The EMERGENCY Thread!!!

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Hello Twins Love Chicks,

How long has this been going on? Can you submit your birds for testing at a local vet or zoologix? This can help rule out if this is a "herpes" like infection that they will be lifetime carriers of or something else. It can also steer you toward the most appropriate treatment plan. In the meantime, if you aren't doing anything else, I would add VetRx to their water and under their wings, perhaps even in their bedding. This is like Vix and may make them more comfortable. I would also look into necropsy options since some states offer this service for free.

I have noticed that many people on BYC and other sites treat chickens with suspected respiratory illnesses with tylan 50 or oxytetracycline or other antibiotics. If you go this route, be prepared for the fact that many respiratory issues are viral in nature not bacterial. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Further, improper treatment with antibiotics may make antibiotic resistant strains of whatever you are dealing with.

It's been 4-5 days. No. Okay, I'll see if I can get it somewhere nearby. No chickens have died, so I can't do that. Thank you!

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Here are the pictures.

They look so pitiful!

 

[chickengr]

Not an emergency but today got really hot and my chickens were obviously overheating. They were holding their wings out and panting. I put the sprinkler on near the run so splashes would get in but it didn't help much. Will i need to install a fan or something?

I put plastic washbowls in shade and change water a few times a day and my chickens spend hours sitting in water when it is too hot. I sometimes find 3 of them together, lol. they hardly fit.

 

[chickengr]

Here are the pictures.

They look so pitiful!

only blood test would tell.

my chickens looked like that and my vet said MG but blood test said IB and E. colli as secondary infection. btw, nice chickens. I hope they get well soon.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Not an emergency but today got really hot and my chickens were obviously overheating. They were holding their wings out and panting. I put the sprinkler on near the run so splashes would get in but it didn't help much. Will i need to install a fan or something?

Do you have a covered run? If so, I do run a fan for my run and one that blows through the coop as well. While fans don't necessarily cool chickens like we think it would, it does help keep the air moving. Mine will get into the airflow butt first so their feathers are blown around. Shade is important, so think about how to keep them shaded. You can also give "watery" treats - frozen watermelon, cucumber, etc. Provide cold water a few times a day, some people put ice in their water station.

As long as they are moving around and drinking well, then just keep an eye on them. They will generally not eat too much in the heat of the day, but more first thing in the morning, then late in evening, so watch to see if they eat.

Holding wings out and panting is way they cool themselves. Watch for signs of overheating - lethargy, drooling, extremely pale comb, etc. If you see any of that, then move chicken to a cooler area and provide fresh cool water.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/beat-heat-helping-chickens-survive-high.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/07/chicken-heat-stress-dehydration-and.html

Here are the pictures.

They look so pitiful!

Poor things, they do look like they have a respiratory illness.
Do I see bubbles in the corner of the eyes?
What treatment(s) have you provided so far?

Try to clean the eyes to get the gunk out -flush with saline. If you can get the mucous out of the nares (nostrils) that may help them some too.

Bubbles (foamy) eyes can be an indication of Mycoplasma, but you would need testing for confirmation. Infectious Bronchitis is another fairly common respiratory illness as well.
You can try Tylan or Oxytetracycline to see if it will help with any secondary infections. While antibiotics won't "cure" respiratory illness, they can sometimes give relief/supportive care.

Depending on which illness you have in your flock, it could make them carriers for life.

Try to make sure they are all drinking well. Offer their normal feed, either dry or as a wet mash. They may benefit from some extra protein as well, offer hard boiled/scrambled egg, tuna, mackerel or meat.

Keep us posted on their progress.

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Poor things, they do look like they have a respiratory illness.
Do I see bubbles in the corner of the eyes?
What treatment(s) have you provided so far?

Try to clean the eyes to get the gunk out -flush with saline. If you can get the mucous out of the nares (nostrils) that may help them some too.

Bubbles (foamy) eyes can be an indication of Mycoplasma, but you would need testing for confirmation. Infectious Bronchitis is another fairly common respiratory illness as well.
You can try Tylan or Oxytetracycline to see if it will help with any secondary infections. While antibiotics won't "cure" respiratory illness, they can sometimes give relief/supportive care.

Depending on which illness you have in your flock, it could make them carriers for life.

Try to make sure they are all drinking well. Offer their normal feed, either dry or as a wet mash. They may benefit from some extra protein as well, offer hard boiled/scrambled egg, tuna, mackerel or meat.

Keep us posted on their progress.

They do have a little bit of bubbles. I'll clean out their eyes and nostrils tomorrow morning.
I've put a booster called Culbac in their water as of yesterday. It's some brand new thing called an abiotic. I'll post a video about it.
Thank you for the rest of the advice!

only blood test would tell.

my chickens looked like that and my vet said MG but blood test said IB and E. colli as secondary infection. btw, nice chickens. I hope they get well soon.

Thank you!

 

[Amyc1975]

I'm totally not familiar with how to post a new thread on here but I have a chicken emergency HELP! I have a 7.5 month old golden comet hen that has stopped laying. She's about 3-4 lbs and she lives with two other golden comets and three leghorns. They all get along splendidly. I have felt all around her vent there's no tightness, no runny poop, no breathing issues. Her back feathers are fluffed her head is down and her tail feathers are kind of tucked, she's eating and drinking her eyes are clear she's alert but moving extremely slow. Tomorrow will be day 5 no eggs her comb is a bit shriveled. All of my other girls are perfect. I lubed her vent with an oral syringe and mineral oil, and did warm water soak still no eggs! Is she eggbound? She's not straining to lay at all! These are my first chickens and I'm lost! HELP!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm totally not familiar with how to post a new thread on here but I have a chicken emergency HELP! I have a 7.5 month old golden comet hen that has stopped laying. She's about 3-4 lbs and she lives with two other golden comets and three leghorns. They all get along splendidly. I have felt all around her vent there's no tightness, no runny poop, no breathing issues. Her back feathers are fluffed her head is down and her tail feathers are kind of tucked, she's eating and drinking her eyes are clear she's alert but moving extremely slow. Tomorrow will be day 5 no eggs her comb is a bit shriveled. All of my other girls are perfect. I lubed her vent with an oral syringe and mineral oil, and did warm water soak still no eggs! Is she eggbound? She's not straining to lay at all! These are my first chickens and I'm lost! HELP!

Welcome to BYC.

Can you post of photo of how she is standing?
What type of food/treats do you normally feed?
Do you offer oyster shell free choice?
What does her poop look like?
Any swelling around the abdomen, does she feel fluid filled/bloated?
How long have you had her?
Is her crop emptying overnight?

My first thought with your description of a tucked appearance, moving slow and not laying for 5 days would be that she has some type of internal laying/reproductive disorder. Peritonitis, Ascites, cancer or tumors could be the cause. Separate her if you can so you can monitor her poop and crop function. Provide her normal feed and add some poultry vitamins to her water if you have them.

Peritonitis and internal egg laying issues:
http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx
http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/tag/laying-issues/
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/6-causes-of-chicken-swollen-abdomen.aspx

 

[chickengr]

I'm totally not familiar with how to post a new thread on here but I have a chicken emergency HELP! I have a 7.5 month old golden comet hen that has stopped laying. She's about 3-4 lbs and she lives with two other golden comets and three leghorns. They all get along splendidly. I have felt all around her vent there's no tightness, no runny poop, no breathing issues. Her back feathers are fluffed her head is down and her tail feathers are kind of tucked, she's eating and drinking her eyes are clear she's alert but moving extremely slow. Tomorrow will be day 5 no eggs her comb is a bit shriveled. All of my other girls are perfect. I lubed her vent with an oral syringe and mineral oil, and did warm water soak still no eggs! Is she eggbound? She's not straining to lay at all! These are my first chickens and I'm lost! HELP!

did you worm her?

I always give my chickens some hot pepper in case there is any internal bleeding and then I try to figure out what is going on. hot pepper stimulates laying so you can give it to all your laying hens.

 

[jlovepj1027]

A couple of my hens were having green poop and others with blood. So I went to my local vet supply and they advised me it could be cocci and to treat with oxytetracyclin. So I treated the entire flock. I have a small, spoiled and well taken care of flock, so not sure how this could have occurred. After the tetracycline for 7 days beginning the 19th of October I followed up with wazine. The bloody stools came back so after reading I gave them some cayenne pepper until the corid powder I ordered online arrived. Treated for the full seven days. Now I have probiotics in water. Question is, I'm seeing a lot of loose watery white droppings, what is this all about? And what do I do next? Do I deworm AGAIN? Or just stick to the probiotics? Also please note I am always analyzing their stools because no hens showed any indication of illness. Which I guess was good so I caught it early on. I had read when I first got hens that their stool is the first and best indication of something wrong so I'm always analyzing it daily. lol! TIA!