completely once a week and add more between changes. I will check in the morning and try to determine exactly where the smell is coming from. She doesn't really have any of the symptoms of coryza but I will separate her from the rest of them. I will also check inside her mouth to see if I can see anything. Again thanks for your help.

 

[las]

OK I've checked on my chick and I think the smell is coming from her face rather than her beak. I have her separated from the rest of them and will go get some medicine for her and the rest of them. Do any of you know what is best for coryza and what the dose is for the meds you prefer. Thank you

 

[Myrshine]

In my experience and research,
It sounds like Infectious Coryza. Coryza is a bacterial infection of poultry, affecting all different species of birds. This disease is most commonly by being exposed to new or other carrier birds. Coryza is a chronic disease meaning, that you can treat or have the symptoms go away, but whenever the bird gets stressed again, the symptoms will keep coming back or get worse. All “recovered” like birds, remain lifetime long carriers of the Infectious Coryza bacteria, spreading and shedding it through their feces, feathers, dander, respiratory secretions and other bodily fluids. This is a lifetime disease of poultry and is incurable. Since Infectious Coryza is a bacteria, antibiotics can help keep symptoms at bay until next time. I personally don’t recommend you treating with antibiotics unless you have a proper diagnosis of which specific respiratory disease you’re dealing with. There’s a reason why most TSC, Family Farm And Home, Rural King and other farm stores are pulling antibiotics off the shelves, it’s because people aren’t getting their birds tested through their state of agriculture or university. Over use of antibiotics also creates antibiotic resistant bacteria, making the disease worse than before. I suggest treating with safe natural organic remedies and get your bird tested. It’s critical in poultry to get sick birds tested to find out which specific disease they have. Please don’t jump to antibiotics like everyone else says without a proper diagnosis.

Here’s more information about Infectious Coryza:

https://www.thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/infectious-coryza


https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/2019/11/25/infectious-coryza-in-chickens/


https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/infectious-coryza-could-be-a-concern-for-poultry-owners


I hope this helps! Good luck!