Swollen chick

[Dkbahoo]

Got these chicks from someone local who is NPIP and all...
They seemed okay at first. I got them on a Wednesday and I left for a trip on Thursday and my mom cared for the birds. She said everyone seemed fine. On Sunday 3 of them were dead... when I get back I notice all of them have varying degrees of this... whatever this is... don’t know if they are contagious or what...two others have died, but the ones that die look fine and then are suddenly sick. I have two that look like this and have looked like this, but they are still trudging along, eating and drinking as well.

 

[Pyxis]

It is probably some kind of respiratory disease, since it's contagious and they all have it. A common symptom can be facial swelling. Also sneezing, runny noses and bubbles in the eyes or eye discharge. NPIP doesn't mean that birds are free of disease, just that they don't have pullorum and in some states AI.

The bad news is, most respiratory diseases cannot be cured. You could treat them so the symptoms go away, but they would still have the disease, pass it to other birds, etc.

Have these been quarantined away from all other birds since you got them?

 

[Dkbahoo]

Ya this is what I had assumed... and they weren’t quarantined as I had gotten birds from this person in the past. This one is pretty frustrating...

It is probably some kind of respiratory disease, since it's contagious and they all have it. A common symptom can be facial swelling. Also sneezing, runny noses and bubbles in the eyes or eye discharge. NPIP doesn't mean that birds are free of disease, just that they don't have pullorum and in some states AI.

The bad news is, most respiratory diseases cannot be cured. You could treat them so the symptoms go away, but they would still have the disease, pass it to other birds, etc.

Have these been quarantined away from all other birds since you got them?

 

[ldrchickens]

I had these exact symptoms when i got my chicks this summer. Heres what i did: Saline eye drops to keep eyes clean. Tylan 50 mixed in there food. Vetrx and applecider vinegar in their water. Ang fresh oregano leaves. All daily. My birds healed up in a few weeks and have not seen anything since.

 

[Pyxis]

Ya this is what I had assumed... and they weren’t quarantined as I had gotten birds from this person in the past. This one is pretty frustrating...

Since they weren't quarantined, is it possible they have gotten sick from your own birds? If you've purchased from other sellers too and mixed them in, your flock may have actually been carrying something that the chicks are now catching and displaying symptoms of.

Either way, with them not being quarantined, whether it was something already in your flock or something these new chicks have brought in, it's probably safe to assume all your birds are carriers now, since they are all exposed

 

[ldrchickens]

If you have any new deaths call your state extension poultry department and have them come pic the bird up for a necropsy or how ever you say it to see exactly what you are dealing with! i live in Oklahoma and my state does it all for free it just has to be picked up within 24 hours of death i believe.

 

[ldrchickens]

The only two serious illnesses i found when researching the symptoms when my birds had it was Coryza and MG. You can treat the symptoms but like previously stated birds remain carriers for life. Everything i found is that discharge, sneezing, wheezing, heavy breathing are all associated with these diseases and as well as a terrible smell associated with coryza. My birds never had any but the swollen eyes. I spoke to the state poultry vet and he told me since no other symptoms are present it is likely neither of these twos. Just a serious respiratory infections. Also highly contagious and only a handful of my birds caught it and only three died which he said also lowers the risk that they have it since they are both highly contagious and deadly.

 

[Pyxis]

The only two serious illnesses i found when researching the symptoms when my birds had it was Coryza and MG. You can treat the symptoms but like previously stated birds remain carriers for life. Everything i found is that discharge, sneezing, wheezing, heavy breathing are all associated with these diseases and as well as a terrible smell associated with coryza. My birds never had any but the swollen eyes. I spoke to the state poultry vet and he told me since no other symptoms are present it is likely neither of these twos. Just a serious respiratory infections. Also highly contagious and only a handful of my birds caught it and only three died which he said also lowers the risk that they have it since they are both highly contagious and deadly.

Coryza, mycoplasma gallisepticum, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bronchitis, and ornithobacterium rhinotracheale can all present this way. Of those, only one doesn't leave the birds carriers for life. Chickens don't get colds, so unfortunately it's not something simple like that.

Coryza doesn't have to have a bad smell. Last March I opted to put my whole flock down and start over after having testing done when some birds started showing symptoms. It was coryza. They never had a bad smell. Some birds only had mild sneezing as their only symptom. Only one bird ever developed facial swelling. It's not required that all possible symptoms show up for it to be one of these diseases.

 

[ldrchickens]

Coryza, mycoplasma gallisepticum, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bronchitis, and ornithobacterium rhinotracheale can all present this way. Of those, only one doesn't leave the birds carriers for life. Chickens don't get colds, so unfortunately it's not something simple like that.

Coryza doesn't have to have a bad smell. Last March I opted to put my whole flock down and start over after having testing done when some birds started showing symptoms. It was coryza. They never had a bad smell. Some birds only had mild sneezing as their only symptom. Only one bird ever developed facial swelling. It's not required that all possible symptoms show up for it to be one of these diseases.

Thank you! Thats what i was meaning. Just because there is no smell does not mean they dont have it. Just another symptom. Just like us humans different diseases present different symptoms and not every case is the same. Thats why i included to have the birds tested to know exactly what she is dealing with. This was all just what the vet told me so nothing from my own words.

 

[Dkbahoo]

Well my own birds weren’t sick before that and still seem fine... and I’ve hatched most of the chicks that I have currently other than the ones that I got from this person... so not likely, but who knows?

The chicken world is unpredictable ...

Since they weren't quarantined, is it possible they have gotten sick from your own birds? If you've purchased from other sellers too and mixed them in, your flock may have actually been carrying something that the chicks are now catching and displaying symptoms of.

Either way, with them not being quarantined, whether it was something already in your flock or something these new chicks have brought in, it's probably safe to assume all your birds are carriers now, since they are all exposed