Sick Chickens on the Homestead

So, I have a lot to learn about chickens. They are complicated little creatures. It's not at all like having a dog or a cat that you can put into a carrier and take to the vet.

I think Rogue must have been sick when I found her and put her with my flock. She looked somewhat sickly at the time... I should have known better. Learning lesson #1. Quarintine new birds for three weeks! 

It was the first week of Spring, so I cleaned the chicken coop, and changed out all the shavings, and hosed down the walls and scrubbed everything. I then went out and got some chicks and added it to my flock. This all happened within a week about three weeks ago?

Next thing I know Regina is coughing and sneezing and making terrible wheezing sounds. 

I put garlic powder in their water to help naturally cure their cold. 

I thought that maybe it was the dust from the new bedding, or maybe the damp cold air from hosing down the sides of the coop. 

Anyway, now all of my adult hens are sick. I can't give them medicine because I don't know whats wrong with them. 

Ginger told me to call her horse vet. He makes house calls and has chickens. 

This is going to cost a fortune. For chickens....

Anyway, he is coming tomorrow at 12. Fingers crossed that the medication that they need doesn't cost a small fortune. We aren't rolling in money at the moment. 

This morning I opened the coop and normally all the birds come running out to say good morning... today they all walked out slowly, and one was missing. I opened the inside of the coop and there was Martha... still sitting on her perch looking terribly lethargic. Her comb is starting to fade in color and turn blue... which means something is wrong with her air sacs?. This is bad... it's really bad. 

I sat there for a moment petting her, she closed her eyes as I stroked her behind the ear.... I told her to hold on for one more day... "don't you go dying on me now!" I lifted her off the perch and placed her on the ground, she feels lighter then normal. She slowly walked outside to go sit with the other birds... they aren't even interested in looking for bugs. It's a pathetic site. 

I went in and made some hot oatmeal and rice crispee cereal mash for them. This should warm their tummies. I brought it out to them...they gathered around eating and coughing... normally its' a brawl to get to the food. They gathered around the bowl all taking turns. What is going on?! Friendly, Docile Girls eating nicely together without pecking each other? There is definitely something wrong.

Anyway, I put up a video of my birds on You Tube and Facebook. Once I know whats wrong with them, I will tell the world what these symptoms need. 

Anyway, Enjoy the video of my sick birds. 

The Red Hen is Martha, the large hen next to Martha  is Regina, the Hen in the back is Becky, and the skittish hen in the corner that is lacking a comb on top of her head is Rogue.