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Flock in poor health

Hi All
I have some forty birds in a mixed flock…free range..with three henhouses all has been well until the last six weeks.
The flock is roughly half and half older birds and this years hatch ,some birds loosing head feathers ,some scawering yellow ,some young bids almost to weak to stand ,some older birds listless and hunched.
The vet gave me Zeofen for worms and Baycox for cocasidacossi ,with no real results they have now sent off a faecal sample for analysis ,nothing back after two weeks .
Any ideas please.
Thanks

Sundowner39
Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Did you change the feed at all? Any other symptoms such as discharges from the eyes, nose or beak? What colour is there wattles and combs? Any breathing problems, coughing or gapping? Are they laying normally and are the eggs normal?

Glyn
Saturday, November 9th, 2024

At this point,considering their previous treatment, until you get the results of the fecal samples, I would be asking the vet for a general purpose antibiotic like Tylan.

Glyn
Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Hi Glyn
No change to feed .. layer’s pellets,hand full of corn and whole oats later in the day.
No discharge ,wattles and combs ,good red ,purple ,and pale mixed.
No coughing but some rattling in a few.
No gapping .
Eggs have almost stopped 2/6 a day.
Sample still not back (10 days) vets don’t appear very serious about it .
Have two three month olds under heat as of today.
Tylan will ask on Monday.
Thanks.

Sundowner39
Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Purple combs, unless silkie or Ayam Cemani would worry me, it is usualy a sign of respiratory or circulation problems.

Glyn
Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Yellow, foamy or greasy-looking chicken poop can be a sign of internal parasites (worms, coccidiosis) an infection, (bacterial or viral) a diet too high in protein or kidney dysfunction.
Also some birds at still in moult this time of the year and if these birds have picked up parasites or worms they will seem weak and stressed.
Treat for worms and parasites. Also check around the vents under the feathers for lice you will see them wriggling away into the feathers if they have them. Lice will also make them seem weak

roostercroweburn
Sunday, November 10th, 2024

Here is a link to a post I wrote some time ago.

https://www.irishfowl.com/talk/topic-43992.html?c=19

My go to antibiotic is a bottle of pinstrep which I buy from my vet once in a while to have at hmoe for times like this.

roostercroweburn
Sunday, November 10th, 2024

Sundowner39 Have you had any improvement?

Glyn
Monday, November 18th, 2024

Hi Glyn
Difficult to say as yet, started antibiotics (Respichlor) Last Thursday am awaiting results.
Unfortunately the weaker birds had died by the time the tests came back so I can make no real comparison.
The test Enteric Culture ..Result was ..Campylobacter Coli , E coll, comamonas, Jiangduensis all proved sensitive to treatments so not resistant.
However no worm count ! Was carried out ……. am sending another sample.
Birds are livelier but majority of droppings are Dijon mustard yellow, eggs can’t be used for ten days after treatment but am only getting three per day.
I will update at end of treatment.
Thanks

Sundowner39
Thursday, November 21st, 2024

Hi
Update …….finished medication ….a few more eggs now but not many and I think these are from some young stock just starting to lay…haven’t had worm count done yet hopefully this coming week.
Many birds moulting ,but generally looking better overall but I am still not comfortable as there is still a lot of yellow scour.
As the eggs are not useable for human consumption I have boiled a few and fed them back with shells..still feeding a few handfuls of whole oats in the late afternoon and on demand layers pellets.. used to feed kitchen scraps but have stopped that.
So that is where it is for the time being.
Thanks

Sundowner39
Sunday, December 1st, 2024

Great news.

Glyn
Sunday, December 1st, 2024


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