What is killing my hens?

[4and20blackbrds]

OK Thank you for this.
I think I may have it straight.

Did Gretchen have respiratory symptoms or was she gurgly only?

What about Lady - any respiratory symptoms or just a gurgly sound?
What does Lady's crop feel like? Any smell (sour) smell to her breath?

What have they been eating recently including treats? If possible, can you get a photo of the inside of Lady's beak? Any lice or mites on her?

Thank you so much! Occasional sneezing or coughing… I can’t really tell which, but it sounds really weird. Kinda high pitched and phlegmy. Gretchen was definitely more gurgle-y. Lady is more of a snotty sound. It’s hard to describe. But Gretchen and Cleo’s seemed to be deeper (this is also how Susan sounds, but hers is also slightly different).

Lady is the only one doing that weird neck stretch breathing thing. There’s no sound on her inhale, just the exhale. Susan gurgles with both.

Susan is actually still outside. She’s eating and foraging. I can only grab her after she’s in the coop at night.

 

[4and20blackbrds]

Here’s her beak

 

[4and20blackbrds]

OK Thank you for this.
I think I may have it straight.

Did Gretchen have respiratory symptoms or was she gurgly only?

What about Lady - any respiratory symptoms or just a gurgly sound?
What does Lady's crop feel like? Any smell (sour) smell to her breath?

What have they been eating recently including treats? If possible, can you get a photo of the inside of Lady's beak? Any lice or mites on her?

I forgot some stuff lol. No bad smell, if anything it’s sweet. I thought maybe it was the antibiotic that smelled sweet, but maybe it’s her breath.

No mites or lice. Her crop is soft and empty because she’s not eating. Her poop is basically just cream/off white.

I have them on layer pellets,This. She’s also probably been eating the Chick feed. It’s also nutrena, medicated chick starter. And the only treats they get are black oil sunflower seeds (These).

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Lady is the only one doing that weird neck stretch breathing thing. There’s no sound on her inhale, just the exhale. Susan gurgles with both.

No bad smell, if anything it’s sweet. I thought maybe it was the antibiotic that smelled sweet, but maybe it’s her breath.

That's interesting about her only making a sound with exhale. Exhale is actually intake of air in poultry, inhale is when it leaves (air sacs!)

The inside of the beak doesn't look good. I'm not sure what to make of it. Canker comes to mind, but you mention no foul odor, if anything it smells sweet. Take another whiff and see if there is a sweet odor on her breath. I'm tagging in @dawg53 and @Eggcessive to take a look as well.

 

[micstrachan]

Here are some possible avian respiratory diseases this might be. https://extension.psu.edu/respiratory-diseases-of-small-poultry-flocks

Continue to treat those with symptoms with the Tylan orally. It was not the Tylan that killed the chicken.

Unless it aspirated her. :/

 

[dawg53]

Here’s her beakView attachment 3161840

I magnified the photo.
There appears to be yellow in color gunk/patch on the roof of her mouth. Is it from eating feed? See if you can remove it with a q-tip. If not, look at the back of her throat as best as you can and see if you can see the same thing.

 

[Eggcessive]

There is obviously some respiratory disease that may have been carried in by the new flock member from the swap meet. They can come with a disease, or pick one up while sitting in a cage at the swap meet near a carrier. Once a chronic respiratory disease is in your flock, it will remain until all birds are gone. So close your flock. Getting a necropsy through your state vet will help to identify which disease it is and also if there is canker. Very sorry for your loss.

 

[4and20blackbrds]

That's interesting about her only making a sound with exhale. Exhale is actually intake of air in poultry, inhale is when it leaves (air sacs!)

The inside of the beak doesn't look good. I'm not sure what to make of it. Canker comes to mind, but you mention no foul odor, if anything it smells sweet. Take another whiff and see if there is a sweet odor on her breath. I'm tagging in @dawg53 and @Eggcessive to take a look as well.

Thank you . Susan doesn’t have anything in her beak. I checked last night when I gave her the tylan.

Her breathing sounds like when you’re drinking with a straw and you get to the bottom and there’s just a little bit of liquid.

I’ve also changed the tylan50 to .5ml twice a day.

 

[4and20blackbrds]

I magnified the photo.
There appears to be yellow in color gunk/patch on the roof of her mouth. Is it from eating feed? See if you can remove it with a q-tip. If not, look at the back of her throat as best as you can and see if you can see the same thing.

It’s the same color as the stuff that was drying on the corner of their beaks. The darker spots are the nutri-drench. I’ll see if I can get some of it off when I dose her in a bit.

 

[4and20blackbrds]

There is obviously some respiratory disease that may have been carried in by the new flock member from the swap meet. They can come with a disease, or pick one up while sitting in a cage at the swap meet near a carrier. Once a chronic respiratory disease is in your flock, it will remain until all birds are gone. So close your flock. Getting a necropsy through your state vet will help to identify which disease it is and also if there is canker. Very sorry for your loss.

Yeah. Closed flock now.

A necropsy is $105. While I would dearly love to get one, that’s more than I can spend .