Sick from the cold?

[MaxineMarie]

We have free range chickens that coop up at night. We also had a recent cold snap with record lows and lots of snow. It was very hard on everything, however it seems we will likely loose half of our flock. We cooped them on the coldest days, made sure to thaw the water several times a day, cleaned out the coop right after. We did not put a warming light in the coop as we were just unprepared for this many days of below zero here in OK. So my question is... could they have caught a cold, from the cold? It does not seem to be spreading more like some got sick and some did not. Some of the symptoms are frost bitten crowns, snotty noses, swollen mucky eyes, and one that seems to be wheezing.

We have added a bit of apple cider vinegar to the water, made sure the coop was cleaned out, and keeping water and food out for them... I'm pretty sure the last of the sick ones will be dead by morning, but if they are not what can we do, and more importantly what can we do to prevent this in the future - besides adding a heat lamp which I'm not sure would have been enough anyway... but it would have helped.

 

[Eggcessive]

The cold weather may have brought upon enough stress to bring about symptoms of a respiratory disease they could have been carrying. Have you added any new birds to your flock in recent months, where a respiratory disease might have been brought in? How is the ventilation in your coop? Frostbite on combs can happen if there are cold enough temperatures. If you lose other birds, I would keep the body cold and send it in to your state vet for a necropsy. That would get you a diagnosis. Here is a list of most state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[ChicNmom]

I have noticed that even here in the North, sudden cold snaps are hard on older or possibly weaker hens. Dampness is particularly troublesome.

Can you separate the sick ones into a warmer area so they don't have to expend their energy to stay warm? Also some Vet RX on their heads and beaks if you have it.

 

[Myrshine]

Does around the nares, eyes or face in general have a cheesy gross odor? If so, then you’re most likely dealing with Infectious Coryza. If not, then it’s most likely Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG). Both of these diseases are a permanent lifelong disease, they are incurable and all birds remain carriers for life as well. So don’t breed to sell to others and keep a closed flock.

Information about MG: https://extension.umd.edu/sites/ext... Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) Infecti....pdf

Information about Infectious Coryza: https://www.thepoultrysite.com/disease-guide/infectious-coryza