chicks

[Lucky KY Chicks]

New babies are doing great! They eat and drink their little hearts out! And chickens are popular is my area at least! Usually it's not just a few hens for eggs, it's mostly flocks of 30-100 kept to sell eggs or purebred babies. Unfortunately not a lot of people around here show so the quality of the "purebreds" is hit and miss. I bought some local Dominiques and I suspect at least 3 are crosses. I'm raising them for meat and eggs for our family and my dog (lol he is raw fed) so the suspicious looking ones will have a place in my freezer but I wanted to get hatchery chicks to ensure some purebred quality. I'm going to be culling my flock based on SOP so hopefully with these two lines I can build up a better line of Dominiques. I want chickens who can do well at a show yet come home and be amazing foragers, layers, mothers and suitable meat chickens as well. All the things Dominiques were intended to be!

 

[merrylegs]

I just can't "cull" - chicks are all pets ... yet my dogs are raw fed too, but not with my pet chickens! Mine die of old age! so far I give my eggs away to friends etc. should sell them though, it's getting expensive as the flock expands lol.

 

[mightymax]

Are your birds silkies? Can't recall if you said or not. You said they can't walk, but are their legs still positioned 'normally' (as in they fold up under them) or are they pointing in different directions or in a 'doing the splits' type of thing? Could it be spraddle leg? Are the others showing any changes at all or no? Just trying to help...

 

[merrylegs]

Not silkies, Dad is Pekin, not sure what the mama is, but they are so cute. It looks like they have Mareks, one leg out in front, and very shaky, but they are eating well and drinking water. Don't know how they got it, all the other chicks are well. But today one of the two sick ones, is walking a bit. I have them in the house, so I can feed them and keep an eye on them. I can bend their legs easily, I hold them in the right position till they go to sleep. They seem happy and relaxed, so I will let them live out their time, however long it takes. Of course if they get distressed, or seem to be in pain, I will take them to the vet! As one seems to have improved, I'Il wait for a while.
You suggested "straddle leg" but it's just the one leg that they keep in front them ... I saw pictures on google with the Marek's symptoms!
Thank you for your help, I will update on their progress, though they say there is no cure!

 

[mightymax]

Oops!!! I meant sPraddle leg...lol!

 

[mightymax]

The way your describing, it is starting to sound more and more like Marek's Disease. It was recently diagnosed in my flock. A necropsy of one of my silkie hens confirmed what I had already been suspecting. It can be a very deceiving disease with all of it's subtle, mysterious and occasionally conflicting symptoms. I can't express to you enough how much I hope that your chicks do not have it! It truly changes the way you manage your chickens. I now have a 'closed flock'. No one in, no one out, no more breeding for the joy of it. Fortunately for me (and my peeps...lol), my chicken keeping has never been for profit. It has always been a labor of love and all our animals are considered 'family' around here. Best of luck to you and yours! And PLEASE DO keep us in the loop! You can absorb so much from this forum, it's a great place to heal!!!

 

[merrylegs]

I did mention, I'm pretty sure it is Marek, so they are separated from any contact with the rest of my flock. Like you, I have a closed flock no one in or out, boots dipped in bleach, before entering any of the runs. Also like you , all my chickens are family pets, they live out their lives, naturally! This is the first time I had bred my own chicks, they are two months old now, and three chicks two weeks old.
My two sick chicks are from the first batch of twelve (two Mamas) but the rest of them seem healthy, as do the three two week olds! The sick ones are in with me, they are eating and drinking well, and have improved to the point of standing up now. I exercise their legs gently, twice a day... Maybe you could help me, is there any way I can sterilise the chicken runs, what did you do when you found your chicken had Mareks?
Thank you so much for your post, this forum has been such a help

I will let you know how my wee chicks do

 

[mightymax]

I know quite a few people that use a product called Oxine, and are very pleased with its results. It is know to kill bacteria, fungi and viruses including salmonella, E-coli and the parvovirus. There's something about 'activating' it that I'm not well versed in, so I would probably research it online some more before using it in an area where my pets live, but that's just me...Anyway, good luck and please keep us updated on the progress of your wee ones!

 

[merrylegs]

Thank you, I will look it up, sometimes it can be a different name here! The chicks are still alive, as I make sure they are eating and drinking, I know they wouldn't have survived in the hen run. However while they seem happy, I will work with them, but won't be adding to my flock or giving any away, I will have to be very careful!

I have a separate little flock of rescue cage hens and three Rooster, so I dip my boots on entering and leaving their run ( in bleach mixture) so as not to spread anything around!

 

[merrylegs]

Chicks are a little better, I have them onHypericum 30c. They are still wobbly, but they tuck can tuck their legs under now ... will update again soon!