Illness after moving flock

[NatJ]

There are lights on 24/7, they're pretty dim, but you can still see.

Maybe try brighter light in the day, no light at night?
They may not be able to tell day from night right now, and may not be getting enough sleep either.
If they are sleepy, they might have the symptoms you mentioned (including the wide-awake energetic response when chased!) Wrong amount of light is also a common cause of hens not laying eggs.

Of course there are lots of other things that could be the problem, but fixing the lighting should not do any harm, and might help.

 

[Shadrach]

Did you use a disinfectant?
What disinfectant did you use when you wash?
Can the chickens reach bare earth?
If not what do you have as a dust bath?
Nest boxes?

 

[HuskerHens18]

There's no phone reception so I couldn't double check what you all wanted pics of.

Here is the deck.

Here is one fan.

The other one is too high, I couldn't get a good picture, it leads all the way outside.

There is this one, its pretty big, but there is a flap on the other side that blocks some of the opening. It opens when the fan is on.

This is how thick the roosts are.

This is one, I thought maybe the skin color by the earlobe looked a little off? His weight is fine.

Her tail was ripped out by a coyote, the feathers haven't grown back yet. She just looks so round and low, not how she usually does.

Her comb is supposed to be floppy on top. She just doesn't look right.

This is the first rooster I posted a pic of. His eye is fine he just blinked. He's a brat, loves to bite me and still did. His butt doesn't normally sink like that.

Those are the pictures I took. I swore I took one of the nesting boxes but it's not there. I'm using those pinterest storage container ones. There was one egg today! I think that's a good sign.

 

[HuskerHens18]

Did you use a disinfectant?
What disinfectant did you use when you wash?
Can the chickens reach bare earth?
If not what do you have as a dust bath?
Nest boxes?

I did not use any because I knew I needed to move chickens in ASAP and i didn't feel it was safe to spray down a building with bleach(that's the only think i would've had access to) and immediately move chickens in the next day. I power washed everything into the drains, so there is no standing water or gross debris on the floor or in the pens.
No earth, I felt it wouldn't be smart to go dig up strange dirt they weren't raised on and put it in with them. There is nothing but mud and snow anyway. Too wet, I would worry about coccidiosis. I hear so much conflicted opinions over that red earth stuff from TSC I stopped buying any.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It's the two fans. They're holes in the wall about a foot across each. I don't run them though. I'm not even sure they work.
There's 19 on each side, both pens run roughly 6x60. Its definitely not perfect, but it is literally the only option I have.

There's really not much else I can do. I'd rather medicate them pointlessly than do nothing and watch them die, but that's why I'm posting it here first to see if someone else has experienced something similar. I'm hoping for suggestions on what I can give them.
...

I understand you can only do what you can do and you have to work with what you have.
However, medicating pointlessly is the root of the problem.
If there is a known bacterium that is curable with a specific antibiotic, that is the appropriate treatment. But if it is unknown, it is inappropriate. Not all bacterial infections have a known cure. Most problems could just as likely be viral, fungal, environmental, etc. which can't be helped with antibiotics.
The reason I rail against use of antibiotics without knowing for sure what we are treating is the ever increasing number of superbugs that aren't able to be controlled by the last line of defense antibiotics. Those are the most potent of the world's entire arsenal of 26 antibiotics. Common diseases are becoming untreatable.
Everyone complains when they can no longer obtain an antibiotic at a feed store due to new regulations. But the regulations are in place to keep us safe. Many of the antibiotic families used for animals are also those used in humans.
Every 15 minutes, someone in the US dies from a drug resistant superbug. Similar numbers are found in the EU.
The same problem is rampant in poultry and other livestock. Random, prophylactic treatment with antibiotics for an unknown pathogen for random periods of time increases the resistance of any pathogens present in poultry. When a bacteria is present and antibiotics aren't administered in a targeted manner, some of that bacteria survive and reproduce, the offspring are automatically, genetically resistant to that antibiotic. So let's say the original problem in a flock, herd or sounder was viral or fungal, administering antibiotics is still creating antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Researchers predict that by 2050 there will be 10 million human deaths annually worldwide from antibiotic resistant bacteria. That will surpass deaths from cancer.
The right answer to disease in livestock is infection prevention.
For chickens and other livestock, that means proper housing and management - huge ventilation is first and foremost in that prevention.
People always believe they have adequate ventilation - but they really don't.
If the ventilation was adequate, their birds wouldn't be sick.
I believe the only reason we have housing for chickens is predator protection. That doesn't require solid walls. On several occasions, I've had birds opt to live in trees rather than housing during the winter through rain, snow and freezing wind. They never got sick because their tiny respiratory systems were full of oxygen rather than ammonia and pathogen laden air.
I'm sorry if this isn't the information you wanted to hear. My job is to tell you what you need to hear.

There's no phone reception so I couldn't double check what you all wanted pics of.
...
View attachment 1995235 Here is one fan.
View attachment 1995237 The other one is too high, I couldn't get a good picture, it leads all the way outside.
View attachment 1995236 There is this one, its pretty big, but there is a flap on the other side that blocks some of the opening. It opens when the fan is on.
...
View attachment 1995251 Her comb is supposed to be floppy on top. She just doesn't look right.
Those are the pictures I took. I swore I took one of the nesting boxes but it's not there. I'm using those pinterest storage container ones. There was one egg today! I think that's a good sign.

Without seeing the design of the building, the presence of fans on small 1' openings tells me that those fans need to be on. Without the fans running, there is no ventilation.
It isn't unusual for hens' combs to shrivel and pale this time of year.

I did not use any because I knew I needed to move chickens in ASAP and i didn't feel it was safe to spray down a building with bleach(that's the only think i would've had access to) and immediately move chickens in the next day. I power washed everything into the drains, so there is no standing water or gross debris on the floor or in the pens.
No earth, I felt it wouldn't be smart to go dig up strange dirt they weren't raised on and put it in with them. There is nothing but mud and snow anyway. Too wet, I would worry about coccidiosis. I hear so much conflicted opinions over that red earth stuff from TSC I stopped buying any.

The power wash was a good move.
I like to use activated oxine to disinfect a building. It will take care of all bacteria, viruses and fungi.
If your birds haven't been transported a great distance, I wouldn't worry about coccidiosis. There should be the same species present as on the previous property which means the chickens are already resistant to any species on this property.

 

[Kathy Golla]

Maybe try brighter light in the day, no light at night?
They may not be able to tell day from night right now, and may not be getting enough sleep either.
If they are sleepy, they might have the symptoms you mentioned (including the wide-awake energetic response when chased!) Wrong amount of light is also a common cause of hens not laying eggs.

Of course there are lots of other things that could be the problem, but fixing the lighting should not do any harm, and might help.

I think this premise is a solid one.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...

There are lights on 24/7, they're pretty dim, but you can still see.

....

I also wanted to add that chickens, just like all animals, need a daily dark period (with no light).

24/7 light AKA white torture is a form of psychological torture used by intelligence services in Iran and Venezuela. The European Court in the Hague convicted the British military of its use in Ireland in '71 and the US during the Bush administration was accused of the same by Amnesty International.

 

[micstrachan]

I understand you can only do what you can do and you have to work with what you have.
However, medicating pointlessly is the root of the problem.
If there is a known bacterium that is curable with a specific antibiotic, that is the appropriate treatment. But if it is unknown, it is inappropriate. Not all bacterial infections have a known cure. Most problems could just as likely be viral, fungal, environmental, etc. which can't be helped with antibiotics.
The reason I rail against use of antibiotics without knowing for sure what we are treating is the ever increasing number of superbugs that aren't able to be controlled by the last line of defense antibiotics. Those are the most potent of the world's entire arsenal of 26 antibiotics. Common diseases are becoming untreatable.
Everyone complains when they can no longer obtain an antibiotic at a feed store due to new regulations. But the regulations are in place to keep us safe. Many of the antibiotic families used for animals are also those used in humans.
Every 15 minutes, someone in the US dies from a drug resistant superbug. Similar numbers are found in the EU.
The same problem is rampant in poultry and other livestock. Random, prophylactic treatment with antibiotics for an unknown pathogen for random periods of time increases the resistance of any pathogens present in poultry. When a bacteria is present and antibiotics aren't administered in a targeted manner, some of that bacteria survive and reproduce, the offspring are automatically, genetically resistant to that antibiotic. So let's say the original problem in a flock, herd or sounder was viral or fungal, administering antibiotics is still creating antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Researchers predict that by 2050 there will be 10 million human deaths annually worldwide from antibiotic resistant bacteria. That will surpass deaths from cancer.
The right answer to disease in livestock is infection prevention.
For chickens and other livestock, that means proper housing and management - huge ventilation is first and foremost in that prevention.
People always believe they have adequate ventilation - but they really don't.
If the ventilation was adequate, their birds wouldn't be sick.
I believe the only reason we have housing for chickens is predator protection. That doesn't require solid walls. On several occasions, I've had birds opt to live in trees rather than housing during the winter through rain, snow and freezing wind. They never got sick because their tiny respiratory systems were full of oxygen rather than ammonia and pathogen laden air.
I'm sorry if this isn't the information you wanted to hear. My job is to tell you what you need to hear.


Without seeing the design of the building, the presence of fans on small 1' openings tells me that those fans need to be on. Without the fans running, there is no ventilation.
It isn't unusual for hens' combs to shrivel and pale this time of year.


The power wash was a good move.
I like to use activated oxine to disinfect a building. It will take care of all bacteria, viruses and fungi.
If your birds haven't been transported a great distance, I wouldn't worry about coccidiosis. There should be the same species present as on the previous property which means the chickens are already resistant to any species on this property.

This is a great reminder. Thanks.

 

[micstrachan]

Sorry your flock is not feeling well.

On a side note, would you consider sealing those fan cages with hardware cloth so vermin can’t get through?

 

[HuskerHens18]

Ugh BYC isnt notifying me of new replies sorry. Every time I get on a new comment appears that I missed.

The lights really aren't that bright, I still carry in shop lights while I'm checking on them so I don't trip and die or something haha. I still shut the 24/7 lights off though, its absolutely pitch black in there now. So tomorrow I'll see how they feel and continue to turn it off. The roads were really bad today when I left, my car kept trying to slide off the road. Hopefully tomorrow itll harden up.

I can try to cover the fans, there isn't anything I can attach it to. Maybe I could duct tape the crap out of it?