Recurring infections and diarrea

[BioRenegade]

Good day all.

I live in Belgium. I have 3 roosters and 6 chickens in three groups, housed in aviaries with coops and shrubs. My oldest chickens are 6 years old, my youngest 3.

For about the last 9 months my flock has had recurring issues with infections (respiratory and other) and diarrea affecting some (but not all) of my animals. Some of my animals have been sick several times already, some have never had any symptoms. Right now I have one hen with an infection on the skin of the face and the comb and a hen with diarrea and redness around the cloaca that I am taking to the vet later today.

All of my chickens do act lively and vital and they eat well.

I have already been to the vet several times. Two deworming cures and several rounds of antibiotics have not so far been a total solution.

I feed my chickens a chicken pellet from a Belgian manufacturer. I have given mineral and vitamin supplements this winter.

I regularly clean manure from my aviaries and coops. I have also had to take measures to prevent issues with rats found near my chickens.

I have had chickens for about 15 years now and haven't really had this many issues in such an amount of time before. I am starting to get really demotivated at this point and sometimes feel anxious when I go to my chickens or simply watch them. Perhaps being home due to corona has increased my awareness of my chickens' health and the time I spend on them, but that just does not feel like an explanation here.

Can anyone think of anything I could be doing wrong or that I could do more? I would like to continue and in fact expand my flock a little bit, but right now that is very much in question.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Right now I have one hen with an infection on the skin of the face and the comb and a hen with diarrea and redness around the cloaca that I am taking to the vet later today.

I have already been to the vet several times. Two deworming cures and several rounds of antibiotics have not so far been a total solution.

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of your birds and their poop?
It would be nice to see the infection of the skin and comb as well.

Since you have visited the vet several times, what is their diagnosis/opinion of what is going on with them? You mention reoccurring issues and infections (respiratory and other) what are the issues and has the vet nailed down the infection (cause?).
What symptoms do you see other than diarrhea? What antibiotics are used and how long are birds well before you need to treat them again, what was used for worming?

If you are dealing with a respiratory disease, then symptoms can reoccur since most diseases make birds carriers for life.

Let us know about your vet visit today and see if your vet has any suggestions.
Hopefully we can help you figure out more.
I'm sorry that you are having these issues.

 

[BioRenegade]

Welcome To BYC

Can you post some photos of your birds and their poop?
It would be nice to see the infection of the skin and comb as well.

Since you have visited the vet several times, what is their diagnosis/opinion of what is going on with them? You mention reoccurring issues and infections (respiratory and other) what are the issues and has the vet nailed down the infection (cause?).
What symptoms do you see other than diarrhea? What antibiotics are used and how long are birds well before you need to treat them again, what was used for worming?

If you are dealing with a respiratory disease, then symptoms can reoccur since most diseases make birds carriers for life.

Let us know about your vet visit today and see if your vet has any suggestions.
Hopefully we can help you figure out more.
I'm sorry that you are having these issues.

I'm afraid I won't be able to get close-up photos as my chickens aren't very tame, but I might try later this week.

The poop currently looks relatively normal in texture but lighter in color (olive green). One hen has flatter poop but not true diarrea, but with the same colors as the others chickens' poop.

The vet has not really given a more elaborate diagnosis than respiratory infection", possibly coryza or viral, or "bacterial infection". He does not seem to be able to nail down a root cause, but I will ask again today.

For antibiotic the vet has given was Baytril (5 day cure). Deworming was done with Flubendazole (1 week cure).

I will be asking the vet for suggestions, including on my nutrition.

What I am really looking for right now is anything I can do to help my chickens stay healthier, so if anyone has any suggestion I could try, please post it.

The thing I really want to know is whether this is an issue of my care that I could improve (even though since the pandemic I've already been spending more time on my chickens than before) or some kind of issue I can't really fix.

EDIT: Got back from the vet. He thinks the infection is bacterial and possibly (partially) resistent to the previously used antiobiotic. He will be ordering a different antibiotic for me.

The hen with the infection around the cloaca will have to be housed separately from now on, at least temporarily (and luckily I do have a suitable space to house her).

I asked the vet about my nutrition and he seems to think it is fine, but I will be doing a bit more research if I can find the time.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm afraid I won't be able to get close-up photos as my chickens aren't very tame, but I might try later this week.

The poop currently looks relatively normal in texture but lighter in color (olive green). One hen has flatter poop but not true diarrea, but with the same colors as the others chickens' poop.

The vet has not really given a more elaborate diagnosis than respiratory infection", possibly coryza or viral, or "bacterial infection". He does not seem to be able to nail down a root cause, but I will ask again today.

For antibiotic the vet has given was Baytril (5 day cure). Deworming was done with Flubendazole (1 week cure).

I will be asking the vet for suggestions, including on my nutrition.

What I am really looking for right now is anything I can do to help my chickens stay healthier, so if anyone has any suggestion I could try, please post it.

The thing I really want to know is whether this is an issue of my care that I could improve (even though since the pandemic I've already been spending more time on my chickens than before) or some kind of issue I can't really fix.

EDIT: Got back from the vet. He thinks the infection is bacterial and possibly (partially) resistent to the previously used antiobiotic. He will be ordering a different antibiotic for me.

The hen with the infection around the cloaca will have to be housed separately from now on, at least temporarily (and luckily I do have a suitable space to house her).

I asked the vet about my nutrition and he seems to think it is fine, but I will be doing a bit more research if I can find the time.

If you are dealing with Infectious Coryza then birds can become symptomatic over and over again. Sulfa drugs are commonly used to treat symptoms of Infectios Coryza here in the US. Birds are carriers for life, so any new birds brought in would likely become sick too.

Dealing with chronic disease would be a challenge. I think probably the best you can do would see that they have adequate ventilation, they are dewormed when needed, you stay on top of external parasites (lice/mites), that they are eating a nutritionally balanced feed and address symptoms as they arise. Poultry vitamins once a week during times of stress (molting, weather changes, etc) may also be of benefit.