- Sep 12, 2012
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I have been posting about chickens with respiratory problems after I purchased four from another hatchery (three of which died). The new chicks weren't around the existing flock very much. They were separated by at least 30 feet in two separate pens, and only for about 15 minutes tops. But it has spread like wildfire. Yet it only really affects ONE or TWO at a time. Here's a couple of photos that do a good job in proving the "location" and nature of the illness, though.
Brownie keeps her eye closed most of the time because of this, but her actual eye is fine. Its a swollen lump UNDER the eye. But the mucus discharge from the eye dried up all in those small feathers around her eye, and I basically had to pull the dried clumps off - which yanked those small feathers out.
Here you can see the eye itself is fine. No abrasions on it or anything. All of the soft tissue AROUND the eyeball is inflamed and swollen.
I wish I would have gotten a pic before I cleaned the mucus off. She, like ALL of the others, had sealed nostrils from dried mucus. And right now, every time she shakes her head, mucus gets slung all across me, and her own head (she even gets it across the back of her head).
And just like the others, she has the "rumble" breathing going on, and the occasional cough from the loose mucus getting in the way too much.
I was already devastated this morning after losing at least five chickens to an unknown predator last night (something actually climbed into the pen somehow). But poor Brownie's condition is like torture, knowing my other chickens will probably need treatment soon, too.
But at least she gets to be the lucky one to spend the night inside the house, now! Spoiled brat!
Brownie keeps her eye closed most of the time because of this, but her actual eye is fine. Its a swollen lump UNDER the eye. But the mucus discharge from the eye dried up all in those small feathers around her eye, and I basically had to pull the dried clumps off - which yanked those small feathers out.
Here you can see the eye itself is fine. No abrasions on it or anything. All of the soft tissue AROUND the eyeball is inflamed and swollen.
I wish I would have gotten a pic before I cleaned the mucus off. She, like ALL of the others, had sealed nostrils from dried mucus. And right now, every time she shakes her head, mucus gets slung all across me, and her own head (she even gets it across the back of her head).
And just like the others, she has the "rumble" breathing going on, and the occasional cough from the loose mucus getting in the way too much.
I was already devastated this morning after losing at least five chickens to an unknown predator last night (something actually climbed into the pen somehow). But poor Brownie's condition is like torture, knowing my other chickens will probably need treatment soon, too.
But at least she gets to be the lucky one to spend the night inside the house, now! Spoiled brat!
