[Stereo]

Had to cull one of my pullets last night. They are in a mobile house so have fresh grass every day. I think they are about 14 weeks now so almost grown and all are looking fit and strong. Last night I looked in on them and one was off it's legs, head down with whitish gunk dribbling from it's beak. I took her out, decided to cull immediately and moved the house straight away. I took her back to the barn and popped her on the floor and when I picked her up there was a pool of the same gunk. All the rest look fine this morning.

Any ideas? We hatched them from bought in eggs. We have had Cocci in the past but it didn't look like that and they since we had it, we have been using medicated crumb to start them. Considering Mareks but that can't come through the egg I don't think and we've never had it here. No live birds have been bought in for about a year. at this stage I think (hope) that is unlikely.

Any other ideas? Feeling a bit on edge at the mo.

[Louise Gaunt]

The only thing I can think of with fluid dribbling from the beak is sour crop. How long had they been in grass and is it a bit long for them? Could the pool on the floor have run out of her crop after death? Are the others looking ok? I have had success with sour crop,in adult birds, feeding them just water and syringing dilute yoghurt into their beak. It sorts out the crop flora and let's them get over the infection.

[Stereo]

Could be. They are on a field grazed by sheep so not long grass. I've raised 100's of birds this way and not had that issue before. I always found that the constant fresh grass keeps them super healthy and we have very low mortality once they are outside. But maybe this one ate too much in one go. All the rest are still looking 100%.

Perhaps I should have tried to treat but my instinct was to remove and cull as soon as possible. I've given the feeder and drinker a good clean and poultry shield too. Plus put some Apple cider in their water this morning.

Fingers crossed. Praying it's not anything infectious as I've hatched some lovely birds this year from bought in eggs.

[Marches Farmer]

Sour crop sounds most likely - occasionally a bird will just gorge itself on greenery. Sour crop can take days to build up to the point where you see obvious symptoms.

[Kimbo]

it certainly sounds like sour crop and that would explain only one pullet going down, poor thing. So, sad though it is Stereo, it could have been worse

[Stereo]

Thanks for all the comments. Now feel like I should have tried to save it! On the flip side, had I separated it and tended it and it did have something contagious, I could have been then transferring to the other flocks on my hands / boots etc. To be honest, it was pretty floppy so not sure it would have made it anyway. Never easy with livestock is it? Experience tells me that you have to sometimes think of the welfare of the flock and any weak or ill birds need to be gone ASAP. But it's not easy.

[Kimbo]

Completely understand you. You did what you thought best in a moment of crisis. And it might well have been the only viable option anyway as it was so poorly so you can rest easy

[chrismahon]

Sounds like a digestive impaction to me Stereo. The pullet may have been bullied off the feeder and gorged on grass. Takes about two or three weeks from that event to death, so you did the right thing because she couldn't have been saved I think. You say you only have one feeder and drinker so that's the likely cause -you need two of both.

[Possum]

I think you did the right thing Stereo. It sounds like she had gone past the stage of recovery. Even with a less affected chicken, treatment is not always successful.

[Stereo]

Thanks. Nice big feeder but will double up on both.