[IcarusSomnio]

Lost a pigeon today worried about the others.


Symptoms so far:
Sudden death in two birds. 1 Sebright hen, and now 1 Pigeon hen. Both where fine, healthy, and active in the morning, dead in the afternoon. No apparent injuries.
Watery, white poo, pasted on/around anus on my other Sebright. She's bright eyed, eats, drinks, and squawks. She's quarantined from the others.
No eggs (I also keep four silkie chicken hens)

Pics from the Sebright:
Head:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens001.jpg
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens002.jpg
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens003.jpg

Anus before:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens004.jpg

Anus after a warm rinse, also better shows feather loss:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens009.jpg
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens012.jpg

Closeup of lack of feathers along breastbone:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens011.jpg

Unusually blister-looking thing on her foot:
http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab316/AnnasPets/Sick Chicken/Chickens014.jpg


I also posted on BackyardChicken with no avail. I'm really worried about my entire flock. I keep 3 ducks, 4 silkie hens, 3 pigeons, 3 rabbits, and 1 Sebright.

 

[IcarusSomnio]

Update: I'm on Atlas of Avian Diseases looking for an answer. The particular pigeon hen that died always kept her wings rather dropped, or low. Apparently this is a symptom...? Since she was acting, eating, and drinking normally I didn't think much of it.

 

[Pigeonlove]

I'm of no help, but I feel really bad for you. I hope you find the cause of the illness soon, and I hope you don't have to go through any more heartbreak.

 

[pouterindia]

Hi I think this is Pmv1

 

[Charis]

I think you may have several things going on with you birds.

It appears to me that your hen has mites. The scabs on her comb are an indication. You need to dust all you birds and treat their living quarters. Mites can make them miserable and anemic.
The sore on the hen's foot may be bumble foot. If left untreated it will only get worse. If treated in the early stages your hen will recover.

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/poultry-health/bumblefoot.html

You mentioned your hens are not laying. Have they been laying and recently stopped?
Have they been vaccinated or treated for anything such as worms or coccidia?
The poop you described would lead me to conclude that they haven't been eating.
Do you feel their crops once a day to see if they have food in them?

 

[IcarusSomnio]

I think you may have several things going on with you birds.

It appears to me that your hen has mites. The scabs on her comb are an indication. You need to dust all you birds and treat their living quarters. Mites can make them miserable and anemic.
The sore on the hen's foot may be bumble foot. If left untreated it will only get worse. If treated in the early stages your hen will recover.

http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/poultry-health/bumblefoot.html

You mentioned your hens are not laying. Have they been laying and recently stopped?
Have they been vaccinated or treated for anything such as worms or coccidia?
The poop you described would lead me to conclude that they haven't been eating.
Do you feel their crops once a day to see if they have food in them?

-No ones been vaccinated or treated for anything, at least not in my care. I bought everyone as an adult. I've had them for all of a week in a half, two tops.

-In the past week or so, I've collected 1 egg and it broke very easily. I didn't think anything of it at the time. When I first got the birds, I was collecting 2-3 eggs per day, then my Sebright died (two days after I bought her) and production slowed to 1, then nothing for a few days, then another, nothing, another, again nothing.

-I'm not sure how you feel the crop...? The Sebright hen seems eager and hungry when I feed her. I keep her dish filled. She also drinks when I fill her dish (I need to put one in that she can't tip over as easily, come to think of it). She squawks, clucks, and makes happy noises, walks around her cage, etc.
Everyone else forages through out the day, and eat readily when I feed them. Plenty of clucking and cooing from both pigeons and chickens.


I also have mild flu/cold symptoms. Generally feel kinda icky, started a few days ago. Could be something, could be nothing, oi.

 

[Charis]

The crop is right below the throat and above the keel bone. When there is food in it, the crop fills out like a baloon and feels full and lumpy. You can fell the seeds through the skin.
Do you gIve the hen oyster shell? What feed do you give her?Where did these birds come from...can you find out the history?

 

[Charis]

I doubt your illness and theirs is related.

 

[IcarusSomnio]

The crop is right below the throat and above the keel bone. When there is food in it, the crop fills out like a baloon and feels full and lumpy. You can fell the seeds through the skin.
Do you gIve the hen oyster shell? What feed do you give her?Where did these birds come from...can you find out the history?

Yes, I offer "Mana Pro Pullet Sized Oyster-something" I think their called crumbles as well. I feed "Country Lane 16% Layer Crumbles" which are also Pullet sized. No scratch feeds, I gave the chickens a bit of apple to peck at a few days ago as a treat and they loved it.
Clean water 24/7, I feed grain once a day, and check on everyone every few hours or whenever I have time during the day, always at night when I close up the coop. They get moved every morning before I open the ramp for fresh forage.

I doubt your illness and theirs is related.

I hope so, I hate getting sick. >_<

 

[Charis]

Yes, I offer "Mana Pro Pullet Sized Oyster-something" I think their called crumbles as well. I feed "Country Lane 16% Layer Crumbles" which are also Pullet sized. No scratch feeds, I gave the chickens a bit of apple to peck at a few days ago as a treat and they loved it.
Clean water 24/7, I feed grain once a day, and check on everyone every few hours or whenever I have time during the day, always at night when I close up the coop. They get moved every morning before I open the ramp for fresh forage.




I hope so, I hate getting sick. >_<

That's not the same thing as oyster shell.
Has by chance any of the area they forage in been treated with any chemicals?

 

[Charis]

I really need to call it a night. I did send you a private message.

 

[Jaye]

Suggest you start treating the flock as Charis has indicated ASAP - also feel and check their weights - they may require handfeeding at this point. Whoever you bought them from probably wasn't doing a great job of birdcare to say the least. Sounds as if your day-to-day care has been good enough - but you just started out w\ill birds.

 

[spirit wings]

do you keep the chickens and pigeons together? chickens can harbor dieseases that are fatal to pigeons.. not a good idea to house them together.

 

[pouterindia]

see that depands on you how u care your birds & what you feed your birds