{Very} Sick Chickens...Please Help!

[VolailleAmant]

Good morning.
I have a serious question, that if anyone could help me out with, it would be greatly appreciated.
So, about last week, my 1 year old ISA Brown hen was on the roost, when I was doing chores. I heard a weird snoring sound, and tracked it down to her. then, I noticed that one of her eyes was swollen shut, and covered with discharge and mucus [I guess]. I treated her with VetRX, and she was doing okay for the most part, until 4 days ago, when BOTH eyes went closed and covered, and the roof of her mouth was packed with a thick mucus. Long story short, she got so bad I needed to put her down :'( Now I have 3 more hens that are displaying the same symptoms, but just a wheezing sound, with flaky dry mucus around the beak. Does anyone know what this could be? ANY help is welcome! There are NO chicken vets in my area. I really hope that I don't need to kill all of my chickens, so please let me know anything that could help!!!! Thank you!

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like there is a serious respiratory disease going through your flock, such as infectious coryza or others. Is there a bad odor around the faces? I would separate the sick chickens from the others, and either put them down, or get some sulfa antibiotics from a vet to treat for possible coryza. That does not cure the disease, but may help treat symptoms.

Have you added any new birds recently or visited any poultry swaps, or animal sales?

I would urge you to contact your state vet, and get a necropsy on any more that die or are culled. That will give you a diagnosis. Here is a link about common diseases including mycoplasma gallisepticum, infectious coryza, infectious bronchitis, ILT, and others:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[VolailleAmant]

It sounds like there is a serious respiratory disease going through your flock, such as infectious coryza or others. Is there a bad odor around the faces? I would separate the sick chickens from the others, and either put them down, or get some sulfa antibiotics from a vet to treat for possible coryza. That does not cure the disease, but may help treat symptoms.

Have you added any new birds recently or visited any poultry swaps, or animal sales?

I would urge you to contact your state vet, and get a necropsy on any more that die or are culled. That will give you a diagnosis. Here is a link about common diseases including mycoplasma gallisepticum, infectious coryza, infectious bronchitis, ILT, and others:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Oh man. This had to be the year I have added two batches of laying hens this year. I will definitely look into those diseases. Would I need to .... KILL all of my chickens if it is coryza?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would try to get a diagnosis either by testing, or through a necropsy. Since this seems to be spreading fast, I would get them separated. A necropsy is a fast and easier way to get a diagnosis. Contact your state vet to ask about that or testing. You can spend a lot of money on medicines over a long time dealing with this. Many use Tylan 50 injectable to treat symptoms of respiratory diseases, but the sulfa drugs might be better if it is coryza. You can buy SMZ-TMP online if you want to try sulfa antibiotics. Here is a link for contacting your state vet:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is a link for the sulfa antibiotic:
http://www.allivet.com/mobile/p-802...z_exj4she1ikwoxoaydfm0aznml8bllhoclj0qavd_bwe

 

[VolailleAmant]

Thanks!!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

More reading:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/68127/infectious-coryza-in-poultry
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/82/infectious-coryza/