Sick flock, chickens dying

[MattBMassengale]

I have a roughly 40 bird flock (mixed breeds) which I have built up and raised from 5 birds when we moved here a year ago. They range from 3 years to 8 months old. They have done well in a large (150'x30') open pen with a 10x10 house. I generally feed layer pellets and scratch with scraps, treats and what they find. Water is from an open 20 gallon trough. I use straw bedding in the house and nesting boxes. They also have a few goats and a potbelly in with them.

Around 2 weeks ago I noticed a change in one rooster. He became lethargic and died in a few days. I have lost around 8 total since. One today. 3 yr and 8 month alike.

SYMPTOMS:
-droopy tail
-Raspy/rattled breathing
-nasal discharge
-eyes swollen/closed/matted
-stops eating
-stops laying eggs
-extremely tired
-lethargic
-closes eyes all day and sleeps standing up
-dramatic weight loss
-diarreha

Early research indicated coccidia so I have been treating with Corid for about a week. Still losing chickens. No vet with poultry experience around and Covid-19 has only made finding one worse. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[boskelli1571]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.phpThis handy little tool will help you to narrow down your possible illnesses.
From your description I would be guessing at Mycoplasma or infectious bronchitis.
Let us know what you come up with on the symptom chart...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

40 bird flock

large (150'x30') open pen with a 10x10 house

They also have a few goats and a potbelly in with them.

2 weeks ago I noticed a change in one rooster. He became lethargic and died in a few days. I have lost around 8 total since. One today. 3 yr and 8 month alike.

SYMPTOMS:
-droopy tail
-Raspy/rattled breathing
-nasal discharge
-eyes swollen/closed/matted
-stops eating
-stops laying eggs
-extremely tired
-lethargic
-closes eyes all day and sleeps standing up
-dramatic weight loss
-diarreha

Early research indicated coccidia so I have been treating with Corid for about a week. Still losing chickens.

No vet with poultry experience around and Covid-19 has only made finding one worse.

I'm very sorry for your loss

Ideally it's best to send a body to your state lab for diagnostics to determine the cause.
With a lot of the country shut down, that may prove difficult. What state are you in, I'll provide a link to your state lab just in case this is an option for you at this time.

If you can post some photos of the sick ones and their poop, it may be helpful.

The swelling of the eyes, with discharge, raspy breathing, to me, would indicate respiratory disease. Some common ones are Mycoplasma, Infectious Coryza, Infectious Bronchitis and ILT. If you are in CA, then Newcastle would also be considered.
IF the disease is bacterial (Mycoplasma or Infectious Coryza) an antibiotic can help treat symptoms. This is not a cure and birds would be carriers for life.
Coryza reportedly also has a foul odor - do the chickens smell bad?

For Mycoplasma some antibiotic choices to use would be Tylan (Tylosin), Denagard (Tiamulin) and Tetracycline (Oxy/Doxy too). Baytril (Enrofloxacin) is also effective - it is not approved for use in poultry - this is one that you really want to research to make sure you want to use. It's a very good antibiotic, but I would definitely throw away eggs for a good period of time if used.

For Infectious Coryza a sulfa drug is more effective. Sometimes that is coupled with Tylan (Tylosin) or one of the 'cyclines' too, but Sulfa seems to be the best method.

Antibiotics would need to be ordered online and it may be hard to get them, seems there's been a buying spree on those as well. Most all antibiotics in feed stores were pulled from shelves last year. Here's a few online supply stores you might want to check out to see if they have something available.
https://www.jedds.com/https://allbirdproducts.com/https://www.jefferspet.com/
If the eyes are filled with pus/discharge, flushing them out and removing the pus is important. After cleaning, apply an eye ointment like Terramycin or you can use plain Neosporin.

You have a generous outdoor space. The coop - does it have plenty of ventilation? Look around to make sure nothing has molded. While I do believe they are suffering from respiratory disease, ventilation/ammonia overload and molds should also be investigated.

Do the best you can to keep them hydrated and eating. Cleaning out the eyes may help with that too. I normally don't recommend separation since all birds are exposed, but with you have so many birds, you may want to separate if possible- it will make it easier for you to treat them and it's possible it can help reduce spread. Clean and sanitize water and feed stations - these diseases are spread through shared water/food, dust, dander, tracked by shoes, etc.

Keep us posted on how they are doing.

Just my 2¢ I'm not a vet.

 

[Eggcessive]

Good advice from others. How do your chickens drink out of a 20 gallon trough? Is that something on the ground they can reach? Is the water changed daily? Do the other animals drink from it? I very much agree that if you lose another, keep the body cold in a cooler with ice, and contact your state poultry vet for a necropsy. It is a real pain to have to take in a body or ship it overnight, but you have something contagious going on. Check your feed for any mold from spills, bcause mold poisoning can kill a whole flock. Here is a list of state vets to call today to get details:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[MattBMassengale]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/views/symptoms.phpThis handy little tool will help you to narrow down your possible illnesses.
From your description I would be guessing at Mycoplasma or infectious bronchitis.
Let us know what you come up with on the symptom chart...

Lots of options, never used this before. Will have to look into the different possibilities.

 

[MattBMassengale]

Good advice from others. How do your chickens drink out of a 20 gallon trough? Is that something on the ground they can reach? Is the water changed daily? Do the other animals drink from it? I very much agree that if you lose another, keep the body cold in a cooler with ice, and contact your state poultry vet for a necropsy. It is a real pain to have to take in a body or ship it overnight, but you have something contagious going on. Check your feed for any mold from spills, bcause mold poisoning can kill a whole flock. Here is a list of state vets to call today to get details:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

It's a low trough which everyone shares. When its dirty we clean out and refill. This happens a few times a week. No mold. I have about 65 birds total on the property. Feed does not hang around long. No issues with other birds. Still trying to get ahold of someone at the agricultural extension office.

 

[MattBMassengale]

I have a roughly 40 bird flock (mixed breeds) which I have built up and raised from 5 birds when we moved here a year ago. They range from 3 years to 8 months old. They have done well in a large (150'x30') open pen with a 10x10 house. I generally feed layer pellets and scratch with scraps, treats and what they find. Water is from an open 20 gallon trough. I use straw bedding in the house and nesting boxes. They also have a few goats and a potbelly in with them.

Around 2 weeks ago I noticed a change in one rooster. He became lethargic and died in a few days. I have lost around 8 total since. One today. 3 yr and 8 month alike.

SYMPTOMS:
-droopy tail
-Raspy/rattled breathing
-nasal discharge
-eyes swollen/closed/matted
-stops eating
-stops laying eggs
-extremely tired
-lethargic
-closes eyes all day and sleeps standing up
-dramatic weight loss
-diarreha

Early research indicated coccidia so I have been treating with Corid for about a week. Still losing chickens. No vet with poultry experience around and Covid-19 has only made finding one worse. Any help would be appreciated.View attachment 2064655

I have a roughly 40 bird flock (mixed breeds) which I have built up and raised from 5 birds when we moved here a year ago. They range from 3 years to 8 months old. They have done well in a large (150'x30') open pen with a 10x10 house. I generally feed layer pellets and scratch with scraps, treats and what they find. Water is from an open 20 gallon trough. I use straw bedding in the house and nesting boxes. They also have a few goats and a potbelly in with them.

Around 2 weeks ago I noticed a change in one rooster. He became lethargic and died in a few days. I have lost around 8 total since. One today. 3 yr and 8 month alike.

SYMPTOMS:
-droopy tail
-Raspy/rattled breathing
-nasal discharge
-eyes swollen/closed/matted
-stops eating
-stops laying eggs
-extremely tired
-lethargic
-closes eyes all day and sleeps standing up
-dramatic weight loss
-diarreha

Early research indicated coccidia so I have been treating with Corid for about a week. Still losing chickens. No vet with poultry experience around and Covid-19 has only made finding one worse. Any help would be appreciated.View attachment 2064655

 

[MattBMassengale]

So, I got in contact with the local Ag Extension office finally. I gave them all the data and they are looking into it. I've continued to refine my search using the symptom checker. I think I have it narrowed down by just using the top 5-10 symptoms. I believe it is Chronic Respiratory Disease (MG Infection) or commonly called bulgy eye. Literally everything matches the description, even the pictures. I am going tomorrow to try and get some meds. Trying to find the meds locally may be a challenge. We shall see. Anybody ever given Spectinomycin orally to chickens? The version TSC has is for giving orally to pigs, but they have it.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am not familiar with it, but it can be used to treat symptoms of MG. Sometimes it is used in combo with lincomycin. It looks like the dosage would be 50 mg per pound per day, given in drinking water, for 3-7 days.
https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/docume...ommittee-veterinary-medicinal-products_en.pdf
https://www.drugs.com/vet/lincomycin-spectinomycin-100-soluble-powder-can.html

 

[MattBMassengale]

So, just to follow up so anyone who reads this later knows the results. It was mycoplasma, or bulgy eye. I treated with Tylan in their water source and most recovered in a couple days. Lost about 2 more during treatment for a total of about 12 lost. Took around 2 weeks for egg production to start returning. I am up to about 12 eggs a day, hopefully will get back to 20 or so soon. Thanks for everyone's help.