# Suddenly Sick/dying Chickens



## Beckygoats

So, I've been doing my google research and am finding myself confused and even more clueless than to start. We have 18 chickens. They have suddenly started dying. 1 last week was just randomly dead in the coop, then this morning there were 2 more dead in the outer pen. In addition, 1 hen wasn't looking too healthy this morning. She was kind of panting, and was huddled off to herself in the corner. On closer inspection, her eyes are gunky with puss and blood. I separated her to the adjoining coop that is empty. When I gave her her water she went crazy drinking it like she'd never had water before and even started bubbling out her mouth a bit. I had to leave for the day, but when I got back this afternoon she had flown over the fence back into the pen with the other chickens which was surprising considering she had seemed quite weak. She is still huddled down like she doesn't feel good and is exhibiting the same symptoms as earlier this morning. Google seems to recommend treating the whole flock with either doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosine tartrate or with penicillin. I don't know how to treat what I don't know is wrong, nor do I have the money to take my sick chicken to the vet. Ideas?


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## irregardless

I had this happen a few weeks ago. I ended up doing a deep clean on everything (founts, feeders, coop, scooped out some extra "crapp" in the run, and dumped the feed left in the can inside the coop) and keeping water extra fresh with some of that 'save-a-chick' stuff from RK/TSC and pretty much nipped it in the bud I suppose.

Maybe mine was just having a bad day though, I have no idea.


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## Raeven

I had something similar run through my coop a couple of years ago. 

I was using catchment water for them to drink, and our rainy season had just gotten underway. Some friends who had kept chickens for decades suggested that wild bird feces contaminated with salmonella may have gotten into my chickens' water from washing off the roof of their coop. 

Salmonella can kill a lot of chickens quite quickly, and it's difficult to avoid having your birds come into contact with wild bird droppings at some point. Maybe that was the problem...?


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## MO_cows

I would put the antibiotics in the water for them all and discard the eggs (or feed them back to the flock) for the withdrawal period. Also clean the coop and disinfect what you can.


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## Awnry Abe

Standing water from rain or spills from chore time are not good. There isn't much you can do to stop them from drinking from a puddle, but for this reason I started changing water at their evening lock up so spills have time to soak in. I've only treated for parasite load in the past, and that was added directly to their water. Dont eat the eggs until the withdrawal period is over. Some would discourage against feeding the eggs back to the chickens because it can encourage chronic egg eating, but I havent ever had that problem. Like others said, clean, clean, clean. You'll get on top of it. Don't be discouraged.


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## Beckygoats

Thanks very much! I will get the penicillin going tomorrow morning and clean clean clean. Nice to have the support; I'm pretty new to chickens.


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