Very sick chickens

[Bbusby1015]

Hi -

I am needing help with my chickens.
Two weeks ago I bought 5 RIR from one man. They looked ok and ate and drank with no issues. A week later I bought 2 barred rock and 1 golden sex link from a family and 2 blue Cochin and 1 light brama from another family. Sunday I lost all five RIR.
They started sounding congested. A croupy sound when breathing. Then became lethargic. I gave them electrolytes in their water according to the directions. I also made sure coop was clean, etc.
They had been eating pellets, small amount of cracked corn. They all five died With in a couple days.
They are in a 20x12 run with some pine shavings, and some pellet bedding. A friend gave me some denegard until I could get some and I began treating all of my other girls. Only water source was the denegard water. Changed all bedding, cleaned coop with water and vinegar and allowed to air dry. Today one of my Barred Rocks is showing signs of congestion. One eye is swollen shut. Not very active. Sounds very congested and generally looks like she feels bad. One side of her face is swollen.
I did get her to let me give her several syringes of water with denegard.
I just don’t want to lose anymore birds. It’s been a rough start. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Welcome to BYC, I’m so sorry for you and your chickens... I can’t help you but you came to the right place for advise. Wish you the best of luck!

 

[jolenesdad]

@Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @casportpony

This is a friend I met in our local FB group and have been trying to help after her loss of her RIRs that came sick. I have her denagard and after 48 hours with it told her to come here as I assume she needs something else.

 

[Eggcessive]

It sounds like the RIR’s had a serious respiratory disease. Mycoplasma gallisepticum or MG is one that can cause a sinus infection, bubbles or foam in an eye, and swelling of the face. Infectious coryza is another that causes swelling of the face, a bad odor, and thick drainage from the nostrils. Do you notice a bad odor? Are you seeing any sneeze, rattly breathing, or gasping? It can take about 2-3 days for coryza to develop, and MG may take a few more days to infect another chicken. Both diseases will make the whole flock carriers and may all test positive for the disease. The only way to stop the spread of the disease would be to cull the birds and wait a few weeks to start over with new baby chicks from a hatchery, the safest way to start. Secondary diseases from E.coli and other bacteria around chicken coops can cause secondary infections. If you lose another bird, it would be helpful to send the body (keep it cold) to the state poultry vet which you can contact from this list:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[Isaac 0]

@Bbusby1015

Where in the world are you located?

 

[Bbusby1015]

Tomball, tx

 

[Isaac 0]

Tomball, tx

If you lose another bird send it here,

https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/

Read this,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures.799747/

 

[jolenesdad]

It sounds like the RIR’s had a serious respiratory disease. Mycoplasma gallisepticum or MG is one that can cause a sinus infection, bubbles or foam in an eye, and swelling of the face. Infectious coryza is another that causes swelling of the face, a bad odor, and thick drainage from the nostrils. Do you notice a bad odor? Are you seeing any sneeze, rattly breathing, or gasping? It can take about 2-3 days for coryza to develop, and MG may take a few more days to infect another chicken. Both diseases will make the whole flock carriers and may all test positive for the disease. The only way to stop the spread of the disease would be to cull the birds and wait a few weeks to start over with new baby chicks from a hatchery, the safest way to start. Secondary diseases from E.coli and other bacteria around chicken coops can cause secondary infections. If you lose another bird, it would be helpful to send the body (keep it cold) to the state poultry vet which you can contact from this list:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

I realize medicating and then decoding is not the best route to take, but since that’s where we are....

Would you assume it is not MG because they’ve been on denegard with worsening symptoms after 2 days of treatment?

 

[Eggcessive]

I realize medicating and then decoding is not the best route to take, but since that’s where we are....

Would you assume it is not MG because they’ve been on denegard with worsening symptoms after 2 days of treatment?

Do you notice a bad odor from the faces of birds with symptoms? A bad odor is usually coryza, although I have not treated it. Denagard is specifically for MG, and it apparently tastes very bad, so birds may not drink enough of it. There are threads online with suggestions of flavoring it. Sulfa antibiotics are better for treating coryza. Most of those come from a vet, but sulfadimethoxine might be found online for pigeons. It really helps to get testing or a necropsy. There could be more than one disease or secondary diseases that killed the first ones.

 

[Bbusby1015]

It sounds like the RIR’s had a serious respiratory disease. Mycoplasma gallisepticum or MG is one that can cause a sinus infection, bubbles or foam in an eye, and swelling of the face. Infectious coryza is another that causes swelling of the face, a bad odor, and thick drainage from the nostrils. Do you notice a bad odor? Are you seeing any sneeze, rattly breathing, or gasping? It can take about 2-3 days for coryza to develop, and MG may take a few more days to infect another chicken. Both diseases will make the whole flock carriers and may all test positive for the disease. The only way to stop the spread of the disease would be to cull the birds and wait a few weeks to start over with new baby chicks from a hatchery, the safest way to start. Secondary diseases from E.coli and other bacteria around chicken coops can cause secondary infections. If you lose another bird, it would be helpful to send the body (keep it cold) to the state poultry vet which you can contact from this list:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

So my barred rock also died today. I have 1 barred rock and 1 golden sex link Both 5 months old and 2 blue Cochin 3 months old and 1 light Brahma 3 month old left

none of these have symptoms but have been around the other birds. They all seem ok.

should I assume they are all positive for whatever and cull them? Or should I assume they are all fine and do not have the same thing since no symptoms?

to recap- I had 11 chickens. I have lost 6 in the last 3 days